10 Questions for Jorge Ramos

The Noticiero Univision anchor has a new book, A Country for All , out now. Jorge Ramos will now take your questions

By Jorge Ramos Monday, Aug. 09, 2010
    • Univision

    Jorge Ramos

    As a Mexican-born, naturalized U.S. citizen, what is your take on the immigration debate? — Ndukwe Kalu, LOS ANGELES
    The Declaration of Independence says that all men are created equal, but right now millions of men and women in Arizona and in other parts of the U.S. are not being treated as equals, and I can't believe that. Countries are judged by the way they treat the most vulnerable, and the most vulnerable population in the U.S. right now is undocumented immigrants.

    Do you think U.S. borders need to be better secured? — Erik Davalos, RENO, NEV.
    Border security is not enough. We have to have immigration reform. It doesn't matter how many guards you send to the border. It doesn't matter how high the fence is going to be, because almost half of all undocumented immigrants who come to the U.S. come by plane. It's an economic problem.

    Do you see an end soon to the drug war in Mexico? — Sandra Chávez, CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO
    President Felipe Calderon is losing the war on drugs. This problem is not going to be solved — because of corruption and because it's not the right strategy. On the other hand, there is violence and drug trafficking in Mexico in part because there's a huge market for drugs in the U.S. Mexico cannot win this war alone.

    Do you think Mexico would ever allow U.S. military intervention? — Albert Morales, WASHINGTON
    Mexico will never accept U.S. military intervention. Mexicans always remember 1848. That's when Mexico lost more than half its territory [in a war with the U.S.]. Having said that, I think that the presence of U.N. soldiers in parts of Mexico, including Ciudad Juárez, should be a possibility.

    What does it take to be the anchor of Noticiero Univisión? — Miguel Cortina, SUGAR LAND, TEXAS
    I laugh when I remember that there was a news director in Los Angeles who told me that I would never work in this country because Latinos weren't going to assimilate. At the end, he lost his job, and I got mine. It's a privilege to work as an anchor for Univision, but more important, I am amazed by how Latinos are transforming America.

    What advice do you have for someone hoping for a similar career in journalism? — Angelica Montes, MAYWOOD, CALIF.
    My only advice is, follow your dream, and do whatever you like to do the most. I chose journalism because I wanted to be in the places where history was being made.

    What was your impression of President Obama when you first interviewed him? — Sonia Hernandez, SAN ANTONIO
    I spoke with Obama when he was running for President. He needed the Hispanic vote. He promised us that he was going to have an immigration bill during his first year in office. And President Barack Obama broke his promise. He gave Latinos a lot of hope, and right now many are deeply disappointed.

    Whom would you like to interview whom you have not yet interviewed? — Maria de La Luz Sierra, WILLIS, TEXAS
    Nelson Mandela. He always understood that injustice cannot last forever, and that same message is one we can now apply in the U.S.

    Hispanics are now the largest U.S. minority and growing. In your view, what is the most important implication of that fact? — Benjamin Figueroa Pereira, SAN JUAN, P.R.
    The process of change is well under way. The U.S. is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, with the exception of Mexico. It means — and I am completely convinced of this — that the first Hispanic President has already been born.

    What is preventing Latinos from uniting to exercise their power in this country? — Kyoko Tsuru, NEW YORK CITY
    It's lack of political representation. We are 15% of the population, and we have only one Senator. We need not only one Cesar Chavez; we need a thousand Cesar Chavezes.