1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Dear listener, Before we begin today's show, we have some 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: news to share. Starting next week, the podcast version of 3 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: Latino USA is going to be distributed by the Makurdura 4 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: Network at iHeartMedia. That is the biggest Latino vertical in 5 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:18,799 Speaker 1: the podcast industry with over two hundred and fifty million 6 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: monthly listeners. So doing this is an opportunity for our 7 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: stories to reach more listeners than ever at a critical 8 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: time in our country's history. It also makes us more 9 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: resilient as an independent news nonprofit. What happens for you, 10 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: dear listener, is we maintain one hundred percent of our 11 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: editorial independence and will be an amazing company which shows 12 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: we love. Like Radio Mulande, will remain in public media. 13 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 1: PRX will continue to distribute Latino USA weekly to public 14 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: radio stations all over the US and Canada. Now this 15 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: is important, dear listener, because moving forward, you will hear 16 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: more ads in our podcasts, but we are going to 17 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: rely on your support as a lit That's really where 18 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,839 Speaker 1: the vast majority of our funding still comes from from 19 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,959 Speaker 1: you and other nonprofit sources. So if you want to 20 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 1: support us and get the benefit of listening to these episodes, 21 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: ad free It's easy. Join futuro plus. Go to Futuromedia 22 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: group dot org slash join plus. That way you get 23 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: all our content. You support futuro Media, you don't get 24 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: any ads. 25 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:25,400 Speaker 2: Easy. 26 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:32,400 Speaker 1: Thank you and as always, yes, dear listener, a little 27 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: history right here. You know, Americans started using the term 28 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: Hispanic back in nineteen seventy. That's when the category was 29 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: added to the census, and ever since then there's been 30 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: this perception that Hispanics would need their own political representation. 31 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 3: Chop psnia fera via nostrom nois. 32 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: Now for us and frankly the entire country. Theerred term 33 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: has become Latino, and the number of Latinos and Latinas 34 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 1: in this country since that first census has continued to boom. 35 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 1: As of July of twenty twenty three, there are more 36 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: than sixty five million Latinos in the United States, making 37 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 1: up over nineteen percent of the nation's population, and they 38 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: are a growing percentage of the country's electorate. 39 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 3: Latinos make up nearly fifteen percent of all eligible voters, 40 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 3: according to the Pew Research Center. 41 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: The hope for the Democratic Party, especially since the mid oughts, 42 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: was that the Latino vote would be reliably theirs, especially 43 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:46,239 Speaker 1: because they were the party pushing for more progressive immigration policies, 44 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: or so they said, And Latinos have historically favored Democrats, 45 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: often more than sixty percent of Latino voters choose Democratic 46 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: presidential candidates. However, the result also the recent presidential election 47 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: which elected Donald Trump, have led a lot of people 48 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: to question that notion that Latinos and Latinas would be 49 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: more reliably Democratic voters. Well by now, it's been more 50 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: than half a year after the election, and political strategists 51 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 1: seem to have very different opinions about why Latinos are 52 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 1: voting less for the Democratic Party than ever before. Is 53 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 1: it faulty data, is it tone deaf messaging, is it 54 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: an agenda that's too progressive or too moderate. 55 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 2: For Latino and Latina voters? Or is it something bigger? 56 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: A question about whether actually a unified Latino vote with 57 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: shared values and interests does it even exist in the 58 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: United States? From Fuduro Media and PRX, it's Latino USA 59 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: Today diagnosing the Democratic deficit. This episode is a collaboration 60 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: with Imperfect Paradise from Lais Studios. I'm Maria Inojosa and. 61 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 3: I'm Antonia Today. He though, Maria, are you familiar with 62 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,599 Speaker 3: the iconic two thousand and six film The Devil Worst Product. 63 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 2: I mean, come on, of course I think you are. 64 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 2: Oh my god, I love that film. 65 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 1: It's such a New York film, and Meryl Streep is 66 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: such an amazing actor. 