Reframing the Narrative

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It’s simple: No longer can a presidential candidate go to the White House without winning a significant portion of Latino voters. Latinos are the second-largest voting bloc in this country, with over 36 million eligible voters this cycle, many of whom are concentrated in crucial battleground states. In fact, Latinos now account for 50% of the growth in new eligible voters since the 2020 presidential election. Our political power has never been more evident.

The framing always inferred that Latinos were natural Democratic voters, moved by immigration and by Spanish-language content that resonated with them. The story inferred Latinos were a cohesive, solid unit. Yet today, after decades of assimilation, this country is facing the emergence of a Latino voting bloc that looks less like it did in the past and more like a group that’s finding their new voice in American politics.

As journalists, we should be open to seeing where that story takes us.

The majority of Latino eligible voters are now U.S. born, under the age of 50, and predominantly consume news in English. They are American but feel a certain allegiance to Latinidad; they speak English but also Spanglish; they can be culturally conservative but also progressive fighters. As opposed to the older generations of Latinos, this bloc is being pulled by two opposing political forces that, at times, defy logic. On one hand, there’s a small but growing segment of Latino voters that is drawn to Trumpism, warming up to the idea of mass deportations, the border wall, and even Christian nationalism. On the other hand, there’s a forceful segment of Latinos that is unapologetically leaning into their diversity, following the Democratic Party not through blind loyalty but through a level of healthy skepticism that requires more accountability from politicians.

Two stories can coexist. I usually like knowing the thesis of my stories. This time around, I’m open to the unknown when it comes to Latino voters — one of the most misunderstood groups in this election.

Emmy Award-winning journalist and Barnard trustee Paola Ramos ’09 is a contributor for Telemundo News and MSNBC. She is the author of Finding Latinx and Defectors.

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