Donald Trump has become a positive figure within the Latino community…
Now while this statement may shock, and possibly offend, some let me explain.
On June 16, 2015, in the front of Trump Tower and before a rally of his supporters Trump announced his intention of running for President of the United States. In his announcement speech, Trump decided to present his viewpoints on immigration within the country.
However, his viewpoint regarding immigration was focused on one particular group.
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending the best…they’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists and some, I assume, are good people, but I speak to border guards and they’re telling us what we’re getting.”
Since labelling Mexicans and Latinos in-general as “rapists”, “drug dealers”, and “criminals”, Trump set off a huge outcry denouncing him and everything he stands for. Celebrities like George Lopez and America Ferrera (who also found Trump’s negative comments to be a force that unified Latinos) have also publicly shown their anger and displeasure with the business tycoon.
While Trump did lose deals with NBC Universal and the Miss Universe organization—amongst a few—he has sadly gained numerous supporters who have found his false and malicious comments and viewpoints appealing.
Despite becoming a Public Enemy #1 for Latinos, Trump has also become a positive figure—of sorts—for Latinos.
How?
Well, he’s inspiring more and more Latinos each day to become politically active.
According to a Pew Research Center report, Latinos in the country are expected to reach an electorate record high in the upcoming November 2016 Elections. In the report, more than 27 million people are expected to become eligible to vote and Latinos are theorized to outnumber any other racial group like Black & White Americans in the country.
Now, the report mentions that millennials—those born after 1980—make up about 44% of the Latino population in the country and therefore will not have a significant part in altering just how many Latinos do vote.
Both whom within the Latino community can be expected to cause this record high electorate?
According to the report: Latino Immigrants.
“While the Latino voter turnout could be lower than expected because of the large share of eligible voters who are millennials, the growing number of U.S. citizen immigrant Latinos may help boost Latino voter turnout rates,” the report stated.
With Latinos entering the country and becoming legal citizens adding to the projected number of Latinos voters, another way Latino immigrants could aid in Latinos becoming the highest voters is the continued disadvantageous coming to light due to the recent anti-immigration rhetoric generating within the campaign trail.
According to the report, the number of eligible Latinos who can vote has grown from 7.7 million in 1988 to 27.3 million in 2016. It’s this fast growing demographic that has had political analyst for years commenting on just how powerful the Latino community can be if they become more organized and energized within the political realm.
And with Trump on the campaign trial he could very well be the fuel that ignites Latinos to take action.
While there are other Republicans who have publically condemned Trump’s remarks, there are still Politicians who have a distorted view on immigration and the handling of immigrants in this country. Several candidates have agreed with Trump—to an extent—that there needs to be tighter border security which includes completing the wall along the southwest border as well as increasing the number of deportations to remove the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.
By becoming politically active, Latinos are beginning to spread the importance of what it means when it comes to voting in the upcoming November 2016 Elections. When it is time to vote it is important that Trump (who could win the Republican nomination) or any other politician who holds similar viewpoints when it comes to Mexicans, Latinos, or Immigrants in-general make to the White House.
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