67 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, I love it. I love it. 68 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 3: It's such a comfort movie for me. There's the reason 69 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 3: I'm bringing it up, and that's because there's this scene 70 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 3: in that movie where the character Andy, who's played by 71 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 3: Anne Hathaway, she's in one of her early meetings with 72 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 3: her new boss, Miranda Priestley, who's played by Meryl Streep, 73 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 3: and Meryl Streep is like picking between these two belts. 74 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 1: This is so so Vogue, so Vogue magazine. 75 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 3: Yes, and she goes, oh, it's so hard because these 76 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 3: two belts are so so similar, and Hathaway's character like scoffs. 77 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 3: And then Miranda Priestley gives her this like chilling look 78 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 3: where she's like, oh, you think you're better than this, 79 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 3: and then goes on to do this incredible monologue where 80 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 3: she explains how actually the sad blue sweater that Anne 81 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:15,720 Speaker 3: Hathaway's character is wearing, what you. 82 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 4: Don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, 83 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 4: it's not to requoice, it's actually ceruleum. 84 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 3: The choice even to wear that sweater has a lot 85 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 3: to do with like millions of dollars of corporate money 86 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 3: that goes into people's paychecks. That it has this like 87 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 3: trickle down effect and that has influenced Anne Hathaway's fashion choices. 88 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 3: And it's sort of comical. 89 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 4: How do you think that you've made a choice that 90 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 4: exempts you from the fashion industry when in fact you're 91 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:44,039 Speaker 4: wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the 92 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 4: people in this room from a pile of stuff. 93 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 3: Like a whole infrastructure that she can't even avae. 94 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 2: It's an amazing takedown. 95 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 3: Yes, what's interesting is like that dynamic that Miranda Priestley 96 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 3: is describing in this scene, it's not unique to the 97 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 3: fashion world, I mean, and the story that you and 98 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 3: I are telling today is about the people in an 99 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 3: equivalent room, but in the realm of politics, the people 100 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 3: who gather and study public opinion and then help shape 101 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 3: the political messaging that ultimately trickles down into the bumper stickers, 102 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 3: political law and signs, desperate campaign emails and texts that 103 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:23,159 Speaker 3: we get asking for donations and the TV campaigns we see. Maria, 104 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 3: You've reported a lot on how this political world operates. 105 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 1: I mean, I've been covering elections since the early nineteen nineties, 106 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 1: so yeah, I've been covering this and the question of 107 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: the money spent to reach out to Latino and latin 108 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: Have voters first of all in both parties, and the 109 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:46,040 Speaker 1: kind of messaging and who's doing the messaging and who's 110 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: getting the money. Yeah, it's deep. It's fascinating political journalism, 111 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: you know. But the truth is is that Latinos and 112 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: Latinas have not always been welcome at the highest levels 113 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: of where the decision are being made in terms of 114 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: electoral politics and campaigns, et cetera. So appealing specifically to 115 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: the Latino community as a political power is actually a 116 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: phenomenon that really took off when the Latino population in 117 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: the country grew from roughly thirty five million in the 118 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 1: year two thousand to fifty million in the year twenty ten, 119 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 1: which by the way, is the year that we launched Futuro. 120 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 1: And we did that because we were looking at those numbers, 121 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: I was like, this is what the future looks like. 122 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 3: Absolutely, this is the mid offs for this moment, more 123 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 3: people are like, Wow, the Latino population and the Latino 124 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 3: electorate have like arrived, you know. And for Democrats, the 125 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 3: hope was that this Latino vote would act like the 126 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 3: Black vote, which by the mid twentieth century had become 127 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 3: this reliably democratic bloc. 128 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 5: The belief, the orthodoxy of the Obamba years, was that 129 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 5: there was this new emergent coalition of college educated white 130 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 5: people and people of color. 