In 2015 the Latin@ community and all citizens in Chicago had the chance to shift the city’s political course from a long line of corruption and dirty bidding towards a more progressive and compassionate track. However, even with a runoff election between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and challenger Jesus ‘Chuy’ García, voter turnout was at 32.7 percent and as low as 22.3 percent in some wards. With the 2016 presidential race starting to come full swing, Latin@ millennials will have an unprecedented effect on the outcome and an opportunity to positively shift the direction of politics in the U.S. for everyone. That is if they come out to vote.
According to a report conducted last week by the Pew Research Center, millennials will make up almost half of eligible Latin@ voters in 2016. Specifically, 44% of the record 27.3 million eligible Latin@ voters projected for 2016 will be millennials and Latin@s are projected to make up a record 11.9% of all eligible U.S. voters. This share of the voting population is greater than any other racial or ethnic group of voters, and this group of millennials has the potential to be extremely influential in the course that U.S. politics takes over the next two decades.
The Latin@ community doesn’t just have an edge on U.S. politics, but also on future business success with their buying power that totals over $1 trillion as of 2015. According to a report from Nielsen, a global information and measurement company, “the Latin@ community’s ability to continue to grow larger and to significantly exhibit cultural sustainability has allowed them to redefine American culture in the 21st century.” And if upward mobility continues to be facilitated, their buying power will increase even further, leading to greater economic growth. With growing numbers, the Latin@ community is expanding geographically and has the ability to further impact elections if they make it out to vote.
During President Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012, fewer than half (48%) of eligible Latin@ voters cast a ballot, in contrast to the 64.1% of white and 66.6% of black eligible voters who cast a ballot. And since 1978, the U.S. Census Bureau has determined that the Latin@ population has had the lowest percentage of voter turnout than any other race or ethnicity. Voter turnout is critical and there’s a chance that the Latin@ community will once again be underrepresented at the polls.
Voters between the ages of 18 and 35 have notoriously had a lower turnout at the polls than eligible voters between the ages of 30 and 60 and older. Despite the community’s lack of appearance at the polls, the number of Latin@s in the U.S. has reached record highs, representing almost 20% of the entire population.
While more than half of Latin@s reside in California, Texas and Florida at 55%, their share of the Latin@ population is down from 58% in 2000, reflecting a greater dispersion of the community overall. As of 2013, eight states had a Latin@ population of over one million and those numbers are bound to shift with the population of the Latin@ community expected to increase by 114.8% between 2014 and 2060 according to the Census Bureau. If any one community is going to have a significant influence on the future of politics and the economy in the United States it’s the Latin@ community, but what is it that they want?
Last May, Jose Calderon of the Hispanic Federation outlined the primary concerns of the Latin@ population coming into the 2016 presidential election. According to Calderon, a concentration and investment in education, immigration reform, economic opportunity and climate change were among the most important things that the Latin@ community hoped to see in their next president.
The education system throughout Mexico and Central America has been struggling for years, prompting many families to send their children to the U.S. for a better education and chance at economic success. On that same note, higher education in the U.S. has been widely scrutinized as an institution that takes advantage of young people, rather than preparing them for success after their schooling. To win the Latin@ community’s vote it’s going to be essential that education reform is at the top of the candidate’s priorities.
Aside from education, immigration reform is equally as important, if not more, to the Latin@ community. President Obama pledged to fix the broken immigration system, but has accounted for a record number of deportations throughout his time in office and the Latin@ community must have someone who is willing to offer them some stability if they wish to receive their vote. Deportations have ripped families apart, sent women and children back to violence stricken regions and left children to grow up without stable parental figures. Whoever the Latin@ community chooses to back, there’s no doubt that he or she must stop the deportations and implement an immigration reform that is just and incorporates a path to citizenship.
Despite the fact that immigrants and refugees come to the United States ready to work hard and contribute, they more often than not aren’t allowed access to the jobs that would offer them a living wage to support their families. Instead, they are left working long hours doing work that many Americans wouldn’t even consider, such as the modern day slave trade that is the agriculture industry. To win the vote of the Latin@ community, a point must be made to raise the federal minimum wage to $12.00, if not $15.00 to ensure that these working-class citizens and others like them can support themselves and their families.
After all, if members of the Latin@ community continue to be poorer and less educated than the American average, they won’t be prepared to step in when the vast majority of white, middle-class baby-boomers retire. Latin@s bring youth and excitement into the United States and offer up an opportunity to create a diverse society with its eyes wide open and set on progress.
Lastly, but surely not any less important, the Latin@ community is concerned about the climate. Traditionally, people from Mexico and other parts of Central America have relied on the land to make a living for themselves. This fact hasn’t changed as the community has migrated north where much of the work they do is done outdoors and reliant on a healthy agricultural environment. The Latin@ community believes that climate change is happening and is something that will adversely affect them if the next president does not fight for the well being of the country’s national resources.
With nearly 10 months to go, the 2016 presidential election seems rather far away on paper. But if the current presidential candidates want to get a leg up on the competition it’s important that they start to zone in on the Latin@ community, especially millennials. Making up almost 12% of eligible voters for the 2016 election, an early commitment to their priorities has the potential to bode well for presidential hopefuls. After all, the concerns of the Latin@ community mirror what all Americans should be focused on. Improved education, economic opportunity, stability and plentiful natural resources are things that benefit everyone, but a high turnout of Latin@ millennials at the polls in 2016 is absolutely essential to further the country’s quest for progress.
◊
Parker Asmann is a 2015 graduate of DePaul University with degrees in Journalism and Spanish, along with a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies. He is currently residing in Chicago while focusing on issues of social justice and human rights. He is a member of El BeiSMans Editorial Board.
♦