The story may not be enough for Ruben Sepulveda, 47, a Miami-based mortgage broker who recently became a citizen and cautiously supports Obama. The Colombian native said he hasn't seen enough new controls over the nation's financial institutions and is waiting for more leadership on immigration reform and on foreign policy in Latin America.
"The nominations are positive, and there's still time for good things to happen, but enough 'blah, blah, blah,'" Sepulveda said in Spanish. "We need to see some action."
Professor Dr. Michael Jones-Correa, who studies Hispanic politics and immigration at Cornell University, said Latinos in the administration have ensured that immigration remained on the table when some advisers hoped to delay it until after next year's midterm elections.
The White House has signaled it wants to see an immigration bill next year, and last week, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., offered the first crack at comprehensive reform since 2007.
The most significant legacy of the Obama appointments may be a ways off, Jones-Correa said, noting that midlevel officials often go on to win major state and federal elections.
"The real impact of these appointments, in my opinion, will be felt not in the next few years, but in the next 15 or 20," he said.
