Hispanics Aren’t Better Off

Obama’s Policies Continue To Hurt Hispanics

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OBAMA TOLD HISPANICS HIS PRIORITY WAS TO “GET BUSINESSES TO HIRE AND CREATE JOBS WITH DECENT WAGES”

In 2008, Obama Told The National Council Of La Raza “The System Isn’t Working When Hispanics Are Losing Their Jobs Faster Than Almost Anybody Else….” OBAMA: “The system isn’t working when Hispanics are losing their jobs faster than almost anybody else, or working jobs that pay less, and come with fewer benefits than almost anybody else…Having a struggling economy-an economy that’s left so many people in need of your assistance-that doesn’t help, either.” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks At National Council Of La Raza, San Diego, CA, 7/13/08)

• Obama In 2011: “My Number-One Priority Every Single Day Is To Figure Out How We Can Get Businesses To Hire And Create Jobs With Decent Wages.”OBAMA: “But that only makes our work more urgent to get this economy going and make sure that opportunity is spreading, to make sure that everyone who wants a job can find one and to make sure that paychecks can actually cover the bills, to make sure that families don’t have to choose between buying groceries or buying medicine, that they don’t have to choose between sending their kids to college or being able to retire. My number-one priority every single day is to figure out how we can get businesses to hire and create jobs with decent wages.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At National Council Of La Raza, Washington, D.C., 7/25/11)
• Obama: “We’re Keeping Our Promise To Make Sure That America Remains A Place Where Opportunity Is Open To All Who Work For It.” OBAMA: “When I spoke to you as a candidate for this office, I said you and I share a belief that opportunity and prosperity aren’t just words to be said, they are promises to be kept. Back then we didn’t know the depths of the challenges that were going to lie ahead. But thanks to you, we are keeping our promises. We’re keeping our promise to make sure that America remains a place where opportunity is open to all who work for it.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At National Council Of La Raza, Washington, D.C., 7/25/11)

But Hispanics Aren’t Better Off Under Obama

Since Obama Took Office, The Unemployment Rate For Hispanics Has Increased From 10.0 Percent To 10.2 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 9/19/12)

• Under Obama, Hispanics Have Struggled To Find Work At Record Levels, With Nearly More Than 2.5 Million Unemployed. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 9/19/12)

Latinos Are Hit “Disproportionately Hard” By The Struggling Economy. “The collapse of the housing market and a foreclosure wave continues to hit Latino homeowners disproportionately hard, studies find, with market recovery still struggling to take hold. On health care, roughly three times as many Latinos are uninsured than are non-Hispanic whites. And Latino unemployment is on the rise, at 11 percent in May, up from 10.3 percent in April and March, according to the Labor Department, which is higher than the national average.” (Devin Dwyer, “Obama ’08 NALEO Promises Still Works In Progress,”ABC News, 6/22/12)

“[M]any Latinos Say That The Recession Has Hit Them Hardest When It Comes To Unemployment, Home Ownership, And Their Neighborhoods.” “‘Latinos in our polling have told us they feel Hispanics have been hit harder than other groups by the recession, and many Latinos say that the recession has hit them hardest when it comes to unemployment, home ownership and their neighborhoods,’ said Mark Hugo Lopez, an associate director at the Pew Hispanic Center.” (Devin Dwyer, “Obama ’08 NALEO Promises Still Works In Progress,”ABC News, 6/22/12)

• 54 Percent Of Latinos Say The Economic Downturn Has Left Them Harder Hit Than Other Groups In America. “Fully 54% say Hispanics have been hurt more than other groups by the economic downturn of the past four years, while just 5% say they have been hurt less. Some 38% say Hispanics have been affected about as much as other groups.” (Paul Taylor, Mark Hugo Lopez, Gabriel Velasco, And Seth Motel, “Hispanics Say They Have The Worst Of A Bad Economy,” Pew Research Center,1/26/12)

• 59 Percent Of Hispanics Say Someone In Their Household Has Been Out Of Work In The Past Year. (Paul Taylor, Mark Hugo Lopez, Gabriel Velasco, And Seth Motel, “Hispanics Say They Have The Worst Of A Bad Economy,”Pew Research Center, 1/26/12)

Hispanic Median Household Income Decreased From $38,818 In 2010 To $38,624 In 2011. (Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, “Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2011,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/12/12)

• Hispanic Household Wealth Has Declined More Steeply Than Blacks And Whites.“They have one of the highest unemployment rates and saw their household wealth decline more steeply than either blacks or whites, largely because so many lost their houses to foreclosure.” (Carol Morello and Ted Mellnik, “Hispanic Kids The Largest Group Of Children Living In Poverty,” The Washington Post , 9/28/11)

