Raul A. Reyes
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RAUL A. REYES is an attorney and columnist in New York City. A third-generation Mexican-American, he writes frequently on issues affecting the Latino community.

Reyes is a member of the Board of Contributors of USA Today as well as a contributor to CNN, MSNBC, NBCLatino, NPR, Current TV, and the United Stations Radio Network. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Houston Chronicle, Texas Monthly, Hispanic Magazine, Salon.com, and numerous Spanish language-newspapers. His opinions have been cited by Daniel Schorr, The Week, and The Washington Post editorial board. As a freelance journalist, he has written about everything from soap operas to immigration policy to Filipinos in the Ivy League. He is syndicated through the Hispanic Link Syndicate, Other Words, and Scripps Howard News Service.

Reyes is a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia School of Law.

Blog Entries by Raul A. Reyes

Marco Rubio's False Promise

(27) Comments | Posted April 16, 2012 | 5:28 PM

He's on the wrong side of too many issues that matter to Latinos.

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Sen. Marco Rubio will release his memoir, An American Son in June. In what his publisher is billing as an inspirational story, the Florida Republican writes about his family's...

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Go Deport Yourself: Romney's "Self-Deportation" Policy Is No Joke

(30) Comments | Posted February 21, 2012 | 3:44 PM

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I bet Mitt Romney has a sweatshirt that says I (heart) Florida. His victory in the Sunshine State revitalized his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination. Florida also gave him an opportunity to explain his immigration policy.

Asked how...

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"America's Toughest Sheriff" Is Not Above the Law

(103) Comments | Posted January 17, 2012 | 4:23 PM

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On January 5, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio revealed his re-election plans with typical bluster. The man who calls himself "America's Toughest Sheriff" said,
For all those critics that demonstrate in front of my office for three years, calling me every name...
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Alberto Gonzales: Dear Santa, Send Money

(1) Comments | Posted December 8, 2011 | 1:17 PM

As a Latino attorney, I've followed Alberto Gonzales' career closely. The son of migrant workers made history by rising from humble origins to become the first Hispanic U.S. attorney general. Yet Gonzales often seemed driven by personal loyalty to George W. Bush, not to the people he was sworn to...

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Rick Perry, a Lousy Amigo

(152) Comments | Posted September 13, 2011 | 7:11 PM

Texas Governor Rick Perry had a busy summer. In July, he told reporters he felt "called" to run for president. In August, he hosted "The Response," a prayer rally that drew thousands of people to a Houston stadium. By September, he had thrown his Stetson hat...

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Illegal Discrimination

(8) Comments | Posted July 5, 2011 | 8:07 PM

Alabama's new anti-immigration law includes provisions that serve no purpose other than to intimidate undocumented immigrants and discourage them from getting an education.

They don't call it the Bible Belt for nothing. In Alabama, leaders of the United Methodist Church, Episcopal Church, Lutheran Church, and Roman Catholic Church

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Supreme Court Misses the Mark on Legal Arizona Workers Act

(39) Comments | Posted June 3, 2011 | 5:53 PM

On May 26, the Supreme Court upheld the Legal Arizona Workers Act of 2007. Now any business in the Grand Canyon State that knowingly or intentionally hires undocumented workers can lose their business license. If they are caught with a second offense within three years, they can be...

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Mitt Romney's Mexican Roots

(281) Comments | Posted May 17, 2011 | 9:36 AM

2011-05-17-imgres.jpegAs a Latino, family heritage is important to me. I believe we can all learn from the journeys of our ancestors. For some, these may have involved crossing the border without papers, seeking freedom from persecution, or fleeing the violence of...

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Son of Mexican Immigrants Was a Hero of Bin Laden Operation?

(11) Comments | Posted May 5, 2011 | 5:26 PM

2011-05-03-NavySeals.jpgOn Monday, Martin Mejia received the shock of his life. The father of Ruben Mejia, a Navy SEAL, was stunned when soldiers in uniform came to his home bearing a flag. He immediately feared that his son had been killed, and burst into...

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Brisenia Flores Was a Victim of Border Vigilantes and Media Indifference

(4) Comments | Posted March 8, 2011 | 3:33 PM

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Brisenia Flores was an ordinary American girl in a dusty border town in Arizona. Nine years old, she loved Belle from Beauty and the Beast and playing on her teeter-totter. On May 30, 2009, Brisenia was sleeping with her puppy...

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In Defense of Indefensible Rick Sanchez

(8) Comments | Posted February 8, 2011 | 10:22 AM

2011-03-09-sanchezrick.jpegThe first time I met Rick Sanchez, I was a guest commentator on his CNN program. During a commercial break, I walked onto the set, fiddling with my clip-on microphone as I tried to remember a few talking points. At the anchor...

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Arizona Ethnic Studies Should Promote Collaboration, Not Conflict

(5) Comments | Posted January 31, 2011 | 1:20 PM

Last Tuesday night, in a show of bipartisanship, Arizona Republican Rep. Jeff Flake and Democrat Rep. Raul Grijalva saved an empty seat for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords during the 2011 State of the Union address. As the president spoke eloquently about the Tucson shooting, I found this simple gesture quite touching....

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Baby Scapegoats

(17) Comments | Posted January 18, 2011 | 9:05 AM

I'd like to welcome America's first baby of 2011 to the world. Eighteen seconds into New Year's Day, Peter Gabriel Imson was delivered on the U.S. territory of Guam. Named for the former lead singer in the band Genesis, little Peter Gabriel weighed in at 6 pounds, 13 ounces. Congratulations,...

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