Should non-Hispanics from Hispanic districts be allowed in the Hispanic Caucus?

[Indy Texas 🇺🇦🇵🇸]

Currently, one must be of Hispanic background in order to be a member. So Rep. Robert "Beto" O'Rourke (D-Texas), who represents a heavily Hispanic district in El Paso and is, as his name suggests, an Anglo, is not allowed in the CHC.

The Caucus's Republican counterpart, the Congressional Hispanic Conference, does not impose an ethnicity test for members. It includes Hispanics representing heavily Hispanic districts (Ileana Ros-Lehtinen), Hispanics representing mostly white districts (Raul Labrador), and white people who don't seem to have any clear connection to the Hispanic community (Mike Toomey).

While the Congressional Black Caucus has similar requirements (Steve Cohen, a white Jew, was not granted membership despite representing a VRA district in Memphis), the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus does not.

Should race- and ethnicity-based caucuses be forums for legislators to better serve and understand the needs of their constituents, or should they simply be identity groups to make the legislators themselves feel special? It seems that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has taken the latter attitude.

[Goldwater]

Honestly, I don't think race/ethnicity based caucuses should exist in the first place.

[tpfkaw]

Pat Toomey is Portuguese.  Of course if Portuguese and Spaniards are considered "Hispanic," the word quickly becomes rather meaningless.

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Honestly, I don't think race/ethnicity based caucuses should exist in the first place.

[H. Ross Peron]

Honestly, I don't think race/ethnicity based caucuses should exist in the first place.

[RogueBeaver]

Honestly, I don't think race/ethnicity based caucuses should exist in the first place.

[barfbag]

Not anymore than minorities should be allowed in the white caucus if there was one.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Honestly, I don't think race/ethnicity based caucuses should exist in the first place.

[barfbag]

These caucuses are a waist of time.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Not sure; I really can see both sides.

[TNF]

Honestly, I don't think race/ethnicity based caucuses should exist in the first place.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Honestly, I don't think race/ethnicity based caucuses should exist in the first place.

Especially the Black Congressional Caucus.

[nolesfan2011]

of course the should, to me the minority based caucuses should be about groups of legislators who have a high representation of those minorities in their districts being able to work together to represent those interests and concerns.