TIME Magazine's cover story, headlined "Yo Decido," powerfully underscores the importance of the nation's Hispanic voters.
The words mean "I decide" in Spanish, the first cover headline the magazine has published in that language. It's accompanied by the legend, "Why Latinos will pick the next President."
The cover depicts the faces of Hispanic voters in Arizona, which the magazine called "the epicenter of the national immigration debate."
The story, written by TIME's White House correspondent Michael Scherer, reports that Latinos will play a definitive role in the presidential election.
The magazine advanced the story online Wednesday, ahead of that night's debate among Republican candidates in Arizona, and the issue hits the newsstands Friday.
"When the four candidates take to the stage, they will inevitably be asked about the state's tough crackdown on illegal immigration, which has defined the local Republican Party in recent years," Scherer writes. "The candidates need to answer carefully."
The story interviews several national Latino leaders, such as Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and Univision television anchor Jorge Ramos, about the interests of Hispanic voters and their likely impact.
The magazine's focus on the Latino population did not surprise San Diego-area leaders.
Max Branscomb, the journalism professor at Southwestern College, called TIME's cover story "very significant."
"Not because it's any kind of 'coming out' for Latinos, but it is a recognition by the East Coast media that Latinos are major players in the United States," he said.
"Those of us who live here in the borderlands have known for decades that the nation was evolving, but folks in other parts of the country who have not experienced our multicultural regions of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas always seem to be caught by surprise."
He said that there is a "huge disconnect" between this region and the power center of Washington, D.C, noting that Tijuana endures a similar situation with its political leaders in Mexico City.
"Latinos have come a long way from the days of the Frito Bandido when corporations and elected officials could run roughshod over Latinos without any serious repercussions," he said. "Latinos are now the Great Swing Vote in the U.S.A. and may have the last laugh."
Norma Chávez-Peterson, the director of the community organization Justice Overcoming Boundaries, hopes TIME's emphatic headline "Yo Decido" will encourage indecisive Latinos to register to vote and those already registered to turn out on Election Day.
"The most important thing is for our community nationwide to see the power Latinos have," she said.
"I hope this story helps candidates see the value of recognizing the interests of Latinos," she said.
The director said the election affects critical issues – such as education, the economy and jobs – not just immigration.
That's why her organization plans to work with other community agencies to spark an interest in the election, particularly targeting registered voters to make sure they actually vote.
She sees the participation young Latinos as being increasingly important, not just locally but across the country.
Nationwide, she noted, one Latino resident turns 18 every 30 seconds.
alexandra.mendoza@sandiegored.com
