“Latinos think they are white.” lament A liberal commentator trying to explain the November election. Of course he was wrong, but he just overlooked the truth. Latinos consider themselves Americans.
Democrats are having a hard time explaining the ‘Latino vote’ this year. Because it doesn’t exist. Most came to this country poor and uneducated, speaking Spanish. And over the generations, they became ordinary Americans in every sense of the word.
According to the Census Bureau, there are more than 65 million Hispanics living in the United States. This represents 19% of the population, and the overwhelming majority were born here. They are not visitors or temporary residents. They are our neighbors, our colleagues, our Americans.
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The stereotype of Latinos as Mexican berry pickers is laughably outdated. Latino business ownership has exploded, surging 40% in recent years, the fastest growth rate in 30 years. The median household income for U.S.-born Latinos hit $62,000 in 2021, a remarkable improvement from where their parents started.
They run businesses, lead companies, and shape American culture. Many are educated, middle-class professionals from places like Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil, fleeing not persecution but bad economic policies.
But the left is stuck in a time warp, treating Latinos as if they were newly arrived immigrants in need of government protection from racist foreigners. They seemed genuinely shocked that Hispanics didn’t automatically check the “D” box on the ballot, and were dismayed that nearly half of Hispanic Latinos voted for Trump.
Here’s what political panderers don’t understand: When you work hard and build a life in America, you tend to believe in American values.
This will come as no surprise to anyone who understands basic human nature. People who succeed through free markets generally want to protect those opportunities, not destroy them. Come to think of it, when was the last time you saw Latinos burning down their neighborhoods in protest of racist police?
Like any other large group, they face challenges. Most economic statistics show that we lag behind the national average. But their upward mobility is strong and consistent. As with every other immigrant group in American history, each generation is doing better than the previous one.
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We’ve heard a lot about immigrants coming to the United States illegally, and soon the administration will begin to take this issue seriously. It should come as a surprise to no one that allowing unlimited numbers of unknown people to cross borders could cause enormous problems.
But this is a separate story from the tens of millions of Latino Americans who already live here, starting businesses, raising families, and living the American dream. They were as thoroughly integrated into American society as the Italians, Irish, or any other group that came here.
The political class must realize this reality. Treating Latinos as one single voting bloc made sense when most were recent immigrants who faced similar challenges. But what about today? They have as many different opinions as any other American.
Some are conservative Catholics who worry about traditional values. Others are progressive urbanites focused on climate change. Many people are small business owners who worry about taxes and regulations. And yes, it is. Some support expanded government services.
In other words, they are ordinary Americans. The only people who don’t understand this are politicians and pundits who are still stuck in the 1980s.
Ken LaCorte writes about censorship, media malfeasance, uncomfortable questions, and honest insights for people who wonder how the world really works. Follow Ken on Substack
Syndicated with permission From Ken LaCorte.
