Missouri: The bellwether state in national elections is a must-watch

By Reggie Royston

In the past 27 U.S. presidential elections, Missourians have picked the winner 26 times. But time in control of the state legislature and governor's office has been about evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans in the last several decades.

Public schools in Kansas City and St. Louis have been in turmoil in recent years. Concern about them runs high among all groups, but African-American leaders have been particularly vocal. Private and charter schools have been offered as alternatives to the failing public system. In late January, a court decision upheld the state takeover of the St. Louis public schools.

Leaders from the black community also say the mortgage crisis has hit the state particularly hard, with foreclosures becoming common.

Advocates for Latinos and African Americans say the high cost of health care for both workers and employers is a major concern, including the cost of prescription drugs. "Too many people do not have adequate health care, and where there's unemployment, you get into a quagmire," said Chester Thompson, president and CEO of the Black Economic Union of Greater Kansas City, a community development corporation. Even when individuals have jobs, Thompson said, often they are forced to give them up because of poor health, which again leaves them with few care options. Housing for senior citizens is also a problem, said Thompson, especially for those needing ongoing medical treatment.

Advocates say diversity in hiring remains a priority for their communities.

A backlash against undocumented immigrants has motivated Latinos to become politically active. Last year, Republican Gov. Matt Blunt mandated that the Highway Patrol, Water Patrol and Capitol Police be trained to check the citizenship of arrested suspects arrested and anyone accompanying them. The officers have been deputized to detain undocumented immigrants.

Community leaders say there is a decidedly anti-Latino tone to opposition to proposed changes in immigration laws. Workers in rural areas, where many migrants work in agriculture and meat-packing, say they are targeted. Latino business owners say the rancor has harmed their bottom lines, and Hispanic laborers feel they are being discriminated against in hiring.

Both Latinos and Asians comprise less than 3 percent of the state's population.

The Asian-American population is concentrated around what are called the "blue coasts" of the state, St. Louis and Kansas City. While Asian Americans have not been as politically active as other minority groups in Missouri, immigration has been a top concern for them, in the areas of immigration reform and family reunification.

American Community Survey, Demographic data for Missouri 2006

Key Interests:

Asian Americans
- Immigration reform and family reunification
- Small businesses support
- Public education
- Diversity in hiring

Latinos
- Immigration reform
- Health care access and affordability, especially for immigrants, language issues
- Support for public schools, access to higher education
- Diversity in hiring

Sources: Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Asian American Bar Association of Kansas City, Black Economic Union of Greater Kansas City, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis, HisPAC, Hispanic Leaders Group (St. Louis), League of United Latin American Citizens, Missouri American Bar Association, National Council of La Raza, NAACP, Urban League of Kansas City, U.S. Census, and local and state elected officials and religious leaders.

Links

Urban League of Greater Kansas City, State of Black Kansas City 2006

Kansas City Metropolitan Core Minority Population, 2006

Cambio de Colores - an annual conference of researchers, practitioners, and community members to discuss Hispanic/Latino immigration in the Midwest.