Delayed Recognition

There were, to be sure, transparently political motives behind President Reagan’s decision to appoint the first Latino to ever serve in the Cabinet. But in nominating Lauro F. Cavazos, a Mexican-American from Texas, to be his new secretary of education, the President has also acknowledged the importance of education to a large and significant ethnic minority group.

By naming Cavazos to succeed William J. Bennett, Reagan beat both Democratic presidential nominee Michael S. Dukakis and Vice President George Bush, the probable Republican presidential nominee, to the punch. In an election year in which both parties are avidly courting Latino voters, Bush and Dukakis had promised, if elected, to name Latinos to their Cabinet. No doubt Reagan’s decision will help Bush, who has been lagging behind Dukakis in opinion polls.

Confirmation seems likely, because Cavazos has an impressive background. He is a professor of anatomy and physiology who is both president of Texas Tech University, in Lubbock, and the head of its Health Sciences Center. Before that he was a dean at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., and taught at the University of Virginia. Cavazos is so impressive, in fact, that one wonders why it took Reagan so long--seven years and 32 other Cabinet appointments--to find a job for a Latino of such obvious merit.

But we will resist the urge to fault the President further, because the Cavazos nomination is of such obvious significance. Education, especially public education, has long been an important issue to Latino activists. They realize how fundamentally important good schools are to the advancement of their people, and have fought for them long and hard. If Cavazos reflects the will of his people, he will carry that fight into the White House.