The word “Latinos” is an ambiguous concept that encompasses people with diverse cultural, ethnic, historical and social backgrounds. Even though it can be defined as nationals from a Latin-American country or with Latin-American heritage, it seems to also have a racial connotation that is hard to grasp. However, this term is frequently used in the United States of America (USA), and in American political discourse. In this past American presidential election, Latinos were under the spotlight. According to some American news outlets, Latinos surprisingly voted for current president and Republican candidate, Donald Trump. Despite of what may be expected, many Latinos agree on Trump’s immigration policies, support his pro-life position, or even his stance against, what he calls, “the far-left”.
According to the latest American census, Latinos represent around 18% of the population in the USA. At the same time, Latinos sum up to around 32 million potential voters (the total number of voters is around 153 million). Latinos are the largest racial minority group in the USA, but they are not a homogeneous social group and should not be expected to have the same political opinions just because they are included within the “Latinos” label.
To fully comprehend Latinos, special attention should be given to how religious beliefs, social class, education, colorism, language and culture interplays within its members. A refugee from Honduras does not necessarily share social and political views with a third-generation Cuban American who is also evangelical. Just like a political refugee from Cuba or Venezuela may not have much in common with a first generation and college graduate Mexican American.
First, Latino voters are already American citizens and do not necessarily have in mind the interests of fleeing migrants seeking to enter American territory and who could potentially “steal” their jobs. Many Latinos are more concerned about their own economic situation and, in many cases, unsubstantiated fears, that they may disregard the awful conditions in which migrant families live in detention centers or the infringement of migrant children’s human rights.
Second, Latinos may prioritize their religious beliefs over current societal issues. For instance, in Florida many evangelical Latino communities openly supported Trump because of his appointment of conservative federal judges and justices. These appointments are expected influence court decisions on critical matters, like abortion, a high priority for many religious communities.
Third, Latino families have a rooted past and future expectations of what their lives in the USA should become that weigh on their political ideology. The past persecution of a political refugee fleeing a dictatorship may have made him sympathize with Trump’s stance against the “far-left”; just like a Mexican American voter with family members living in Mexico and expectations of family reunification may have voted for president-elect Joe Biden. Moreover, many Latinos may believe that voting for Trump or sympathizing with him assures them some type of social integration within the USA.
In an ideal world, one’s right to vote is exercised taking into consideration not only personal interests, but also basic human expectations of decency towards less privileged communities. Even though the right to vote is personal, many common social issues are at stake and should be taken into account. This is particularly true when voters belong to a minority group, that seen as a whole, has not obtained the political power or social advantages they deserve. This situation needs to change.
Latinos are a growing minority that weighs heavily in American politics. They represent a connection between the USA. and Latin-American countries, but at the same time, Latinos are a whole new social group seeking to adapt to different cultural setting. As heterogenous as this group may be, Latinos should aspire to the highest public positions. Hopefully, we will one day see a Latina president, or a Latino vice president who also has a political agenda that takes into consideration the interests of Latinos that cannot vote and that, for instance, advocates for an immigration reform respectful of human rights.