Latino diversity

The Latino community in the United States is significantly heterogeneous. This poses a big challenge to those in this vast country who want to group them into one category, whether to sell them a product or a candidate.

A recent Pew Research Center opinion poll showed the differences in a population of more than 53 million people of diverse origins, customs, states of residence and political points of view, among others.

It is interesting that three-quarters of poll participants said that the Hispanic community needs a national leader and that the majority of those who gave this answer are immigrants. We can say that there is a feeling of political neglect and vulnerability surrounding the immigration debate.

What is not surprising is that there is no one person with all the qualities needed to fill the role of that leader. What does exist is an opportunity for political parties to be able to seek support in a swing community, in which today six of every 10 people consider themselves closer to Democrats than to Republicans.

This is not a very large margin, because it is the result of an electorate that is mostly pragmatic and swings between parties. Political parties should become familiar with the concerns and common interests of this diverse community, if they really want to attract them to their ranks.