• 75 Percent Of Hispanics Say Their Finances Are “Only Fair” Or In “Poor” Shape.(Paul Taylor, Mark Hugo Lopez, Gabriel Velasco, And Seth Motel, “Hispanics Say They Have The Worst Of A Bad Economy,”Pew Research Center, 1/26/12)

Four Years Ago, 30 Percent Of Hispanics Considered Themselves In The Lower Class, While Today It’s 40 Percent. “Larger shares of whites (31% vs. 23%) and Hispanics (40% vs. 30%) today than in 2008 also say they are in the lower class. In contrast, there has been no increase in the proportion of blacks who identify as lower class (33% in both surveys).”(Rich Morin and Seth Motel, “A Third Of Americans Now Say They Are In The Lower Classes,” Pew Research Center, 9/10/12)

48 Percent Of Hispanics Think The Economy Is The Most Important Issue In The Presidential Election. ( Fox News Latino Poll , 887 LV, MoE 3%, 9/11-13/12)

Since 2008, Over 2 Million Hispanics Have Fallen Into Poverty

Between 2008 And 2010, 2.3 Million Hispanic-Americans Fell Into Poverty And The Poverty Rate For Hispanic-Americans Increased From 23.2 Percent To 26.6 Percent.(People With Income Below Specified Ratios Of Their Poverty Thresholds By Selected Characteristics, 2008, US Census Bureau, 9/10/2009; People And Families In Poverty By Selected Characteristics: 2009 And 2010, US Census Bureau, 9/13/11)

• In 2011, 13.24 Million Hispanics Were Below The Poverty Line. (Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, “Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2011,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/12/12)

“Hispanics Now Make Up The Largest Group Of Children Living In Poverty.” “Hispanics now make up the largest group of children living in poverty, the first time in U.S. history that poor white kids have been outnumbered by poor children of another race or ethnicity, according to a new study.” (Carol Morello and Ted Mellnik, “Hispanic Kids The Largest Group Of Children Living In Poverty,” The Washington Post , 9/28/11)

• Over 5.4 Million Hispanic Children Are Living In Poverty. (Census Bureau, Accessed 8/21/12)

OBAMA PROMISED TO FIX HEALTH CARE FOR UNINSURED HISPANICS

Obama In 2007: “It’s An American Problem When Latinos Are The Most Likely To Be Uninsured Even Though They Make Up A Disproportionate Share Of The Workforce.”(Senator Barack Obama, Remarks At National Council Of La Raza, Miami, FL, 7/22/07)

• In 2008, Obama Promised To Fix Health Care For “The Nearly One In Three Hispanics Who Don’t Have Health Care….” OBAMA: “This election is about the nearly one in three Hispanics who don’t have health care-people for whom one accident, one illness can lead to financial ruin. And it’s about the small business owners struggling to stay afloat because of the rising cost of insuring their employees. They’re counting on us to fix our broken health care system.” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks At National Council Of La Raza, San Diego, CA, 7/13/08)

Hispanics Are “Even More Likely To Be Uninsured” Than Four Years Ago

Hispanics “Have Become Even More Likely To Be Uninsured” Than Four Years Ago.“The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index data reveal that more Americans lack health care today than did four years ago. Groups that were already among the least likely to have coverage — Hispanics, low-income Americans, and blacks — have become even more likely to be uninsured.” (Elizabeth Mendes, “More Americans Uninsured In 2011,” Gallup , 1/24/12)

• “More Than 40%” Of Hispanics and “30% Of Low-Income Americans” Were Uninsured In 2011. “Hispanic Americans continue to be the most likely to be uninsured, with more than 40% going without health coverage in 2011, the highest Gallup has found for any key group since it began tracking in 2008. More than 30% of low–income Americans were uninsured in 2011 — a figure that has been rising since 2008, when it was 26.4%.” (Elizabeth Mendes, “More Americans Uninsured In 2011,”Gallup , 1/24/12)

Gallup Has Consistently Found That Hispanics Are Among The Most Likely In The U.S. To Be Uninsured Since It Started Tracking Health Insurance Status In January 2008.(Elizabeth Mendes, “Uninsured Rates Vary From 4% to 50% Across U.S. Metro Areas,”Gallup, 3/27/12)

• The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Metro Area Has By Far The Largest Hispanic Population In The Nation: 90.6% In 2010 According To The U.S. Census Bureau. An Average Of 49% Of Residents Is Hispanic In The 10 Metro Areas With The Highest Uninsured Rates, Compared With 8.3% In The 10 Areas With The Lowest Rates. (Elizabeth Mendes, “Uninsured Rates Vary From 4% to 50% Across U.S. Metro Areas,” Gallup, 3/27/12)