Group moves to wake ‘sleeping giant’ of Latinx election power
With 32 million Latinos eligible to vote in November, according to the
Pew Research Center, Latinos are poised to impact the 2020 presidential election. In states including Florida, Texas, Arizona and Nevada, both major political parties are courting the Latino vote. Although the numbers favor the Democrats, the Republican Party has made gains with many Latinos who support a more conservative agenda. Latinos are not monolithic in their social and political ideologies. The Latino vote is a potential wildcard and will be a factor in determining our next president.
In 2019, Latinos donated over $23 million to Democratic presidential candidates. This suggests Latinos are in favor of the Democratic presidential candidate and the Democratic agenda. Given this scenario, it is troubling to me that the Democratic Party continues to be lethargic in its efforts to engage the Latino community here in Pennsylvania and, more specifically, the Lehigh Valley. Especially considering that the Lehigh Valley is a swing district in the swing state of Pennsylvania.
Although troubling to me, history supports the lack of effort to engage the Latino vote because our potential has not translated to results. The Pew Research Center found the number of eligible Latino voters who didn’t vote has outnumbered those who voted in every presidential election since 1996. As a result, in many communities throughout the country, the Latino electorate is referred to as the “sleeping giant.” Latino voters are loaded with the untapped potential to influence — even determine — local, state, and federal elections.
This potential is clear here in the Lehigh Valley. With an ever-growing Latino population — approaching 53% in Allentown, 30% in Bethlehem and 23% in Easton — the Latino community
is poised become a political force in the Lehigh Valley. It’s with this knowledge, background, and a commitment to engage and inform the Latino electorate that a year ago, a group of local Latino leaders created and founded Alianza Lehigh Valley (Political Action Committee). We have acknowledged and embraced the diversity within the Latino community, including representation from the Caribbean, South and Central America, from millennials to
the baby boomers. We have embraced the diversity of our community at large, including Anglo and African-American men and women.
Our call to action has been fueled by the realization that the needs and interests of the Latino community are not being adequately addressed and served by many current elected officials, and that our political capital is diluted by gerrymandering. Given the fact Latinos account for only 1% of local, state
and federal elected officials, Alianza’s commitment to increasing the number of Latinos serving in elected offices cannot be understated. Our mission also includes:
1. Promoting voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts within the Latino community and to increase Latino participation in the electoral process.
2. Supporting Latino candidates for elected office and increasing the number of Latino elected officials.
3. Promoting the Latinx agenda. 4. Supporting candidates — Latino and nonLatino, who support the Latinx agenda.
Our agenda consists of many issues common to most people including: education, employment/economic development, physical and mental health, public safety, immigration, and cultural preservation; however, many of these issues impact our community differently and are addressed by elected officials in a manner that does not include our voices.
For the most part, the Latino community in the Lehigh Valley has long identified with the Democratic Party with shared views on many issues; however, the Democratic Party has been less than supportive with regard to identifying, recruiting, and supporting Latino candidates for elected offices. This lack of support not only impedes potential Latino candidates, it also impedes the Democratic Party.
Election results have shown that when a Latino is on the ballot, Latino voters turnout to vote in higher numbers. This was evident in the most recent primary election where Enid Santiago, a candidate for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 22nd Legislative District — and endorsed by Alianza — inspired Latino voter turnout to double the numbers of past elections. This type of voter engagement and turnout is precisely what the Democratic Party needs to support and elect candidates up and down the ticket especially in a swing congressional district, in a swing state, during a presidential election. It would not be prudent for the Democratic Party to continue to disregard the Latino electorate during this crucial election. Instead, engage us so we can reinforce and solidify our democracy.