Obama

I count myself among the fortunate immigrants that have been lured to this country not by the prospect of a job but by the opportunity for a quality education. Mine was a far more privileged entry point, for sure, especially considering that many jobs taken by newcomers are among the worst, while the education available to international students is second to none.

For those who got to know Alvaro Uribe during his eight years as Colombia’s President it was evident that he would, in his words, “work, work, work” until the last minute of his last day in office. Slowing down and walking quietly into the sunset wouldn’t have been his thing.

More than 15 months have passed since President Obama lifted the ban on U.S. telecommunication companies seeking to operate in Cuba, ending a 50-year-old embargo against such businesses. The directive was billed as part of Obama’s search for a new direction in U.S.-Cuba relations and allowed, among other provisions, the signing of roaming contracts with Cuba's mobile phone operators.

In admitting recently that the United States will never totally seal its border with Mexico, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano acknowledged a fundamental yet politically perilous fact: there is no way to close a 2000 mile border with a country that is the U.S.’s third largest trading partner. She followed the admission minutes later saying that she won’t be satisfied until all routes used by drug dealers are shut down.

World leaders want the Chinese to buy more and save less. You won't hear them say that outright, but that is what statements like the following from President Obama’s June 18 letter to the Group of 20 mean: “A strong and sustainable global recovery needs to be built on balanced global demand.”

You would think that the Latino electorate would have a lot to be pleased about after President Obama’s first year in office.
Take health care. Prior to reform one in three Latinos did not have health insurance. Thanks to the landmark overhaul, some Latinos will benefit as early as late June when many uninsurable or “priced out” citizens with preexisting conditions will begin to see new insurance options. Also, small firms with less than 25 employees will soon be eligible for tax credits to help provide coverage for their workers.

That the first African American U.S. president is appointing a substantial number of Latinos to his administration should come as no surprise. Now the largest minority in the country, Latinos represent more than 15 percent of the population and voted for President Obama by a margin of two to one.

Many of these appointees have been named to posts responsible for Latin American policy. Some call this pigeonholing and others outsourcing U.S. foreign policy to an ethnic constituency.

Of course, it is neither of those but a little of both.

Back in 2001, expectations in Latin America soared when the newly elected George W. Bush promised to turn the 2000s into the "Century of the Americas." The Sept. 11 attacks and their aftermath, however, quickly dashed any hope for integration and shared prosperity, and instead ushered in an era of mutual disappointment and recrimination.

Four months after the military ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, de facto leader Roberto Micheletti has finally agreed to restore Zelaya to power. Micheletti's change of heart removes the sticking point in negotiations that have frustrated an international community united in its opposition to the coup.

En los casi cuatro años que llevo como ciudadana estadounidense, muy poco tiempo le he dedicado a considerar qué tan bien me va asimilándome a este país. Normalmente me siento en casa. Además de visitar familiares y amigos, hay solo una razón más por la que a veces siento la urgencia de regresar a mi país de origen: atención médica.