How Latinos Exert Political Power
The recent midterm election results were historic for Hispanics. Three Republican Latino candidates — New Mexico’s Gov.-elect Susana Martinez; Nevada’s Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval; and Marco Rubio, winner of Florida’s U.S. Senate race — won top statewide offices, but their overwhelming support wasn’t all from fellow Latinos. In fact, Latino voters continued their strong support for Democratic candidates, with only 34 percent voting Republican in U.S. House races.
“This election proved that regardless of whether an area is a predominantly Latino community or emerging Latino community, people both Latino and non-Latino want a Latino elected official to represent them,” said Gloria Montaño Greene, director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials’ (NALEO) Washington office. “There’s a stereotype that all Latinos are Democrats, that Latinos are a Democrat electorate, and that all Latino candidates are Democrat.”
Hispanic voters steered away from the stereotype in Florida, where Republican Sen.-elect Rubio won 55 percent of the Latino vote. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, this result was not surprising since the large Cuban-American population in Florida has traditionally voted Republican.
The Democratic Party still holds sway over Latino voters when examined in the aggregate, and according to the Pew Hispanic Center, much of the Hispanic draw to the Democratic Party is due to immigration reform.
“All elected officials need to recognize that the immigration system is broken, and they need to address that and improve it to include responsible security, address the individuals who are here, and understand how it affects and could improve our economy,” Montaño Greene said. “This is a responsibility for all elected officials from both parties, especially Latino officials.”
In the midterm election, Hispanics chose Democrats over Republican candidates by 64 percent to 34 percent nationwide. When asked by the Pew Hispanic Center which party Hispanics think has more concern for their community, only 6 percent in 2010 said the Republican Party. However, when specifically Latino Republicans were asked the same question, more than half said there’s no difference between the Republicans and Democrats when it comes to their concern for Hispanics.
Discrimination against Hispanics is a rising dilemma. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, more than 61 percent of Latinos say that discrimination against Hispanics is a “major problem” — up from 54 percent in 2007. They’re not alone in believing this; fellow Americans agree.
“Americans generally see Hispanics as a group that receives more discrimination than any other group, even more than African-Americans, and that’s a big change since 2001,” said Mark Lopez, associate director at the Pew Hispanic Center.
This prejudice can be attributed to immigration reform, according to Lopez, because 4 in 5 of the nation’s unauthorized immigrants are of Hispanic origin, and Latinos are the nation’s largest minority group. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates their numbers have more than doubled in the United States since 1990, to nearly 48 million.
A rise in political power for Latinos, however, could change this.
“There is an open understanding when you have Latinos get elected into these positions that Latinos need to be seen as being American and wanting to participate in [the] American political process and wanting to be equal members in this country,” Montaño Greene said.
Equality and prevalence don’t have to stop in government positions.
“There’s a need to look at Latinos as being able to compete at all levels and [in] all areas,” Montaño Greene said. “We have the capacity and ability. That should be considered as we move forward, whether that is in the political realm, the education field or the business community. We’re at the level to compete; we have various policy ideologies; and we are able to participate fully.”