You're quite correct. And what side of the ideological fence they come down on, is going to be driven to the way we go about trying to answer that question.
We could, I suppose, treat Hispanics as enemies -- many at FR seem to view them as such. Which will of course be counterproductive. The resultant conflict means that this inevitably growing demographic will end up in the Democrat camp, because there'd be no place else for them to go.
Or ... we could look for common ground, of which there's actually a fair amount, and deal with Hispanics as allies, if not exactly friends.
It's up to us.
Does the common ground you seek include amnesty for all illegals in the US, or the so-called comprehensive immigration reform?
That issue will continue to be the primary issue related to the growth of the Latino population until the issue is settled, either by granting amnesty to millions, or by establishing a policy of no amnesty and strict enforcement in the future.
And the issue will be kept very much alive by the Hispanic interest groups and Dims looking for future voters. It can't be avoided.
You'll look at it however it suits you but the truth is many of us, who choose not to define our neighbors by their race, view illegal immigrants as an expensive & destructive nuisance.