Brokaw’s Latino gaffe reveals important truth

Last Sunday, many of us who regularly watch “Meet The Press” were utterly shocked by the words of expert panelist Tom Brokaw, the “grand poobah” of journalism. Brokaw’s frank comments about the racial divide between whites and Latinos brought a barrage of swift and steady reactions from Latinos outraged by his remarks.

Brokaw immediately took to Twitter to clarify: “I am sorry, truly sorry, my comments were offensive to many. The great enduring American tradition of diversity is to be celebrated and cherished.”

Clearly, Brokaw’s remarks needed clarification. But I also think his words were powerful and needed saying. Like a Mason divulging the secret handshake, Brokaw revealed the underlying sentiment of President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. As a Latino, I was filled with astonishment — as well as glee — at the frank revelation.

“A lot of this, we don’t want to talk about,” said Brokaw, conveying sentiments from some Republicans who have been frank with him and who only see Latinos as a new constituency for Democrats — and therefore a political threat. Brokaw continued by adding that there are also some who are simply opposed to welcoming Latinos into the American fold due to the color of their skin.

“Also, I hear, when I push people a little harder, ‘Well, I don’t know whether I want brown grandbabies,’” he said. “I mean, that’s also a part of it. It’s the intermarriage that is going on and the cultures that are conflicting with each other.”

So far, so good. Then he said this: “I also happen to believe that the Hispanics should work harder at assimilation. This is one of the things I’ve been saying for a long time. You know, they ought not to be just codified in their communities but make sure that all their kids are learning to speak English, and that they feel comfortable in the communities. And that’s going to take outreach on both sides, frankly.”

My glee quickly disappeared. In his attempt to justify the attitudes of some whites, he wrongly insinuated that Latinos have insulated themselves and failed to contribute to their communities.

Although there’s been strong pushback on his comments by Latinos who know diversity is what makes America great, I want to address the first part of Brokaw’s assertion. Brokaw hit the bullseye when he identified racial tension as a key issue in today’s politics.

Brokaw wrote “The Greatest Generation” in 1998 as a tribute to those born between 1910 and 1924. He attributed the successes of our country to the resiliency and sacrifices made by those who overcame the perils of the Great Depression and World War II.

As such, he has earned the respect of the mostly over-65 white demographic and is a recognized expert on their accomplishments, their expectations and their anxieties. So when he spoke, he was truly speaking for — and maybe even to — this constituency.

Before 2016, it was inconceivable that Rust Belt Republicans would ever vote for an ignorant, philandering, unchristian and lying Park Avenue New Yorker as president. But they did. Republicans opted to embrace the “build that wall” mantra of Trump.

A Republican like me can only conclude that the core issues motivating the ascendancy and unwavering support of this incompetent president are, as Brokaw revealed, motivated by race.

I am thankful that Brokaw brought this out into the open. I accept his apology for misspeaking. If we want to make progress on these issues, we must discuss them openly and honestly. Otherwise, racist sentiments like these may delay Latinos from fulfilling their role as America’s next great generation.

This story was originally published February 1, 2019 at 12:01 AM.