Latinos and immigrants
Latinos in the United States represent a diverse and rapidly growing population, with deep cultural ties to Latin America, particularly Mexico. Historically, American citizens of Latino descent have played a key role in assisting new immigrants, fostering a sense of community and shared identity shaped by language and cultural practices. Organizations like El Centro de la Raza in Seattle exemplify these efforts, providing vital support services to immigrants of various ethnic backgrounds while maintaining connections with Latin American countries.
However, the relationship between Latinos and immigrants is complex, with varying perspectives within the Latino community regarding immigration. Some individuals express concerns about the impact of immigration on job competition and social dynamics, advocating for stricter immigration controls. In recent years, significant demographic shifts have occurred, with the Latino population reaching over 62 million, making up about one-fifth of the U.S. population. This growth includes an increasing diversity among immigrants, as more individuals from Central America and other regions seek refuge or opportunities in the U.S.
Current voting patterns among Latinos are also evolving, with a noticeable shift towards the Republican Party in certain areas, particularly in southern Texas, despite historical Democratic support. These changes highlight the need to understand the varied experiences and opinions within the Latino community, emphasizing that they cannot be viewed as a monolithic group. As immigration dynamics continue to shift, the intersection of cultural identity and political affiliation remains a focal point in discussions surrounding Latinos and immigrants in America.
Latinos and immigrants
SIGNIFICANCE: American citizens of Latino descent have long had a special relationship with Latin American immigrants, with whom they have shared a common culture and a common language. In addition to these cultural affinities, the geographical proximity of the United States and Latin American nations—particularly Mexico—helped foster close ties between Latinos in the United States and the nations from which new immigrants have emigrated. However, while Latinos in the United States often helped immigrants adjust to life in the United States, others felt threatened by Latin American immigration.
As Latin American immigrants poured into the United States in increasing numbers during the late twentieth centurymany absorbed into established American Latino communities. Many Latinos around the United States have organized their own social-service agencies to aid immigrants. For example, El Centro de la Raza, in Seattle, has hosted many services for new immigrants of all ethnicities since it was founded in 1972. It began as a Latino-led center but broadened its mission in a multiethnic community. Immigrationespecially among Latinosis a family affair, and El Centro often parsed its mission in familial terms.
El Centro and other community centers also actively maintained Latin American connections and relationships with diplomatic offices in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries. Some people at El Centro descrived it as a community center with a foreign policy. El Centro, for example, played a key role in forging Seattle’s sister-city relationship with Managua, Nicaragua.
Anti-Immigration Sentiments
A minority of Latino immigrants who became U.S. citizensor their childrenoppose further immigration. An example provided by Roberto Surothe author of Strangers Among Us: How Latino Immigration is Transforming America (1998), the son of Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian parents and a reporter for the Washington Postargued for strengthening U.S. border security, imposing stricter penalties for those immigrants who enter the United States illegally more than once, and restricting aid to countries that do not do enough to restrain emigration of their own citizens to the United States.
Suro’s views have been criticized for ignoring immigration’s motive forces throughout history. Most immigrantsincluding the parents of Latinos who came into the United States in earlier yearsdid not leave their original homes until economic necessity or political repression compelled them. Thus, the flow of illegal immigration can be solved only by fundamental political and economic changes in countries whose people are leaving in large numbers. However, critics have charged that this line of reasoning ignores the safety-valve function of emigration from countries that cannot provide employment for all their citizens.
Suro’s book focuses not on Latin American immigrants like himself who have succeeded in the United States, but rather on those whomhe assertswallow in the culture of poverty, fail to learn the English language, and feed on the illegal drug trade and other forms of criminal activity. His perception is selectivecritics chargeas he perpetuates stereotypes that fuel anti-immigrant activity. Suro speaks for a segment of the immigration debate whose advocates believe the expanding, open economy of earlier years in the United States has stagnated, and further immigration will only worsen tensions among ethnic groupscausing more problems for already resident Latinos by increasing competition for limited jobs.
