The Ascending Latino Community and Attempts to Silence Our Voice
By Esteban Camarena
Latino communities in the United States continue to grow in size, economic influence, and political clout. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos make up nearly 19.5 percent of the population, and by 2060 one in four Americans is projected to be Latino. As the nation’s second largest population group in the country, Latinos are not just reshaping the cultural landscape — they are also asserting their presence in the economic and political arenas. Yet despite their growing influence, attempts to undermine the voice of the Latino community are intensifying. This is evidenced by continued efforts to suppress the vote of this community at the ballot box, which is exacerbated by the historic and severe undercount of Hispanics in the 2020 Census.
Latinos are often seen as a monolith, obscuring the richness and diversity of this community. The Hispanic population is not only one of the fastest growing demographics; they are also an economic powerhouse. With a purchasing power exceeding $3 trillion, Latino households contribute significantly to the U.S. economy. They drive growth in sectors such as housing, retail, and entrepreneurship. This economic vitality translates into a potential for immense political influence as the community continues to gain visibility and assert its interests in the political landscape.
Politically, Latinos have become a critical voting bloc that can sway the outcome of elections at all levels of government. According to the Pew Research Center, an estimated 36.2 million Latinos are eligible to vote in 2024, up from 32.3 million in 2020. In recent election cycles, Latino voters have turned out in record numbers and shifted the political dynamics in key battleground states such as Arizona, Texas, and Florida. Their votes have played pivotal roles in elections, influencing policy decisions on issues ranging from immigration reform to health care, education, and the economy.
Despite this growing influence, and in many instances because of it, there have been systematic efforts to suppress the Latino vote. These efforts often take the form of restrictive voting laws, discriminatory gerrymandering, and disinformation campaigns that disproportionately affect Latino communities. The U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed most parts of a draconian 2022 voter ID law in Arizona to go into effect, requiring newly registering Arizonans to provide proof of citizenship. In Texas, Republicans announced the removal of 1.1 million names from voter rolls ahead of the 2024 election. Tactics like unfair voter ID laws, purges of voter rolls, and limitations on early voting and mail-in ballots are often justified under the guise of preventing voter fraud, despite little evidence of such fraud. These measures disproportionately impact communities of color, including Latinos, by creating additional barriers to voting for all eligible voters.
Discriminatory gerrymandering has been another tool used to dilute Latino voting power. By drawing electoral district lines in ways that split Latino communities or pack them into a single district — as seen in Texas — politicians can minimize the community’s influence and effectively silence their voices. This manipulation of district boundaries — for federal, state, or local offices — undermines the principle of fair representation, denies Latino voters the ability to elect candidates of their choice, and stifles the community’s ability to advocate for their needs and interests.
Moreover, disinformation campaigns specifically targeting Latino voters have become increasingly prevalent. These campaigns, often spread through social media platforms and messaging apps popular within the community, disseminate false information about voting procedures, candidates, and important issues. Such tactics are designed to confuse and discourage Latinos from participating in the electoral process.
When it comes to the census, there are continued attempts by Republicans in Congress to add a citizenship or immigration status question with the ultimate goal of excluding undocumented immigrants or all noncitizens from reapportionment. Such exclusion would violate the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which requires a count of the “whole number of persons in each State” for apportioning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Nonetheless, these resurrected proposals to add a citizenship question are detrimental to the accurate count of all people in the country. Similar efforts by the previous administration may have contributed to the undercount of communities of color in the 2020 Census. For instance, 2020 Census accuracy evaluations revealed a 4.99 percent net undercount of the Hispanic population — equating to nearly one in 20 Latinos being missed, many of them children — compared to a 1.5 percent net Hispanic undercount in the 2010 Census. Undercounts in many communities translate to a loss of federal funding for critical programs such as SNAP and Head Start, and they skew democratic representation, which is already under threat due to discriminatory voting laws.
In light of these challenges, it is more important than ever for civil rights advocates to show up for the Latino community and all communities of color and fight against efforts to silence their voices. In addition to expanding and protecting voting rights, advocacy efforts must also include supporting a fair and accurate decennial census. With the Office of Management and Budget’s announcement in March 2024 of updates to race and ethnicity standards, we have the opportunity of ensuring that Latinos are better represented in federal data. This will require community education and engagement with diverse stakeholders to ensure that Latinos and other intersectional communities are aware of the new standards and know how to complete future federal surveys, including the 2030 Census.
Additionally, it is crucial to address the spread of misinformation and disinformation by educating Latino voters about how to recognize and combat false information. To help with this, The Center for Civil Rights and Technology at The Leadership Conference released a bilingual digital voting disinformation social media toolkit, containing resources to educate all voters about how to identify and counteract digital voting disinformation. Community organizations, civil rights groups, and local leaders must work together to provide accurate, reliable information and resources that empower Latino voters to participate fully in the democratic process.
The Latino community’s growing size, economic power, and political influence underscore and enhance the diversity of the United States. However, the persistent efforts to suppress their vote and dilute the count of Latinos are a direct threat to this progress. Civil rights advocates must remain vigilant and proactive in defending the rights of all communities and ensuring that their voices are heard. By uniting together and pushing back against voter suppression and misinformation campaigns, we can help safeguard the future of our multiracial democracy and uphold the fundamental right of every American to participate in the democratic process — which includes participating in the decennial census and the American Community Survey.
For more information about how to stay involved in our efforts for a full and accurate count, please visit www.censusroadmap.org.
Esteban Camarena is field manager for the census and data equity program at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.