Latinos Run to the Voting Booths: Si Se Puede!

With the November election rapidly approaching, presidential candidates are searching for their supporters through states primaries. Many, if not all the presidential candidates, have been searching for the Latino vote. According to the Pew Research Organization, 25.2 million Latinos are eligible to vote since mid-2014. Both the Democratic and the Republican candidates have spoken directly to the Latino populations in states like New York, Florida and Arizona.

Some may believe that Latinos within the United States either cannot vote, or choose not to vote. However, polls have demonstrated that Latinos have been running to the voting booths during primaries, especially after Donald Trump’s accusations concerning Latinos. According to a poll made by Univision, the most-watched Spanish television network in the United States, 79 percent of Latinos were insulted by Donald Trump’s remarks against Mexicans.

As a city that is predominantly Hispanic/Latino, with 58 percent of the population, citizens of Reading, Pennsylvania have demonstrated their fear of Trump possibly gaining supporters and perhaps on his way to the White House. Josias De Pena, a Dominican sophomore from Albright College, has resided in Reading his entire life and has remained closely bonded with his Latino community. Concerning the presidential election, "The biggest issues with the primaries would have to be the language and cultural barrier between the candidates and the residents of the city of Reading itself. Being a Latino, it can be a bit alienating when all the candidates are Caucasian," says De Pena. 

"Personally, a lot of the ideas that residents may have about candidates and their ultimate choice may be lying their socioeconomic stance and what they can potentially benefit from. On the flip side of that, I think that the Latino youth have started to open their eyes a bit to the world of the primaries," says De Pena. That fact is true since 45 percent of the Latino vote are millennials. 

A millennial himself, Aaron Trujillo, a Dominican, Cuban and Mexican junior from New York City spends much of his time following up on the primaries. Alike De Pena, Trujillo has always been surrounded by hundreds of Latinos in his hometown of the Bronx. “I understand relevant issues that the Latino population has within the United States. I believe that Latinos will agree with the ideas of Democratic candidates like Clinton and Sanders because of the ideas of progress and community,” says Trujillo.

Trujillo is also a Latin American and Caribbean studies and Spanish dual major; therefore, he is constantly comparing events in his everyday life to his Latin roots. “I think that Latinos have made a name for themselves in this country so their vote should count for who they would like to lead the country for the next four years,” says Trujillo.

Aysha Cotto, a Puerto-Rican sophomore at Albright College has also been caught up with politics recently. She is infuriated by the comments that have been made by Trump, as well as the categorizations that have been placed on her as a Latina throughout the campaigning in recent months. “To be categorized as illegal immigrants is degrading. We are literally all categorized as Mexicans, which insults our cultures. We are from different native tribes and even have different belief systems,” says Cotto. Many young Latinos have felt that an individual like Trump cannot lead them to success due to his perspective on the Latino population in the United States.

Although many Latinos disagree with Trump, are they still voting for him or who are they really voting for? In the New York Democratic Entrance/Exit Poll, Clinton won over the Latino vote. Clinton won 64 percent on the Latino vote within New York, while Bernie Sanders won almost half of that percentage with 36 percent. In the Republican Entrance/Exit Poll of New York, there was no sign of Latino voters or any other minority voters voting for any of the republican candidates.

On Apr. 26, the primaries took place in Pennsylvania, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump won the states’ primary. Although both Clinton and Trump won, millennials will not always agree with the decisions made by their state. De Pena sides with Sanders, Trujillo believes in Clinton and Cotto is hoping “anyone who sees more than color and societal status” will win. The Latino vote may be placed on all of the ballots, the real question is every Latino voting and being heard? Whether they are aware or not, the Latino vote can make a difference.