On July 4th, Spanish radio broadcaster Univision [history of Univision here] will be launching a nationwide talk format, mostly to be carried on its AM radio stations. This means of course that these AM radio stations will be fully functional during the 2012 Presidential elections (you think any bailout and/or TARP recipients will be advertising?)
Univision’s history has many parts, mostly in South Texas, with a lot of overlap with the people who created Clear Channel. A large portion of the people who live along the border are bilingual, have relatives that live in both countries and freely go back and forth over the border.
Univision’s name implies what their objective was – to create “One Vision” for all people who speak Spanish in America, which has been a dismal failure. The concept itself, like the widely used term “Hispanic” is nonsense. People who speak Spanish are no more likely to enjoy the same music and politics than a country music fan in Texas and an NPR listener in Minnesota who both are “white” and speak English.
The past few days I was involved in looking into Univision as the result of an email request, without knowing (or asking) the motivation of the person asking me questions. I now suspect it was related to this.
The top two Spanish language radio stations in New York City play “tropical/Caribbean” music (Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Jamaican, etc..) not the Mexican accordion big floppy hat (Yeehaw!) music popular along the Texas/Mexican border. Politically, the Cuban “exile” community in Miami (now on its 3rd generation living in America) have nothing in common with socialists from Columbia who also speak Spanish.
Enjoy your Independence days, Amigos!
It’s true, the is a wide divergence among the so-called Hispanics. There is absolutely nothing in common between Texans and Floridians, New Yorkers and Californians. Even among Floridian Hispanics there is a wide wall of separation. While Puerto Ricans (who have been here since the early 40’s) are part of the Democratic entitlement crowd, Cubans (started migrating after 1959) came here, became educated, and today are mostly conservative politically. If you don’t think so just call a Cuban a Puerto Rican or call him Mexican and I guarantee you you’ll have a fight in your hands.