Immigrant rights groups said the governor was simply wrong about the lack of integration.
"Integration is in the eye of the beholder," said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. "Somebody might say that because of his accent, the governor hasn't integrated fully."
Salas added that the governor should be "more careful about what he says about the very people who are sustaining the economy."
"He needs to be much more appreciative of all the opportunities he himself has had as an immigrant," Salas said, adding that not everyone becomes a movie star or marries a Kennedy.
Eddie "El Piolin" Sotelo, a popular Spanish-language radio personality, said the governor's remarks made him want to work harder to prove that immigrants play a key role in U.S. society.
"We love this country, and we want to be a part of it," said Sotelo, who helped mobilize immigrants to march for their rights last year. "We are working every day to integrate."
State Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) called Schwarzenegger's remarks "abhorrent" and said he should visit her district in East Los Angeles.
"He would find Mexican Americans proud of their Mexican roots, but who call themselves American, speak English and aspire to the American dream, just like him and his family," she said.
Romero, however, praised Schwarzenegger for having compassion for undocumented immigrants with U.S.-born children. The governor said in the conversations that it would be "almost impossible" to send millions of illegal immigrants back home.
"Some have families," he said. "The children that were born here are American citizens. So how do you split that family up? So it doesn't make sense."
Torres, the former advisor, said the governor needed to learn more about the Latino community.
"We take solace in this one thing -- that those comments were made in April and that they will not be made again, in public or in private," he said.
anna.gorman@latimes.com