131 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 3: This is Mike Madrid. He's a veteran political strategist that 132 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 3: founded the Lincoln Project, a political action committee made up 133 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 3: of moderate conservatives and former Republican Party members who opposed 134 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 3: US President Donald Trump and trump Ism. 135 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 5: And where you had black people who were a racially 136 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 5: polarized vote politically, there needed to be an issue that 137 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 5: created a racial voting block amongst Latinos where none existed. 138 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 3: And there was one issue that seemed like it could 139 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 3: galvanize this potentially massive voting block. 140 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 5: For whatever reason, immigration was the number one issue for 141 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 5: Latino voters. 142 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 3: So data started to emerge backing up this idea. A 143 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 3: firm called Latino Decisions released a poll in twenty fourteen 144 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 3: that had immigration as the number one issue to Latino voters. 145 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 3: At forty four percent. 146 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 1: But the results of the last presidential election has really 147 00:08:55,679 --> 00:09:00,320 Speaker 1: called into question whether immigration is an issue that in 148 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:05,679 Speaker 1: fact unites the Latino and Latina electorate, and going even deeper, 149 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 1: it calls into question whether, well, is there a Latino 150 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 1: vote worth organizing at all or is it just too fractured. 151 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: We're going to go inside the fierce debate within the 152 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: Latino polling and advocacy world. Yes it's nerdy politics, but 153 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:36,439 Speaker 1: boy is it revealing. I'm going to be back later 154 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: in this episode, but for now, Antonia Saidehilo is going 155 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 1: to set the scene. 156 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 2: Take it away, Antonia. 157 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,679 Speaker 3: Six days after Donald Trump won the twenty twenty four 158 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 3: presidential election, Unidos US, formerly known as the National Council 159 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 3: of La Rasa, held a virtual press briefing. The webinar 160 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 3: is currently being live streamed and there will be a 161 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 3: video recording of this soon after. Unidos US is an 162 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 3: profit that aims to quote challenge the social, economic, and 163 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 3: political barriers that affect Latinos at the national and local levels. 164 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:11,479 Speaker 3: Seven zoom squares populated their feed that day. The expressions 165 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 3: ranged from glum to sobered. Lettisa Latinez from Unidos us 166 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 3: set the tone for the conversation. 167 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 6: There's been a lot of chatter about Latino voters, many 168 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 6: of us who have been working to increase Latino voter 169 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 6: participation at times where joking that it felt like Latino 170 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 6: voters were being more talked about than talk two. 171 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 3: The overall sentiment of the press briefing was wariness about 172 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 3: the narratives around Latino voters that were emerging after the election. 173 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 3: Headlines like the one Reuters published quote Trump's return to 174 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 3: power fueled by Hispanic working class voter support or cal 175 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 3: matters a pivotal moment why many Latino voters in California 176 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 3: chose Trump. Also the New York Times Latinos bolted to 177 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 3: the right in twenty twenty four. 178 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 6: Unfortunately, the headlines get written with imperfect information, and so 179 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 6: in order to inform that in the here and now, 180 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:13,319 Speaker 6: as we continue to look ahead, we wanted to make 181 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:19,959 Speaker 6: sure that people had very robust information about is Spamic voters, 182 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:26,319 Speaker 6: who the majority of home voted for Vice President Harris 183 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:28,440 Speaker 6: in every state except Florida. 184 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 3: The we that GLDISA is referring to is the people 185 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 3: in this webinar. Some of the most respected names in 186 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 3: the Latino Polling and Advocacy space, people who represented organizations 187 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 3: like America's Voice, the Immigrant Rights Group SO, the largest 188 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:47,680 Speaker 3: independent Latino voter, civic and voter engagement program in the country, 189 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 3: and BSP Research, one of the pre eminent Latino polling firms. 190 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 3: Its co founder, Matt Baretto, was part of the Kamala 191 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 3: Harris presidential campaign. Gary Segura, the other co founder of 192 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 3: BSP Research, was participating in this webinar. In it, he 193 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 3: shared exit poll data the firm had gathered and concluded that. 194 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:11,840 Speaker 7: Latino voters were not instrumental in the Trump victory. If 195 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:16,079 Speaker 7: no Latino had voted, the outcome would have been unchanged. 196 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:20,840 Speaker 3: Sigura's polling firm, BSP Research, found that thirty seven percent 197 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 3: of the Latino vote went for Donald Trump this past election. 