New Poll Finds That Young Latino Voters Consider “Racial and Ethnic Social Equality” the Most Important Issue This Election

In a poll of  638 young Latino voters, aged 18-34, conducted by BuzzFeed News in conjunction with Telemundo, the results found that the most pressing topics on the minds of young Latino voters was “racial and ethnic social equality”–an issue that 62.7% of the demographic considers the most urgent this election. And that’s not all.

The illuminating survey revealed that 55.8% of young Latino voters had participated someway in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

They expressed their support through physically demonstrating on the streets or other forms of activism like donating or boycotting. According to their responses, it was the fervor and intensity of the Black Lives Matter movement that has fueled their fire to vote. 

Although 60% of young Latino voters have committed to voting for Biden, 19% still say they will support President Trump come November. This response is surprising to some, considering that President Trump is almost universally considered the most anti-Hispanic, anti-immigration U.S. President in recent history. 

While the passion and social activism of young Latinos is exciting, the lack of enthusiasm for Presidential candidate Joe Biden is cause for concern.

After all, as Univision anchor Jorge Ramos, put it in a New York Times opinion piece: “There is no route to the White House without the support of Latinos.” 

The poll also revealed Latinos’ overwhelming belief that there is no unifying political figure in the Latino community. When asked to name a politician who “goes out of their way to support their community,” the leading response was “Nobody”. Participants then listed Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez as second choices, each politician gaining 6% of the participants’ votes. 

“It’s heartbreaking,” said executive director of the group Alliance for Youth Action, Sarah Audelo, to NBC News.

We can’t have so many young Latinos disconnected from the process because they don’t feel part of it.”

Ramos described the tiresome election-year scramble to secure the Latino vote through cringey attempts at speaking Spanish and dropping in on Latino community events as “Christopher Columbus syndrome”. “It’s such an open and flagrant display of opportunism,” he wrote.