Another example of the differing attitudes held by various Latinos vis-à-vis immigration is evident at the U.S.-Mexican border, where a large proportion of the federal agents who enforce laws keeping the border secure are Latinos themselves.
Twenty-First Century Impact
The Hispanic population in the U.S. reached 62.5 million in 2021the highest number ever recordedmaking up around one-fifth of the U.S. population. In 1980, this number was only 14.5 million and in 2000, it reached 35.3 million. Mexicans composed about 60 percent of the Hispanic population, followed by Puerto Ricans at 9.3 percent, and Salvadorians at four percent. The fastest growing groups of the Latino population included Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Guatemala.he Venezuelan population increased 172 percent between 2010 and 2021.
Populations of Latino individuals have historically pooled in particular states. In California, the Hispanic population became the largest ethnic group in 2014accounting for 40 percent of the population in 2021. In Texas, 11.9 million Latinos outnumbered the White population by 230,000 in 2021. However, other states saw a faster rate of increase in their Latino populations between 2010 and 2021such as North Dakota and South Dakota. Beginning in 2023, the Hispanic population in Texas became the majority racial group, displacing the White demographic.
In the 2020s, something many Americans previously considered a political unlikelihood began to occur on a frequent basisHispanic voters to be increasingly drawn to the Republican Party. This trend was especially notable along the southernmost counties in the state of Texas that bordered Mexico. These communities were heavily of Mexican descent and had been stalwart Democratic Party supporters for decades.
This changed voting pattern was perplexing to many, in that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump had referred to Mexican immigrants in very disparaging terms during the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential election cycles. Native-born Hispanics also joined other Americans in lowering their degree of support toward immigration and immigrant issues. While American Hispanics in the 2020s remained more supportive toward immigration than other American demographics, higher percentages now supported immigration controls.
Many explanations emerged, includin the note in changes to the racial makeup of immigrants. Those seeking entry into the United States were no longerpredominantlyfrom Mexico. Migrants from Central AmericaHonduras, El Salvador, Guatemalanow formed larger percentages. The economic collapse of Venezuela and natural disasters in Puerto Rico also contributed to a more diverse group of Hispanic immigrants. These communities were no longer confined to traditional areas in the United States, but began to expand to non-traditional locales such as Idaho, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Many of the changed voting patterns were more prevalent among long-established American Hispanic communities such as Texas-Mexicans and Miami-Cubans. The sum of these conditions highlighted the pitfall in expecting all Latinos to vote as a single bloc.
Bibliography
González, Juan. Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America. 2nd. rev. ed. Penguin Books, 2022.
Hopfensperger, Jean. “Hard Times Send Latinos Back Across the Border: Fewer Jobs, Tougher Immigration Rules Force Some Immigrants to Return Home.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune, May 29, 2009.
Jones, Jeffrey. "Sharply More Americans Want to Curb Immigration to U.S." Gallup, 12 July 2024, news.gallup.com/poll/647123/sharply-americans-curb-immigration.aspx. Accessed 17 Sept. 2024.
Krogstad, Jens Manuel, et al. “Key Facts about U.S. Latinos for National Hispanic Heritage Month.” Pew Research Center, 23 Sept. 2022, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/09/23/key-facts-about-u-s-latinos-for-national-hispanic-heritage-month. Accessed 10 Mar. 2023.
Schrader, Esther. Review of Strangers Among Us by Roberto Suro. Washington Monthly, October, 1998.
Segura, Gary M., ed. “Latino Immigration and National Identity.” Perspectives on Politics, vol. 4, no. 2, 2006, pp. 277–78., doi:10.1017/S153759270606018X. Accessed 10 Mar. 2023.
Suro, Roberto. Strangers Among Us: How Latino Immigration Is Transforming America. Alfred A. Knopf, 1998.
Ura, Alexa. "Hispanics Officially Make Up the Biggest Share of Texas’ Population, New Census Numbers Show." The Texas Tribune, 21 June 2023, www.texastribune.org/2023/06/21/census-texas-hispanic-population-demographics. Accessed 16 Sept. 2024.