Benefits of AJC - Latino Partnership

When dialoguing with other ethnic groups – in this instance Latino-Americans – we need to keep one important thing in mind. We are not going to agree with each other on every issue. Church-state separation, for example, is a very high priority for us, less so for the Latino community, where support for school vouchers is strong. There is, however, a commonality of interest on several core concerns, including support for affirmative action, immigration reform and better public education.

On affirmative action, AJC continues to oppose quotas, employed by elite American universities in the earlier part of the twentieth century to restrict the admission of Jewish students. At the same time, together with black and Hispanic civil rights organizations, AJC has supported a wide range of affirmative action measures designed to recruit, train and upgrade those who have been historically disadvantaged and discriminated against.

Several years ago, AJC filed a brief in the United States Supreme Court in support of the University of Michigan’s admissions policy that promoted diversity on college campuses. At the University of Michigan, an applicant’s minority status is one factor among many considered, including socioeconomic background, and whether the applicant is an athlete or the child of an alumnus. We argued that disallowing the consideration of race as one factor among many in university admissions would have the effect of eliminating meaningful diversity on American campuses. We have received very positive feedback from minority communities because of our position and for standing up in support of affirmative action when it counted.

The issue of immigration is another shared concern. As American Jews, we have maintained a consistent focus on immigration and refugee policy. AJC has supported increased “family re-unification,” generous immigration policies for refugees, government benefits for non-citizen legal immigrants and programs designed to educate and integrate new citizens. At the same time, we have both endorsed efforts aimed at reducing the flow of illegal immigration to our shores, and reaffirmed our support for the principle of earned legalization for immigrants who have been residing in the U.S. for a substantial period of time.

The third major area of shared interests with the Latino community is public education. AJC believes a rededication to public education on the national, state, community and family levels will help public schools fulfill their promise as democratic institutions and launching pads of opportunity for all children. Schools and communities must provide all students, including minority, immigrant, and economically disadvantaged children, with effective schooling, extra educational help, and support systems necessary to meet today’s demanding educational standards. We believe that for all students to succeed there must be equitable school financing; qualified teachers; effective school and school district leadership; parental involvement; safe, clean, and modern schools; and after-school and early learning programs.

AJC has advocated on some of the most pressing issues in education. For example, we filed a brief in the N.Y. Court of Appeals on behalf of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, and the court ruled that the state has for years under funded the New York City public schools, in violation of the requirement that it provide a “sound basic education” to all its children. AJC believes that “public education is the bulwark of our democratic system” and that the lower court’s bizarre holding that an eighth-grade education was sufficient preparation for productive citizenship in today’s complex society must be rejected.

Finally, AJC supports an issue that cuts across both immigration and public education, and deals with opportunities for young people who do not presently have legal status. AJC supports the concept of “student adjustment.” Many undocumented young people living in the United States were brought here by their parents when they were minors. They should not be penalized for the choices made by their parents. Accordingly, legalization should be granted to those students who have spent a significant portion of their lives in the United States, participated in the American educational system and demonstrated a desire to become contributing, productive and full members of American society. We also support the DREAM ACT, under which deserving students not yet legalized would be afforded resident tuition at state colleges and universities to the same extent as legal residents and citizens.

While these domestic issues resonate for us and our Latino partners, they are not the end of our cooperation. AJC reaches out to Latinos and other ethnic groups to join with us on core issues of concern to the Jewish community – support for Israel and combating anti-Semitism. Only where there is mutual understanding of the importance of fundamental issues to each constituent group, and willingness to stand up for each other when our survival is on the line, can there be a true partnership that will benefit both communities.

Jeffrey Sinensky is AJC’s general counsel and director of domestic policy.