The struggle continues. Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), created in 1968, commemorates not only México’s Independence from Spain, but also the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Chile.

Reading through the various volumes of our history leads to a variety of opinions on the harsh realities and how our people – and all people of color – have been treated over the course of the past few centuries. Today, the difficult times of the past are reflected in the treatment of all Latinos across the country.

Mainstream América feels comfortable speaking openly against immigrants – particularly Latinos – a movement spearheaded by what can only be perceived as right-wing racists, many of whom are elected officials. I struggle with this, because I don’t understand how an individual can feel such hatred for another human being, just because of their skin color.

Sometimes I wonder - is the immigration issue a sinister plot to create further financial gain for those who are dictating this country? Who is awarded the multi-million dollar contracts to build more fences between the México/US border, the privately-owned detention centers that indefinitely “detain” undocumented immigrants, the new and improved identification systems – and the numerous other privately-owned services aiming to secure our borders? Are the Tom Tancredo’s merely the freak-show to create a phobia, and a smoke-screen to hide the ‘real’ motives behind the ‘immigration’ war?

Despite the numerous attempts to eliminate immigrants from this country, US Census facts estimate that over 44 million Latinos -- plus the 4 million Latinos residing in Puerto Rico -- will remain in this country, and the numbers will more than double by 2050 to an approximate 102.6 million. Latinos will remain in this country, and our voting numbers in future ...