Sen. Adriano Espaillat aims first Dominican in Congress. (
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Harlem was long a cultural capital for African-Americans before Adam Clayton Powell Jr. decided to make it a political power center as well. In 1944, he was elected to Congress, becoming the first black representative from New York and a leader with national clout.
By 1970, Powell was shamed by scandal and Charles B. Rangel stepped up.
Rangel, then a member of the New York state Assembly who had forged his political future with friends like Percy Sutton, Basil Paterson, and David Dinkins, emerged and defeated Powell in a contentious Democratic primary. It was those political friends, often referred to as the “Gang of Four,” which provided the core of the state’s black leadership for decades to come. The “Gang” produced two Manhattan borough presidents, a secretary of state of New York, a New York City mayor and the state’s only black governor.
Rangel has held the congressional seat ever since.
Today, Rangel is a reminder of an era when machine party politics ruled. Wannabes paid their dues to the county organization, and party bosses didn’t let anyone get out of line.
It has brought Rangel to what will be his 21st and probably toughest primary race ever. But the resilient warrior Rangel will, no doubt, subscribe to the old adage that power is taken, not given. Just as he unseated Powell, so a young upstart could finally unseat him.
That upstart could be state Sen. Adriano Espaillat, the lone Latino in the race.
After the 2010 census, Rangel’s area was redrawn as the 13th Congressional District, with a Latino population of 55%. Some feel this is a moment — like Powell stepping up for African-Americans 70 years ago — where a new group can emerge as a Harlem power.
But the conventional wisdom may be wrong. Most New Yorkers don’t realize that if Espaillat defeats Rangel and then is elected in November, he not only becomes the first Dominican to serve in the House but, arguably, after the president of his homeland, the second most known and powerful Dominican politician in the world.
There’s considerable interest among the 9 million Dominicans in the Caribbean in his elevation to Congress, which would make him the only congressman with a foreign “constituency,” giving him considerable clout.
But herein lies part of the problem.
In a poll conducted this year by the Pew Research Center, 51% of Latinos said they would prefer to be identified with their country of origin, rather than “Hispanic” or “Latino.”
Therefore, many in the community see Espaillat as the Dominican candidate, not necessarily a Latino candidate. Will he appeal to Puerto Ricans, who are still the largest number of voters among Latinos.
What about Mexicans, Colombians and others?
Espaillat has to walk a fine line with how far he pushes the Dominican flag and nationalistic pride. There is already some negative feedback as a result of the talk, by some overly enthusiastic Dominican supporters, that “our time has come.”
It’s a political tightrope. If not done with a degree of respect towards other groups, playing too many ethnic cards by the Espaillat cadre could result in a voter backlash.
And that takes for granted that Espaillat has the Dominican vote locked up — which is no guarantee.
So far, that hasn’t been easy for the native of Santiago. There is no sign of a groundswell of support coming from the residents of “Quisqueya Heights” and no evidence that they view this as an Obama-type history-making election as some of Espaillat’s supporters are trying to sell his candidacy. While they all share their love for mangð — one of the best known Dominican staple dishes made of platanos — they may not share a taste for his efforts. In fact, in the 2005 borough of Manhattan elections, Espaillat failed to carry his own Assembly district in the Democratic primary.
Dominican infighting could prove more devastating to Espaillat’s campaign than any black vs. Latino face-off.
Rangel, meanwhile, is no political neophyte. He has courted Latino politicians and voters for decades — and the diversity of his endorsements reflects that.
Those endorsements include novice Assemblyman Roberto Rodríguez and state Sen. José M. Serrano (both Puerto Ricans), Assemblyman Keith Wright, who is the Democratic Party County Chairman of Manhattan, Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr. and City Council member Inez Dickens, among others.
Espaillat has been endorsed by three elected officials — Dominican-born City Councilman Ydannis Rodríguez, Assemblyman Nelson Castro and Puerto Rican-born state Senator Gustavo Rivera.
Both Rodríguez and Rivera are novice officeholders who took over seats held by scandal-plagued incumbents.
While there are at least another five Dominican elected officials in the city, there is yet no sign that they will make an endorsement in the race.
It’s sure to be an exciting race. But it’s important to keep two mainstays of New York politics in mind. Racial coalitions are never simple. And it’s never a good idea to count out Charlie Rangel.
Gerson Borrero is a columnist for El Diario and a political commentator for NY1.