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Latino voters in New York could be a key force in that city's upcoming mayoral race. That's what recent polls say, as Latino USA's Mandalit del Barco reports.

A New York Times WCBS poll shows more than 1200 Latino voters giving Mayor David Dinkins a 40% approval rating. They were split in their support between Dinkins and a Republican challenger, Rudolph Giuliani. But analysts say the results prove a growing political power in the city where one of every four New Yorkers is Latino. Another survey by the Hispanic Federation of New York City shows Latinos don't think the mayor's doing a good job, but if the election were held today, they would vote for Dinkins. In the last election, Dinkins got about 70% of the Latino vote. Some say that's because Latinos here believe they shared a political agenda with the city's first African-American mayor. The poll shows continued support for the mayor with a warning that the quality of life must improve for Latinos in the city. The picture that emerged from the thousand Latinos polled was one of anger and despair about discrimination, education, the economy, crime, and drugs. For Latino USA, I'm Mandalit del Barco in New York.

UCLA Chancellor Charles Young says he stands by his decision to maintain Chicano studies as an interdisciplinary program rather than a department at the university.

In New York, a veteran Latino politician has surprised that city's political establishment. Herman Badillo, Longtime democrat is endorsing the Republican mayoral candidate Rudolph Giuliani. Mandalit Del Barco reports.

As the elder statesman of New York's Latino politicians, Democrat Herman Badillo says he's hoping to attract a large Latino vote and democratic support for Republican challenger Rudolph Giuliani. Last election, Latinas were a crucial factor in electing Democrat Mayor David Dinkins, giving him two-thirds of their votes. This time, Latinos are being seen as a crucial voting block. Together, Badillo and Giuliani are calling theirs the Fusion Party, linking Liberals and Republicans. Others have called it the Confusion Party. 63 year old Badillo is the first Puerto Rican born congressman in the country. He was also the city's first Latino housing commissioner, burrow president and deputy mayor. Earlier this year, Badillo had hopes of running for mayor himself under the Democratic ticket, but he dropped out, citing his inability to raise enough money to be taken seriously.

Now in a bid for city controller, Badillo has been highly critical of Mayor Dinkins, and his endorsement of Giuliani is seen as a defection and a blow to other Democrats. So far, none of the other Latino elected officials in New York City have joined Badillo in supporting Giuliani. For Latino USA, I'm Mandalit del Barco in New York.

New Yorkers go to the polls to elect a new mayor in September. You're listening to Latino USA.

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In New York City mayoral candidates are campaigning for what many see as the crucial Latino vote. Recent polls show the Republican candidate ahead of the Democratic incumbent. From New York City, Mandalit del Barco has more.

The latest Harris Poll by the Daily News and WNBC Television shows Republican-Liberal candidate Rudolph Giuliani beating Mayor David Dinkins, 54 to 41% among Latino voters. Of the Latino registered voters surveyed the same percentage said they were optimistic about the city's future. Both Giuliani and Dinkins have been courting potential voters in New York's Latino communities, appearing at the Dominican Day Parade and shaking hands in El Barrio. Campaign watchers note that Latino support will be critical to either candidate's victory this fall. Giuliani is running for office with city controller candidate Herman Badillo, the elder statesman among New York's Puerto Rican politicians. Mayor Dinkins discounted the latest poll saying, "His own campaign survey show he's ahead of his opponent." Dinkins also got a boost from Brooklyn Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, who promised to campaign for the mayor's reelection throughout the city's Latino communities. For Latino USA, I'm Mandalit del Barco in New York.

In New York City, politics is heating up as the November mayoral election looms ahead. Incumbent Mayor David Dinkins easily won the recent primary, but the November race will be much more difficult as Mandalit del Barco reports.

David Dinkins is running for a second term in office as city's first African American mayor. Polls say he'll need a large turnout of Latino voters, many of whom say they may go for his opponent, Republican candidate Rudolph Giuliani. Despite harsh criticism by those like Fire Commissioner Carlos Rivera who quit his job and through his endorsement to Giuliani, Dinkins acknowledges the support he's gotten from many other segments of the Latino community. On primary night, he even peppered his nomination victory speech with Spanish.

A la victoria. Les quiero mucho. I love you all.

Cuatro años más.

Latino campaign workers and fans wish Dinkins has four more years in office, but Giuliani is also hoping for Latino support in his campaign, and he's running with former congressman and Deputy Mayor Herman Badillo. Badillo is the as the city's elder Latino politician and is on the November ballot on the Republican and Liberal lines. For Latino USA, I'm Mandalit del Barco in New York.

