Houston, Texas (KTRK) – In the latest fight over redistricting, Hispanic and Latino community leaders said they were concerned that new maps approved by the Houston City Council Wednesday night would weaken the voice of their people. Parts of Magnolia Park, one of Houston’s oldest Hispanic neighborhoods, will move into the H.
Councilman Robert Gallegos has repeatedly expressed concerns about Councilman Abe Kamen’s amendment of the redistricting maps. The changes will keep Friedman Township, a historic black neighborhood, within its precinct. The Houston Chronicle She stated that residents did not want to relocate, and the CEO of Freedman Town’s Conservancy was concerned about setbacks on their multi-year projects if they had to collaborate with another councilman.
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However, Gallegos stated that the Kamen Amendment would divide the Spanish and Latin vote, the population already underrepresented in the city government with him being the only Hispanic on a 16-member council. He said the areas that will be affected by high proportions of Hispanics are improving but may see a decline in the near future.
“By doing this, it will weaken the Latino voices in Area H,” Gallegos said at Wednesday’s meeting. “We are not as represented as we should be in this horseshoe as 50 percent of the population is Hispanic.”
Read more: Redistricting discussion flagged at city council meeting due to under-representation of Hispanics
The city’s redistricting team said that remapping is a very complex and complex process, with many different people wanting different things. according to Houston ChronicleJerry Wood, the city’s population expert, said they did their best to make “as few unhappy people as possible” and comply with the law. It states that the most populated area cannot have 10 percent more population than the least densely populated area.
“The biggest problem we have with redistricting is that Hispanic community is spread basically all the way through Houston. So it’s hard to come up with single-member districts where the Hispanic commission represents the majority of registered voters,” Douglas Ray, a senior assistant attorney general said.
“The reality is that there are very few areas in the city that are highly concentrated where you can guarantee that the Hispanic candidate is the candidate of choice among voters,” Ray added. “I think what we’ve come up with is probably about as good as we can do given the situation we’ve had. I don’t think it’s going to have a negative impact on the Hispanic population, but I’m sure there are people who disagree with who-that.”
Dr. Sergio Lira, president of Greater Houston LULAC, told ABC13 that they plan to file a lawsuit to replace the city’s top five positions with singles seats. The Hispanic Civil Rights Organization will also begin collecting signatures to put this issue on a ballot in 2023 as a referendum.
“We constantly say we are the most diverse city in America, but are we the most equitable in terms of representation? I want people to understand that we are doing our best for fair and balanced representation based on the growth of the Hispanic population and the Asia/Pacific Islands community in Harris County. They deserve to be Their voice is on the table,” Lyra said.
Gallegos originally disapproved of LULAC’s plans to sue the city, but following new developments, he told fellow council members Wednesday night that he now believes their lawsuit is merited.
“Over time, Area H will no longer be a Hispanic region,” Gallegos said. “By supporting this, LULAC will come back and they’ll have a discussion this time around. I’ve been reluctant to support them, but now I’m going to have to.” .
See also: Latin vs. Spanish: Experts explain the difference between these blanket terms
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