Roberto “Beto” O’Rourke is in an interesting position, Stephen A. Nuño shared in a post on NBC Latino. O’Rourke, a fourth-generation Texan and Irishman represents the 16th Congressional District in Texas — 80 percent of its population Latino– and he speaks Spanish fluently. He was also just denied membership into the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
According to the caucus’s bylaws, all members must be of Hispanic descent. However, some Latinos feel O’Rourke is deserving of the seat.
“. . . Identities are not static, nor should they be, and Latinos will have to confront the issue of cultural authenticity and how segregating identities into neat categories can have negative political consequences,” Nuño wrote. “As the country becomes more Hispanic, so will our leaders assimilate into our own contributions to American culture. That should be encouraged by Latinos.”
In Nuño’s view, O’Rouke should have the right to “express his solidarity with his constituents and his identity” by being a part of the caucus.
Read Nuño’s full article here.
(Photo by Beto O’Rourke for U.S. Congress)