Un poco, [laughter]. I understand Spanish from understanding Italian. And I can read it, but my accent is so bad. I hate to speak it. I embarrass myself. [Background-People speaking]

What I think we both want to say to the people of the city is that it doesn't matter for whom you voted, whether you voted for me, for David Dinkins, or you decided not to vote, or you voted for any of the other candidates, today we're all New Yorkers.

In the aftermath of the defeat of New York City's first Black mayor incumbent, David Dinkins, Latino leaders in that city are beginning to assess the significance of Mayor-elect Rudolph Giuliani's election for their communities. As the transition period proceeds, both critics and supporters of Republican Giuliani are keeping a watchful eye as to how he might address Latino concerns. From New York, Mario Murillo reports.

New York City Mayor-elect Rudy Giuliani will take office in January, facing the same problems David Dinkins confronted in his four years as mayor, a massive budget deficit, high unemployment, an education system in crisis, and a crime problem that won't go away. Giuliani will also be facing an uneasy Latino electorate which overwhelming voted in favor of his Democratic opponent.

He's going to have to really demonstrate despite the fact that he has a good number of Latinos around him as part of his campaign that he's going to have to work hard at reaching our community.

Angelo Falcon is President of the Institute for Puerto Rican Policy, a nonpartisan think take that explores issues affecting the Latino community. According to its statistics, Giuliani won the election, attracting only 27% of the Latino vote, down from the 33% he received in 1989. Falcon says Giuliani must avoid making some of the same mistakes of his predecessors when dealing with the Latino community.

One of the problems that Dinkins had, and I think any mayor is going to have, is that particularly dealing with Latino issues is that a lot of people don't understand the level of poverty and the level of problems. When I tell people that the poverty rate in the Puerto Rican community is higher than that in the African American community, a lot of people don't believe it.

Latino leaders are looking at three areas and measuring Giuliani's response to their concerns, his appointments, how he handles the police department, and his economic development agenda. One of the people making sure Giuliani doesn't overlook these concerns is Sada Vidal, Co-Chair of Dominicans for Giuliani and a member of the Meyaro Transition Team. Vidal says Giuliani got off to a good start by first asking every political appointment of Dinkins to step down.

The second is that his transition team will be reflective of New York City. We're included in that, and we know that he will include us. He's already doing so. By using our voice and our strengths, we know that we'll be able to build a government that will respond to the needs of our community.

But critics of Giuliani are concerned about what they call "business as usual" in the transition process.

One of our problems is that every time there's an election, we have sectors of our community that swear that the messiah has come, and are quick to denounce anything except accomodation-ism.

National Congress of Puerto Rican Rights spokesperson, Richie Perez, points to certain Latino members of the Giuliani transition team as evidence of a Conservative agenda being followed by the Mayor-elect.

These are people whose views are relative to the Right of Center, who have opposed a number of initiatives supported by the entire community and education. For example, HIV/AIDs curriculum in the public schools.

Another issue of concern is how Giuliani will deal with criminal justice and the police department. Some observers fear a Giuliani Administration would be insensitive to the issue of biased crimes against Latinos. Others express concern about how the former prosecutor would deal with police brutality, especially against the Latino and African American communities. Richie Perez recalled one moment during the campaign which he says may be an indication of things to come under a Guilani Administration.

We were asking him to respond to the firebombing of a home in Howard Beach, where he has a lot of constituents, where he got a lot of votes. We wanted him to go out there and speak on racial healing and harmony to his constituents. There's a major contradiction with being a candidate campaigning on safety and crime issues, and not speaking on biased crime and the safety of people to be free from buying a home in an area and getting bombed because they're Puerto Rican.

Yet supporters of Giuliani say he's been unfairly characterized as insensitive. They believe Giuliani will make the streets of New York safe by applying a strong law and order approach to crime across the board. Apaulinal Trinidal of Dominicans for Giuliani says that for him, this was the most important thing in the election.

I've been active in the community for many years, and I saw the condition of life in New York City, particularly in my neighborhood in Washington Heights, deteriorate and it was shocking to me, up to the point where my son was afraid to walk in the streets. When the pardon is confronted with our reality and you have a government that the only thing they'll find is excuses, and don't want to accept responsibility for the conditions which exist in our barrio, I say, this is enough.

So far, there have been mixed signals from the Guilani team. Immediately after his election night victory, he met with leaders of the Latino community, including Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, the highest Latino elected official in New York City. At the same time, he failed to initially make contact with representatives Jose Serano and Nidia Velasquez, Puerto Rican Congress members with a strong base in the community. Nevertheless, it's just a matter of time before we can see if the forecast, both supportive and critical of Giuliani, come true. For Latino USA, I'm Mario Murillo in New York.