We are back for round two. This time in Yuma, Arizona. Just under 36 miles from the border, these men had different things to say compared to their counterparts in Tucson. As this session took place in a border community the issues of the border cannot be ignored. These men have a deep and personal understanding of what it is like to exist within two countries which shapes their attitudes and the way in which they engage with politics. As anyone who grew up in the borderlands will tell you, they are more accustomed to interaction with CBP and other types of immigration enforcement. Many of them have family or friends who work in law enforcement and this makes the politics of being Latino a bit more complex.
Overall Findings of Session 2:
Identity
To start this round, we asked these men what being a Latino man meant to them and if they felt that the label informed their decision-making. Interestingly, they made it evident that they did not identify themselves with the label of “Latino” and more strongly identified with their nationality as people who were of Mexican descent. They consistently brought up that Latinos are not a monolithic group.
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“I’ve never identified as Latino. I would probably say Mexican-American…” One man said, “I have never related to being Latino. I think there is a difference between someone who says they are Latino and someone who says that their parents came from Mexico but they were born here [the US].”
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Another one of these men said that the government created the category of Latino to be able to categorize Latinos into a “one size fits all” category that is not necessarily applicable to each and every person within the category.
Research
Create and implement a polling and tracking plan that highlights the attitudes of Latino men from now to Election Day.
Education
Provide factual based content on issues, elections, and other pertinent information
GOTV
Turnout Latino men by 2-5% greater than 2020 election in the 5 states.
Interested in our work?
Download the executive summary or request the full report.