Less than 5 months before the presidential elections and in the week of the first presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the main concern of Latino voters is, without a doubt, the economic situation.
An extensive survey conducted this week by UnidosUS shows that more than 4 in 10 voters (46%) agree that the cost of living, jobs, the economy, the high cost of rents and the shortage of affordable housing are their number 1 priority, just as they are for the general population.
Unlike other electoral cycles, migration and the situation on the border with Mexico appear as the greatest non-economic concern of Latino voters, with 12% of the total number of people interviewed.
Although Joe Biden’s presidential campaign has focused its attacks on Trump for the alleged danger he represents to democracy and his position on abortion and reproductive rights, none of those issues appear most important to the community of Hispanic voters.
It is striking that foreign policy issues are practically non-existent for Latino voters in the United States, including the conflict in Israel and the Hamas group, the war in Ukraine and foreign policy towards Latin America. In the basement of concerns is also the issue of climate change.
The results do not mean that Latino voters have no concern about issues other than economic issues, but rather that their concerns about the cost of living and jobs are far above any other during this electoral century.
When asked if they supported a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have lived for a long time in the United States, 53% expressed support, while 42% said the same in the case of young Dreamers, the beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Voters also place importance on combating human smugglers, increasing security on the border with Mexico and increasing legal migration routes to the United States, through family or employment visas.
Curiously, only 9% of Latino voters interviewed consider it a priority to protect undocumented migrants against deportations and are interested in completing the wall on the border with Mexico, despite the fact that it is one of the main banners of the campaign of Donald Trump.
In recent days, competition between the Biden and Trump campaigns to court the Latino vote has intensified. The first with a generous immigration relief program for people who are undocumented spouses of United States citizens. The second offering Green Cards to foreigners who have graduated from universities in the United States.
The survey clearly shows that the ears of our community are oriented towards the economic situation.
And since no party has the bag, surely our vote will be in favor of the candidate we perceive as closest to our priority interests, in this case, the economy, the cost of living and jobs.
