World Press Fits Villaraigosa Into the Big Picture

LA Times ^ | Jessica Garrison and Daniel Hernandez

[Alia]

Days after Antonio Villaraigosa was elected mayor, Nasser Hssaini, a correspondent for the Arab news channel Al Jazeera, flew to Los Angeles from Washington seeking an interview.

"Certainly, the Arabs are watching," he said. "Here is an example of a Latino young man, who worked his way hard, and the system accepted him. America accepted him…. This is an example of a perfect integration of foreigners into the system. This is the man who could rally everybody: Jews. Muslims. Latinos."
...
The question of immigration was also chewed over by European papers, but from a slightly different perspective. With cities across Europe struggling with what it means to be a citizen, and occasionally racked by riots and civil disobedience, Villaraigosa's victory seemed to offer lessons for how L.A. has coped with people from many nationalities.

"The way L.A. is handling its diversity is of high interest to French readers," said Claudine Mulard, West Coast correspondent for Le Monde, an influential Paris daily. "We have immigration. We have racial problems. We have to learn how to handle diversity."

Kerstin Zilm, West Coast correspondent for German Public Radio, expressed similar sentiments, noting that Los Angeles "has a lot of issues that big German cities also have…. So we try to look at how does Los Angeles handle all that stuff, and maybe we can learn something."

Of course, Los Angeles is always news. Movie stars live here, and so do many foreign correspondents who have long made Los Angeles their West Coast headquarters but who have never bothered to cover its mayor before. And for those correspondents who don't live here, the area is a fun place to visit.

[Alia]

There is a growing perception in Mexico, said David Brooks, a U.S. correspondent for the left-leaning Mexico City daily La Jornada, that the United States is "becoming increasingly anti-immigrant." Villaraigosa's election "provokes interest because it seems to break that stereotype…. He presents the possibility of a different kind of binational dialogue."

"For the son of a blue-collar worker to get to the level of being mayor of one of the largest cities in Mexico is almost unbelievable," said Alex Saragoza, a UC Berkeley professor who is writing a book on the relationship between Mexican television and the Mexican state. That such a thing is possible in the United States, Saragoza added, "encourages Mexicans in Mexico to view the political process in Mexico with a greater degree of optimism that their voice counts

[Young Scholar]

""Here is an example of a Latino young man, who worked his way hard, and the system accepted him. America accepted him…."

CORRECTION: Los Angeles accepted him. Whether or not America accepts him depends on what happens from here.

[Alia]

Good catch on liberal MSM "spin".

[mmercier]

>> This is an example of a perfect integration of foreigners into the system. This is the man who could rally everybody: Jews. Muslims. Latinos."

The Islamists are especially interested in Integrating some of their sleepers into the Latino community.

[Cicero]

He worked hard as a Communist agitator.

[RckyRaCoCo]

Education: UCLA, bachelor's degree (1977); People's College of Law , law degree (1985)

Sounds like a real winner

[Anti-MSM]

"For the son of a blue-collar worker to get to the level of being mayor of one of the largest cities in Mexico is almost unbelievable," said Alex Saragoza, a UC Berkeley professor who is writing a book on the relationship between Mexican television and the Mexican state.

I thiink the Times and/or Alex Saragoza may have made a Freudian slip. Either way, they need to be reminded that Los Angeles is not part of Mexico (not yet, at least).

[Frank_2001]

Seems like a fairly typical law school-they just have to get fully accredited;)))

[Alia]

He worked hard as a Communist agitator.

Yes, he did.

[Alia]

Crossposting with: Urging city to dream, Villaraigosa takes control at Los Angeles City Hall

[Alia]

Recommended posting: Snip of Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa's background with UCLA Mecha

[FreedomSurge]

20 years from now Southern California will be a quasi independent republic. The election of Villariegosa is the elevation of the process to inevitability.

[Alia]

Very possibly. However, Villiagarosa is a very small fish in a big pond. And his win wasn't big, by election standards. He won by a minority of voters voting. Therefore, his clout may be quite muted. Time will tell.

[BurbankKarl]

Yes, the ACLU law school....non admitted by the CA Bar.