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I have a lot to say about the Latino vote in Florida. So pls join me as I break down my thoughts.
As everyone has been preaching, Latinos are not monolithic. Each group has their own experiences that ultimately shape political opinion and ideologies. It means that each group has different primary issues. Whether it is immigration, communism, statehood, foreign relations, etc.
This goes into a very important point. Voter education. Many Latino families have left their home countries to build new a new life in the United States. However, that means that Latinos don’t have extensive knowledge on American politics and elections.
Why is this important? With a lack of background on American politics and elections, Latinos will look to the media to help establish their ideologies. This is even more difficult when there is a lack of Spanish non-partisan news and media outlets.
So what ends up happening is that our families believe what is told to them. This is very evident with the huge surge in misinformation targeted at Latinos during this election cycle. That is why Trump could say anything.
Whether it was that Biden is a communist or that there will be voter fraud, without proper political and voter education it is hard to combat those statements.
How do you explain the electoral college to your abuela? How do you assure them that voting by mail is safe? How do you tell them that we all benefit already from social programs?
We can point fingers all we want about whose fault it is or who could have done more. At the end of the day, ideologies are built off of experiences. We need a space where experiences intersect with voter education. Its time for real & hard conversation with our family & friends.
