4 minute read
Media Reviews
Latino Vote: Dispatches from the Battleground OCTOBER 6, 9–10 P.M., VOCES ON PBS (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS)
Vice President Joe Biden attends a Culinary Union protest.
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Latinos for Trump gather at a rally in February 2020.
According to a Pew Research Center study, in the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton won the Latinx vote in a walk: 66 percent to Donald Trump’s 28. Democratic candidates, in fact, won the group’s favor in the laset three elections. But that shouldn’t suggest that Latinos will always back the left. As Dr. Gabriel Salguero of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition says midway through this impactful documentary, “No political party has a monopoly on Gospel values or Hispanic priorities.”
Candidates who fail to connect with Latinx voters do so at their own political peril. Another Pew Research study showed that naturalized citizens will make up one in 10 eligible voters in the 2020 election—roughly 10 percent of the country’s electorate. What director Bernardo Ruiz’s Latino Vote: Dispatches from the Battleground does so well is the way that it juxtaposes the Latinx community as both an imperiled, misunderstood population and a powerhouse voting bloc. In 21st-century America, you can be both.
The documentary introduces us to a dizzying number of community organizers and activists, among them Adrian Rivera-Reyes, a young scientist in Philadelphia who seeks to mobilize the city’s Puerto Rican community. Pasqual Urrabazo, a Las Vegas pastor and Trump supporter, tries to energize Latino evangelicals. Sonja Diaz, founding director of the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Initiative, addresses the ever-present xenophobia within politics. While the people profiled here may differ in their political beliefs or which candidate they support, all are united in engaging their diverse communities.
Some of the most penetrative voices in the film belong to first-generation Americans, children of parents who fled violence or corrupt governments in their home countries for better opportunities in the United States. One of these young activists, Cuban-born Daniela Ferrera, a fiery and articulate orator, wants to help move her adopted country forward. She is the American dream in motion.
Latino Vote, which covers a lot of ground in 60 minutes, says one thing clearly: The Latinx community is not a monolith, nor can it be categorized neatly. Rather, it is an important ingredient in the melting pot that is America today: conservative, liberal, and independent alike. And they are a growing, mobilized community. Come the November elections, the film asserts, 32 million Latinos will be eligible to vote. The presidential candidate who can relate to the Latinx community without pandering to them—the latter happening far too often, historically—will have a true superpower backing him.
ICONS
The Right Time for the Right Book Editor’s Picks
FRANCIS OF ASSISI’S SERMON ON THE MOUNT BY JOHN MICHAEL TALBOT Paraclete Press
We have all heard the expression that “timing is everything.” John Michael Talbot’s latest work on The Admonitions of St. Francis is a perfect example. The timeless words of St. Francis are beautifully expressed through the work of Talbot. The uncertainty of the current times with a pandemic, social unrest, and financial turmoil for many has created a level of anxiety that I personally have never witnessed. Finding words that express a deeper meaning to the turmoil of the current state of affairs is a welcome relief.
Talbot has taken St. Francis’ 28 admonitions and broken them down into digestible bites that are well explained and applicable to our daily life. These admonitions can seem extremely challenging to the average person, but Talbot shows that they are not only achievable but desirable to follow.
One thing I found compelling is his look at St. Francis’ criticism of the religious practices occurring during his time and how they carry forward today. In admonition 14, poverty of spirit, he refers to this as a Gospel poverty: addressing attitudes behind actions and not only actions. Talbot goes further to say, “We have all met people who are very religious but not very Christian and certainly not much like Jesus.” He goes on further to suggest that those who are more worried about how they look, the devotions they use, rubrics, or some other rule are not exercising the true call of the Christian life.
This book is timely and much needed today. The call to follow the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s love and mercy are needed now more than ever. I highly recommend this work; take your time with it, pray with it. There is a lot to digest and much to gain.
Reviewed by Deacon Dave Profitt, who serves at Holy Spirit Parish in the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, and is director of the St. Anne Retreat Center. He and his pastor, Msgr. Bill Cleves, are the creators of the Catholic Soup podcast and also provide retreats and talks. Deacon Dave earned his master’s degree in church management from Villanova University.
FRANCIS OF ASSISI: THE ESSENTIAL WRITINGS
BY JON SWEENEY
Paraclete Press
Author Jon Sweeney wants his readers to be sure they are reading the actual words of “the little poor man (il poverello) from Umbria.” This 128-page second edition remains easily accessible and includes six additional writings— songs, prayers, letters, and teachings—providing insight into the humility and spirit of St. Francis.
FRANCISCAN FRIARS COAST TO COAST BY JACK CLARK ROBINSON Arcadia
Part of the Images of America series, this edition presents the archived photos and history from six US Franciscan provinces. While ministering to Native Americans, supporting US troops in World War II, and serving immigrants and those on the margins of society, their message is clear: All people matter to God and the friars.
