Even though Latinos have been an important target audience for the Presidential Election and could very well be the deciding factor, the Associated Press finds that Latinos have contributed less than 4% to the campaigns.
As previously reported on La Plaza, candidates seem to still be struggling to reach out to Spanish speaking voters. Of the $3 billion dollars spent on political ads this year, for example, an extremely low amount has been used on Spanish-language ads, reports New America Media.
“Most people would look at Latinos as important if they are above five percent or ten percent, but in North Carolina where they were close to two percent and the margin of victory was one percent—guess what?” They became a big part of the story,” says Clarissa Martinez, Civic Engagement Director for National Council of La Raza.
The Washington Post explains that Latinos are significantly disengaged considering that in states such as Colorado, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, and Virginia, the Latino vote can determine the overall outcome of the election.
“The hardest part is the economic sacrifice,” says Roland Garcia, Director of the Texas Future Fund. He explains that Latino families are more focused on trying to make ends meet.
Of the over $1.3 billion in contributions, AP reports that 90% has come from majority white neighborhoods. The study suggests that low donations are consistent overall in regards to minority groups with Latino households having contributed 3.5%, Black households have contributed 2.7%, and Asian households have contributed 1%.
“The most important voice is the vote, and financial contributions come in second,” says Arturo Vargas, Director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.
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