198 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 3: Another exit poll from Edison Research had forty six percent 199 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 3: of the Latino vote going for Donald Trump. That's nearly 200 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 3: ten points more either way. Latinos skewed more right than 201 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 3: they ever had in modern politics. BSB and many of 202 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 3: the other organizations represented in this webinar have claimed that 203 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 3: they understand Latino voters better and more precisely than other institutions. 204 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 3: Many of the organizations in this webinar have been leaders 205 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:55,680 Speaker 3: in messaging to Latino voters over the past decade. 206 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 8: We wanted to make sure that anyone in DC, whether 207 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 8: it was a candidate, a campaign, an interest group, or 208 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:05,319 Speaker 8: the news media, that they could understand our community more accurately. 209 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 3: That's Matt Bretto, the other founder of BSP Research. He 210 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 3: and Segura have been pioneers when it comes to specializing 211 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 3: in polling that look at the Latino population. Before BSP, 212 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 3: they started Latino Decisions, the polling firm that found that 213 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 3: immigration was the top issue for Latino voters in twenty fourteen, 214 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:30,439 Speaker 3: coming up why Democrats thought immigration could be a winning issue, 215 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:36,079 Speaker 3: but the messaging maybe missed the mark. Stay with us, Notois, 216 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:46,080 Speaker 3: Welcome back. You're listening to the final episode in a 217 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:51,359 Speaker 3: series collaboration between Latino USA and Imperfect Paradise. I'm Antoniaes 218 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:55,439 Speaker 3: today Hido immigration has been an issue that has mobilized 219 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 3: a lot of Latino voters, at least here in California. 220 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 9: Things are very anti immigrant here in California. 221 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:06,079 Speaker 3: Ahilicasadas is the president of Chile, the Coalition for Human 222 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 3: Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles. She started working at the 223 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 3: organization as a volunteer thirty years ago. 224 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,199 Speaker 9: It was also with the height of the aftermath of 225 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:16,559 Speaker 9: Proposition one eighty seven. 226 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 3: Proposition one eighty seven was a ballot measure passed in 227 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 3: California in nineteen ninety four that limited undocumented immigrants from 228 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 3: getting essential public services like public education and health care. 229 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 3: It also required some agencies to report on folks they 230 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 3: suspected to be undocumented. The proposition was later ruled unconstitutional, 231 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 3: but the fight against Prop one eighty seven inspired more 232 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 3: Latinos than ever before to register to vote and run 233 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 3: for office in California. 234 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 9: We have completely transformed our state, so it's to California 235 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 9: for All. Instead of punishing and persecuting immigrants, we're embracing 236 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 9: their families as students, as workers, so that we then 237 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 9: have things like access to a driver's license, access to 238 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 9: a college education. The California Valley Is Act Healthcare for All. 239 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 3: And fast Forwarding to June twenty twelve, immigration seemed to 240 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 3: be a winning issue again, this time on the national stage. 241 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 3: President Obama passed DHAKA Deferred Action for childhood Arrivals through 242 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 3: executive order during the midterms. Later that year, President Obama 243 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 3: would be elected with a historic amount of Latino support. 244 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 7: Darcott thought that the immigration issue was the centerpiece, the 245 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 7: be all, end all issue for Hispanics. 246 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 3: But Fernando Mandi, Obama's former lead Latino focused polster and strategist, 247 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 3: was suspicious that immigration was in fact the hot button 248 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 3: issue that mobilized Latinos to go to the polls. 249 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 7: I think it was important. I reject that it was 250 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 7: the silver bullet. That is what by itself caused him 251 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 7: to have record Hispanic support in twenty twelve. It rounded 252 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 7: out all of these offerings that he had done on 253 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 7: the economy, on healthcare, on public education, and then the 254 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 7: final piece of the puzzle was showing that he was 255 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 7: compassionate to those that were really Americans and everything, but 256 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 7: name only those young children that had been brought to 257 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 7: this country and had been raised and lived and grew 258 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 7: up as Americans. 