An Unlikely Conservative: The Transformation of an Ex-Liberal, Or, How I Became the Most Hated Hispanic in America

Linda Chavez is indeed an "unlikely conservative." Her Hispanic roots in Albuquerque, her tumultuous family life, her chaotic married life to a Jewish husband she loves very much, her experiences as a caring mother, her accounts of affirmative action at the University of Colorado and at UCLA, her up-close-and-personal days as a teacher of troubled young people, her labor-union days, her civil rights advocacy, her religious experiences in the Catholic church, her candid account of her nomination to Sect. of Labor by Pres. George W. Bush -- all are spelled out in fascinating detail. While reading the book, I not only felt that I had taken a peek into Ms. Chavez's personal life, but I also felt I had relived an important part of our country's history. Ms. Chavez's attention to detail, her recall of names, and her descriptions of behind-the-scenes political maneuvering brought back pieces of history that I had either forgotten or had never known. AN UNLIKELY CONSERVATIVE is an excellent read and offers vital insights into the political world. Ms. Chavez's descriptions of her life is both unpretentious and straight-forward. Any reader would benefit from reading her book to find out how she changed from being an active supporter of the Democratic Party to becoming a leading Republican proponent of conservatism.

(Full disclosure: One of Linda Chavez's friends and former colleagues, mentioned several times in this book, is a friend of my wife's and mine as well. I've never met Miss Chavez, however -- though, after reading this book, I wouldn't mind doing so someday.)In the whole vast array of American culture, few people are as morally represensible as those who insist that a person's race or ethnicity (or sex or sexual preference) MUST inevitably define their world view and, more to the point, their politics. Linda Chavez "became the most hated Hispanic in America" by maintaining -- and, worse, passionately and effectively defending -- ideas that are out of step with what we're told Hispanics are "supposed to" believe.But this book is a biography, not a political tract. Miss Chavez tells us her life story, focusing on her evolution from Young People's Socialist League-member in the 1960s to highly-visible neocon today. Along the way, she gives us a moving portrayal of her family's climb out of poverty, her devotion to family and friends (and theirs to her), an inside look at political activism on both the left and right, and -- no small thing -- one of the most damning portrayals of 1970s campus radicalism since David Horowitz. In keeping with her theme of "the transformation of an ex-liberal," the pace of Miss Chavez's narrative picks up somewhat once she becomes an ex-liberal. The actively political period of her life seems rather rushed compared to the earlier sections of her book, as though the author was in a hurry to get to, and through, the story of her withdrawn nomination as Labor Secretary after the 2000 election. If Miss Chavez had chosen to flesh out this portion of her life a bit more, I'm sure it would have been just as interesting as the rest of her story turned out to be.This book reveals a lot about the real nature of American politics, and much of it isn't very pretty. But it also reveals something about the cliché-ridden, often derided, idea of the "American dream." And that part of the story is very attractive indeed.

Linda Chavez has written a book that should be required reading for all of the young, and not so young, starry-eyed idealists who honestly want to change the world in which they live. While her life story is interesting, the the personal growth story is compelling, as she is able to effectively and brilliantly convey the story of how a person can continue to grow throughout her life: through continual re-assessment of personal beliefs, through intellectual and emotional honesty, by having the awareness to recognize and the courage to break from beliefs and causes whose ends are being corrupted by the popular means they have begun to employ. Ms. Chavez has written the most concise and relevant account of how those who champion popular causes, in general, and the Democratic Party, in particular, have come to be the most destructive agents for those causes because of the premium they have put on their own self-interest and their aversion to honest assessment of undeniable data. She did not change her core beliefs, she did not adopt the liberal mindset of denying facts which contradict "feelings" and "beliefs". She analyzed, understood, grew intellectually and emotionally, and, most importantly, moved on. Because the positions that comprise her core beliefs were arrived at so honestly and with eyes open, the process of her transformation serves as a life lesson for those who want to stand behind what they truly understand and believe instead of following what is considered most popular and politically expedient. That her process is one to be emulated is proven by the fact that at no time does she attempt to build herself up by knocking others down; a technique continually and exclusively resorted to by her detractors. That is one of the reasons it is so easy to see who has been right and who wrong.

This very personal memoir reveals a side of Linda Chavez that even her longtime admirers probably haven't seen before. She is of course a brilliant lady--a sharp observer of culture and politics. Here we learn how a working-class Hispanic girl made an unexpected journey from dingy apartments in New Mexico and Colorado to the corridors of power in Washington. The story is gripping and the prose is excellent. She provides an inside look at her failed nomination as labor secretary, but the bulk of the book is about her family life and unrelated professional episodes (teaching at UCLA, working as a Democratic and union activist in the 1970s, becoming a "Reagan Democrat," and so on). Fans of Chavez won't want to miss it.

I read this book because I have always enjoyed Linda Chavez's thought-provoking syndicated columns, but she definitely saved her best writing for this memoir. You get to see a side of her, and other public figures such as President George W. Bush, that you don't normally see on television and in the newspapers. Linda's story is unbelievably inspiring. I give this book the highest rating I can possibly give...without a doubt, it is THE book of 2002.