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The Latina
Electorate
and Latina
Voters in
Election
2008 |
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Special
Feature:
Latinas and
the 2008
Elections
Update |
Latino voters are
playing a pivotal
role in our nation’s
elections, and
candidates and
parties now
recognize this fact.
They are actively
pursuing Latino
support and in order
for their efforts to
succeed, they must
fully engage the
Latino electorate.
At the end of 2007,
a group of national
organizations, such
as: Mi Familia Vota,
the National
Association of
Latino Elected and
Appointed Officials
(NALEO) Educational
Fund, and the
National Council of
La Raza (NCLR) came
together with key
Spanish-language
media partners (Entravision,
ImpreMedia, and
Univision) to launch
the Ya es Hora ¡Ve y
Vota! campaign to
increase Latino
voter participation
throughout the
nation.
As part of the Ya es
Hora campaign, in
collaboration with
the AARP, we
convened voter
forums where we held
real discussions
with Latino voters
about the issues
they care most about
and what they expect
of their elected
leadership. The
information we
gained provides
important insights
into the
perspectives of
Latino voters during
Election 2008 that
will help inform the
efforts of
candidates,
committees,
organizations and
anyone working in
politics. This
article presents the
highlights of the
report prepared by
Ya es Hora about the
voter forums; a
complete copy of the
report can be
obtained at
www.naleo.org.
Over 169 registered
Latino voters
participated in the
voter forums, in
eight communities
across the country:
Albuquerque,
Chicago, Dallas,
Denver, Los Angeles,
Miami, New York, and
Phoenix). About 54%
of the participants
were women, and 46%
were men.
Issues Facing the
Latino Community
The Economy
Every participant,
in every voter
forum, expressed
concern with the
state of the
American economy.
Most mentioned the
rising cost of day-to-day
living expenses,
from education, to
healthcare, to gas
and food. One of the
most tangible
concerns raised was
the threat of home
foreclosure;
participants of all
ages had first-hand
experience with this
crisis, or knew of
Latino neighbors who
had lost their homes
or were having
difficulty making
mortgage payments.
Participants also
discussed the
relationship between
our economic
downturn and such
issues as the
weakening value of
the dollar, the
growth of
globalization and
the outsourcing of
jobs to other
countries.
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Participation
in Miami
(Photo
Courtesy:
NALEO) |
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Healthcare
Participants viewed
access to healthcare
as a critical issue.
In almost every
discussion group,
there were some
individuals who had
no health insurance
of any kind, and
several more whose
insurance was
insufficient to
cover their families’
medical needs. Even
those with access to
private health
insurance raised
concerns about
difficulties with
coverage of pre-existing
conditions, or
expensive out-of-pocket
or co-payments. All
participants
expressed interest
in the United States
providing some form
of universal
coverage, although
there were many
different opinions
on how such coverage
should be provided.
Education
Participants
generally viewed
access to higher
education as both
the key to
individual economic
progress and
essential for the
nation’s future
prosperity.
Participants
mentioned the
challenges facing
parents who want to
secure a college
education for their
children, including
the heavy financial
burden and the lack
of access to
information about
financial aid.
In addition,
participants noted
the need for better
quality elementary
and secondary
education, and felt
strongly that public
schools deserved
better funding from
the government. Many
participants
supported raising
taxes to fund
education, and
although some did
not, but all agreed
that Latinos fare
the worst when
education is too low
of a government
priority. |
The War in Iraq
and Foreign Policy
Most participants
who discussed the
war in Iraq
expressed profound
concern with the U.S.
presence there, and
several with the
state of foreign
relations overall.
In addition to the
loss of lives,
virtually all
participants
mentioned concerns
about the use of
funding for the war
that might otherwise
go to addressing
more pressing
domestic challenges,
such as education,
healthcare or
rebuilding the
infrastructure of
communities. In
addition, many
participants had
loved ones in active
service in Iraq.
Immigration
While immigration
was rarely the first
issue raised by
participants, it was
discussed in
virtually every
voter forum group,
and with great
passion. All favored
some form of path to
U.S. citizenship for
undocumented
immigrants, citing
the hard work of
immigrants, their
payments of taxes or
the need to keep
families together.
When discussing the
contours of a
possible
legalization program,
many noted that
applicants must be
thoroughly checked
for criminal
activity. Most
participants did not
favor what they
perceived to be
ineffective
immigration
enforcement
activities, such as
building a wall
along the U.S.-Mexico
border.
While
participants varied
greatly in the
expression of their
solidarity with the
Latino community,
virtually all noted
a sense of
collective identity
in some form. Many
participants
suggested that as a
Latino, one votes
not only for oneself,
but for the greater
Latino community as
well.
In many discussion
groups participants
noted the
discrimination faced
by Latinos, even in
New Mexico where
Latinos constitute
the plurality of the
state. They cited
examples of racism
such as mistreatment
by police, and many
believed that the
nation’s immigration
debate has increased
the discrimination
against Latinos.
Participants noted
the immigrant
heritage of most
Americans, but
Latino immigrants
are nonetheless
singled out for
unfair criticism.
The rhetoric used to
discuss immigration
left many
participants feeling
angry, humiliated
and frustrated,
particularly in
Arizona, which has
seen a proliferation
of anti-immigrant
policy measures.
Some Arizona
participants
believed they had to
suppress their use
of Spanish and other
expressions of their
Latino identity.
All participants
expressed a profound
respect for the
United States, and
most saw no
contradiction
between their
identification as a
both a Latino and as
an American citizen.
Although
participants spoke
at length about the
difficulties facing
the United States,
they were
enthusiastic about
elections and the
electoral process,
and believe that our
public policies must
address the
challenges affecting
Latinos in order to
ensure the well-being
of the entire
country. Ultimately,
they believe their
political
participation will
give voice to the
concerns of the
Latino community and
will benefit the
nation as a whole. |
