Hispanics and the New Administration: Immigration Slips as a Priority; Latinos Optimistic About Obama

A year and a half after a lengthy, often rancorous debate over immigration reform filled the chambers of a stalemated Congress, the issue appears to have receded in importance among one of the groups most affected by it-Latinos. Only three-in-ten (31%) Latinos rate immigration as an "extremely important" issue facing the incoming Obama administration, placing it sixth on a list of seven policy priorities that respondents were asked to assess in a nationwide survey of 1,007 Latino adults conducted from December 3 through December 10, 2008, by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. The top-rated issue among Latinos is the economy; some 57% of Hispanics say it is an "extremely important" one for the new president to address. Looking forward, Hispanics are optimistic about the incoming Obama Administration. More than seven-in-ten (72%) say they expect Obama to have a successful first term. Looking back, Latinos offer a negative assessment of the outgoing Bush Administration. More than half (54%) of Latinos say that the failures of the Bush Administration will outweigh its successes. In comparison, 64% of the U.S. general population holds the same view. The latest report from the Pew Hispanic Center also examines the ways Latinos were involved in the historic 2008 presidential campaign such as using the Internet to research a candidate, trying to persuade someone else to vote for or against a particular party, and displaying material or wearing clothing related to a political campaign. A year and a half after a lengthy, often rancorous debate over immigration reform filled the chambers of a stalemated Congress, the issue appears to have receded in importance among one of the groups most affected by it-Latinos. Only three-in-ten (31%) Latinos rate immigration as an "extremely important" issue facing the incoming Obama administration, placing it sixth on a list of seven policy priorities that respondents were asked to assess in a nationwide survey of 1,007 Latino adults conducted from December 3 through December 10, 2008, by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. The top-rated issue among Latinos is the economy; some 57% of Hispanics say it is an "extremely important" one for the new president to address. Looking forward, Hispanics are optimistic about the incoming Obama Administration. More than seven-in-ten (72%) say they expect Obama to have a successful first term. Looking back, Latinos offer a negative assessment of the outgoing Bush Administration. More than half (54%) of Latinos say that the failures of the Bush Administration will outweigh its successes. In comparison, 64% of the U.S. general population holds the same view. The latest report from the Pew Hispanic Center also examines the ways Latinos were involved in the historic 2008 presidential campaign such as using the Internet to research a candidate, trying to persuade someone else to vote for or against a particular party, and displaying material or wearing clothing related to a political campaign.

A year and a half after a lengthy, often rancorous debate over immigration reform filled the chambers of a stalemated Congress, the issue appears to have receded in importance among one of the groups most affected by it-Latinos. Only three-in-ten (31%) Latinos rate immigration as an "extremely important" issue facing the incoming Obama administration, placing it sixth on a list of seven policy priorities that respondents were asked to assess in a nationwide survey of 1,007 Latino adults conducted from December 3 through December 10, 2008, by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. The top-rated issue among Latinos is the economy; some 57% of Hispanics say it is an "extremely important" one for the new president to address.

Looking forward, Hispanics are optimistic about the incoming Obama Administration. More than seven-in-ten (72%) say they expect Obama to have a successful first term. Looking back, Latinos offer a negative assessment of the outgoing Bush Administration. More than half (54%) of Latinos say that the failures of the Bush Administration will outweigh its successes. In comparison, 64% of the U.S. general population holds the same view.

The latest report from the Pew Hispanic Center also examines the ways Latinos were involved in the historic 2008 presidential campaign such as using the Internet to research a candidate, trying to persuade someone else to vote for or against a particular party, and displaying material or wearing clothing related to a political campaign.

A year and a half after a lengthy, often rancorous debate over immigration reform filled the chambers of a stalemated Congress, the issue appears to have receded in importance among one of the groups most affected by it-Latinos. Only three-in-ten (31%) Latinos rate immigration as an "extremely important" issue facing the incoming Obama administration, placing it sixth on a list of seven policy priorities that respondents were asked to assess in a nationwide survey of 1,007 Latino adults conducted from December 3 through December 10, 2008, by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. The top-rated issue among Latinos is the economy; some 57% of Hispanics say it is an "extremely important" one for the new president to address. Looking forward, Hispanics are optimistic about the incoming Obama Administration. More than seven-in-ten (72%) say they expect Obama to have a successful first term. Looking back, Latinos offer a negative assessment of the outgoing Bush Administration. More than half (54%) of Latinos say that the failures of the Bush Administration will outweigh its successes. In comparison, 64% of the U.S. general population holds the same view. The latest report from the Pew Hispanic Center also examines the ways Latinos were involved in the historic 2008 presidential campaign such as using the Internet to research a candidate, trying to persuade someone else to vote for or against a particular party, and displaying material or wearing clothing related to a political campaign.