Latinos, blacks didn’t invent identity politics

In both political parties, a lot of white people — and white males in particular — are beefing with identity politics.

America’s newest class of victims — i.e., white men — is on the warpath again. They complain that they can’t get into college because of affirmative action, can’t get a job because of diversity hiring, and can’t keep a job because of factories closing due to unfair trade deals.

Now we can add to the “whine list” the fact that many white men feel they can no longer get ahead or get an advantage because of identity politics.

Even Democrats (all white men) have waged war

In November 2016, after Donald Trump was elected president, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont — who lost the Democratic nomination to Hillary Clinton — predicted that Democrats were headed for some soul-searching. “One of the struggles that you’re going to be seeing in the Democratic Party is whether we go beyond identity politics,” Sanders said. “It is not good enough for someone to say, ‘I’m a woman! Vote for me!’ No, that’s not good enough.”

A few months later, in February 2017, former Democratic Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, who also lost the nomination to Clinton, blasted his party for moving “very far to the left” and surrendering to “identity politics.”

Now, in the 2020 presidential race, some folks are bothered by the idea that Latinos — who make up more than 20 percent of the Democratic electorate in states like Arizona, California and Texas — would vote for Julian Castro “just because” the former U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development is Latino.

Picked-on minorities get angry, then active

Notice a trend? Both the Irish and the Italians knew what it was like to be scapegoated and picked on? They got angry, then they got active. It’s the American way.

Well, guess which ethnic group is the piñata of the Trump era. Would it give you a hint if I played mariachi music? That’s right. Latinos, especially Mexicans and Mexican-americans.

Now that we have that all sorted out, I have a question to add to the mix: Is it still identity politics when white people do it?

For instance, Martin O’malley, the former Maryland governor and yet another white male who lost the nomination to Clinton, has already made his choice for 2020: former Rep. Beto O’rourke, D-texas, whose major political accomplishment to date is losing a U.S. Senate race despite raising about $80 million.

One small detail: O’rourke hasn’t even entered the race. Although he is scheduled to be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in Times Square on Tuesday as part of her live event, “Oprah’s Supersoul Conversations.”

O’malley is backing O’rourke? Oh really! On the right, Limbaugh and Carlson didn’t complain about it. On the left, Webb and Sanders were also silent. That’s weird. I wonder why.

Say, given the Irish-american vibe, maybe O’rourke should skip the Oprah interview and instead sit down with Bill O’reilly.

Ruben Navarrette Jr., a member of the USA TODAY Board of Contributors, is a syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group and host of the daily podcast “Navarrette Nation.” Follow him on Twitter: @Rubennavarrette