Immigrant Prince Mel Martinez And The American Dream
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Published: 2011
Language: eng
Number of pages: 269
ISBN-13: 9780813035796
Description: "Mel Martinez, the United States’ first Cuban-American senator, came to Florida in 1962 as part of Operation Pedro Pan. His rags-to-riches climb through county, state, and national politics has the character of a storybook saga. In this evenhanded, inspiring, and deeply satisfying biography, Richard Foglesong demonstrates that Martinez became a politician not from an ego-driven desire to exercise power and capture attention, but from a morally driven desire to return the favor for all that he and his family received from their adopted country. His personal story is here seamlessly tied to contemporary political, historical, and social forces, including the role of religion in politics, increasing Latino power, and the contemporary debate over immigration policy. From counting chads to Terri Schiavo to the confirmation of America’s first Latino Supreme Court justice, Martinez has had a role in many recent political controversies. Foglesong explores that aspect of his character, his significance to the larger Latino voting population, and the reason behind his sudden resignation from office. Drawing from Machiavelli, Foglesong describes Martinez as an "Immigrant Prince," a genuine leader who has escaped his own history and shown others the way forward. As a U.S. senator Martinez was respected in both parties for his forthrightness in addressing the problem of America’s undocumented workers and other issues affecting U.S. Latinos"--