259 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 3: So how did that become an assumption that immigration was 260 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 3: the number one issue for Latino voters. 261 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 7: You'd have to ask those that were running the Hispanic 262 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 7: operation in the Hillary Clinton campaign at the time. It's 263 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 7: certainly a lot of the messaging and certainly a lot 264 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 7: of the activists in the space said that that was 265 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 7: the best way to win with Hispanics and to really 266 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 7: draw that contrast with Donald Trump. There certainly was a contrast, 267 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:50,120 Speaker 7: I mean, certainly on the positions that Senator Clinton took 268 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 7: versus what Trump was saying, I will introduce legislation for 269 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 7: comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizen. 270 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 3: Yet Democrats, or i should say, the Democratic power establishment 271 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 3: think the Miranda priestleys of politics had clung to this 272 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,480 Speaker 3: idea that immigration should be the number one issue to 273 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:15,920 Speaker 3: campaign to Latinos. But Amandi points to the past three 274 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 3: presidential elections as proof that the messaging to Latino voters 275 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 3: around immigration has not been effective. 276 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 7: You can argue with the trend support has declined in 277 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:31,680 Speaker 7: three consecutive presidential cycles when in previous cycles it had 278 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 7: only been growing. You're either winning or you're losing. If 279 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 7: there's not accountability, then why are they even doing this work? 280 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:43,160 Speaker 3: And it's true Latino's support for Democrats has dwindled across 281 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 3: the last three elections. According to Latino Decisions, in twenty sixteen, 282 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 3: seventy nine percent of Latinos voted for Hillary Clinton. In 283 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:56,439 Speaker 3: twenty twenty, seventy percent of Latinos voted for Biden and 284 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 3: in twenty twenty four, sixty two percent of Latinos voted 285 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 3: for Harris. Other polling firms have those numbers even lower. 286 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 3: Even here in California, it seems that Latinos are not 287 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:12,879 Speaker 3: the guaranteed Democratic stronghold that they once were. In this 288 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:16,119 Speaker 3: last presidential election, the counties in California that took the 289 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:18,879 Speaker 3: sharpest turns to the right were the counties with the 290 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:23,879 Speaker 3: highest percentage of Latino residents. But Silas, the president of JIJRA, 291 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:28,640 Speaker 3: doesn't think that's necessarily a reflection of Latino's abandoning immigration 292 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 3: rights as an important issue, but rather it's a reflection 293 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 3: that they no longer see Democrats as a party that 294 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 3: can deliver on their promises about immigration. 295 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 9: People also want competent leaders, leaders who are actually truthfully fighting, 296 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 9: engaging in an agenda. And I think sometimes, you know, 297 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:51,120 Speaker 9: immigration is used as a perfect example. Every year there's 298 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:54,520 Speaker 9: a promise for Pats's citizenship, there's a promise that you know, 299 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:56,919 Speaker 9: we're going to move in a direction that is, you know, 300 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:00,200 Speaker 9: whether it's to include dreamers, et cetera, and then there's 301 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 9: no results. And so that also creates a sense of 302 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 9: who is able to get things across the finish line. 303 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,199 Speaker 3: So you're saying, the Democrats keep promising that things are 304 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 3: going to happen on that front, but they are not delivering, 305 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 3: and so migrants have seen that time and time again, 306 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 3: and so they don't trust them. 307 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 2: Exactly. 308 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:22,560 Speaker 9: Democrats need to invest so much more in the Latinal community, 309 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 9: and that means that really a year long engagement, investment 310 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 9: and invitation so that they can feel within the Democratic 311 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 9: Party at home. But they also have to make sure 312 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,640 Speaker 9: that they deliver on the promises that they have laid 313 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,720 Speaker 9: out and that there are concrete results that people feel 314 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 9: in their lives. 315 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:46,360 Speaker 3: In fact, Sanas finds the argument that atinos don't care 316 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 3: about immigration to be really dangerous. 317 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 9: It has been used in order to excuse the Republicans 318 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 9: from actually doing incredible harm to our community and some 319 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,679 Speaker 9: of the Democrats. It's also created an excuse not to 320 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:03,120 Speaker 9: stay end up boldly against some of the worst actions 321 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:04,400 Speaker 9: of this administration. 