By Karina Gonzalez
Staff Writer
DALTON, Ga. — A new group of Hispanic leaders has begun working on immigration-related issues from briefing local residents on proposals to lobbying state and federal lawmakers.
“We saw a need for leadership in the community, even if those leaders don’t speak English,” said América Gruner (pictured, center), president of the Coalition of Latino Leaders, also known as CLILA. Ms. Gruner started working with local Hispanic residents and students late last year and officially formed the group in February.
This weekend, more than 50 area residents attended a CLILA forum on immigration at the Dalton Community Center, Ms. Gruner said.
“A lot of people are confused,” she said. “Some think that in August they will be able to legalize their status, while others think the situation here in Dalton is getting worse.”
Due to political correctness and an atrocious presentation of history, the term *Hispanic should only be used in referring to Spain and its history and culture; a native of Spain residing in the United States is a Hispanic, not a Latino, and one cannot substitute Latino to describe the Hispanic influence on native Mexican cultures without garbling the meaning. Hispanic then specifically refers to European Spaniards, not Mexicans or their derivative populations.
The correct term is mestizo, a person of mixed racial ancestry, especially of mixed European and Native American ancestry.
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