The Latinx vote is just as complex as its many cultures
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The 2020 presidential election revealed a fact South Floridians and every Latinx person already knew: not all Hispanics vote the same.
Joe Biden’s recent win against incumbent Donald Trump can be attributed to many factors, crucially the Hispanic votes in swing states and their respective counties. Arizona in particular had made history after securing 11 electoral votes for Biden despite a 24-year Republican streak. This majority is largely attributed to Maricopa County’s Mexican-American voter turnout which pushed the county into a Democratic majority.
Although Arizona is a shining example of the benefit of a Hispanic majority, comparing it to Florida’s Cuban and Venezuelan population shows how distinct the opinions of this “singularity” really is.
For a while there was hope that Biden would acquire the 28 electoral votes former President Barack Obama secured in 2016.
However, Trump secured the state with 51.2% of the votes in his favor. Compared to his 2016 victory of 48.6% of the votes, the 2020 results ultimately indicated a greater support for a second term.
Delving further into Florida’s Hispanic voting population, the clear difference between these groups becomes most evident when understanding the Cuban-American vote.
ven a slight mention of socialism by Democrats is enough to make many Cuban-Americans fear a return to communism. This alarm is fueled by Cuba’s complicated history with communism under Castro. As a result, conservatism is seen as a protection of their freedoms in America regardless of Trump’s history with other Latinx groups.
Los 3 de la Habana, a Cuban-American salsa band, gained popularity as Trump’s campaign tokenized their song calling for Latinos to vote for Trump.
South Floridian Vnezuelans experience a similar disillusionment with modern socialism pushed by many Democrats in political office. As a current communist state, Venezuela is crushed by foreign embargoes on trade causing the economy to suffer. The correlation between communism and struggles associated with these failures like famine and unemployment has deterred this Latinx group from embracing a Democratic nominee.
Most recently, Trump made Nov. 1, the beginning of Day of the Dead festivities, as a national Remembrance Day for those killed by illegal aliens. Trump’s history with undocumented immigrants and border relations was the primary motivation for Mexican-American voters to push for Biden at the polling booths.
Central Americans have arguably experienced the worst of immigration policy. Beginning under former President Barack Obama’s administration, Central Americans including Hondurans, El Salvadorians, and Guatemalans experienced high levels of deportation and separations at the US-Mexico border.
Biden has emphasized his regret regarding the former administration’s treatment of an unexpected surge in immigration. However, the lack of targeted campaigning towards Latinx as a whole, much less Central Americans, shows there is no action supporting these words.
During his campaign trail, Biden chose to micro-target certain Latinx groups via regional origin. Although this tactic was effective in these targeted groups, it operated under the assumption general Latinx groups were pro-Biden.
The 2020 election proved that the Latinx vote is not a united vote to be attained, but a diverse community with composite identities. Conservative Hispanics do not speak for all of us, despite how catchy their propaganda may be.
Kaylinn Escobar is a Staff Writer at Rowdy Magazine. She's fond of underrated claymation, sitting in extravagant chairs, and yearning to the sound of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice soundtrack. She adores classics, healthcare, and re-told historical fiction. Reach out to her at kaylinnescobar@ufl.edu for more info.