322 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:07,960 Speaker 3: This interview with Silas happened back in April, but I 323 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,920 Speaker 3: am writing this episode in June, literally on the day 324 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:14,359 Speaker 3: that massive protests have broken out across Los Angeles in 325 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:17,879 Speaker 3: reaction to ice coming into the city and conducting raids. 326 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:22,120 Speaker 10: As most of you know, today, we had an unprecedented 327 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 10: attack on our community. Hundreds of federal agents attacked workplaces 328 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 10: and took people, kidnapped our people. What do we say 329 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 10: tobout hell No. 330 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:37,920 Speaker 3: I logged onto x this morning and saw someone make 331 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,640 Speaker 3: the very argument. Silas was worried about a local. Angelina 332 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 3: tweeted quote, I'm going to keep it a buck. If 333 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 3: you're black and in Los Angeles, sit this one out. 334 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 3: It's in our DNA to be defenders of civil rights 335 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 3: and injustices. However, ice supporting illegal immigrants is none of 336 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:57,880 Speaker 3: the above. Fifty three percent of Latino men voted for this, 337 00:20:58,119 --> 00:21:01,359 Speaker 3: thirty eight percent of Latino women for this, which is 338 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 3: an eight point increase over twenty twenty. We said this 339 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:10,240 Speaker 3: would happen, We're still on vacation end quote. The Latino 340 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 3: votes shift to the right was invoked as a reason 341 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 3: to not fight for the rights of undocumented immigrants. The 342 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 3: argument is they wanted this. The thing is, immigration is 343 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 3: not an issue that only impacts Latinos in the US. 344 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 3: Folks from Haiti, all over Asia, all over Africa, the 345 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:31,199 Speaker 3: Middle East. They also come to the US looking for opportunities. 346 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:35,120 Speaker 3: The tweet I read illuminates the limitations that can emerge 347 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 3: when the Latino vote is synonymous with immigration. And yet 348 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 3: here's how Mike Madrid, veteran political strategist formally tied to 349 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 3: the Republican Party. 350 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:44,359 Speaker 2: Puts it. 351 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 5: The whole town DC is built on a lot of 352 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 5: these immigration advocacy groups. 353 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,120 Speaker 3: Madrid says that a whole cottage industry has been created 354 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 3: around the belief that immigration is the most important issue 355 00:21:57,320 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 3: to the Latino voter. 356 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 5: When you have people who build organizations and get contracts 357 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:07,960 Speaker 5: with polsters and field organizers on any issue, their primary 358 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,680 Speaker 5: objective is to perpetuate that that gives them their standing 359 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 5: in their party, gets them on the White House Christmas 360 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 5: card list, get some contracts, get some titles, get them 361 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:22,399 Speaker 5: appointed as delegates to the party. You create an identity 362 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 5: and a livelihood based off of your interest. When you 363 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:31,640 Speaker 5: create immigration as an interest, there's a vested purpose for hundreds, 364 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:34,159 Speaker 5: if not thousands of people in the Democratic Party to 365 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:38,720 Speaker 5: perpetuate the narrative that this is the primary issue around 366 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:43,200 Speaker 5: which Latinos are motivated by. 367 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:57,199 Speaker 3: So did we set up the Latino political advocacy machine wrong? Madia. 368 00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 3: When we started reporting this, the person we were absolutely 369 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:03,119 Speaker 3: most excited to hear from was Matt Barreto, who is 370 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:09,080 Speaker 3: a veteran Latino pulling an advocacy strategist, and also he's 371 00:23:09,119 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 3: worked in the most high stakes campaigns of the last 372 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 3: decade here in the United States and including this most 373 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,879 Speaker 3: recent presidential election when he was working with the Kamala 374 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 3: Harris campaign. 375 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: So, dear listener, this stuff is complicated, it's internal. There's 376 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:31,679 Speaker 1: again a world of debate that's going on amongst a 377 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: part of the country that probably you're not thinking about, 378 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: and it's pretty intense. And it took me a while 379 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:43,480 Speaker 1: to get Matt Barretto to say yes that he would 380 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 1: join me for an interview and a conversation to kind 381 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: of unpack all of this. Matt Barreto was born in 382 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: San Juan, Puerto Rico in nineteen seventy six. His family 383 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,920 Speaker 1: moved to Kansas City, Missouri, a year later. His father 384 00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:04,159 Speaker 1: is Peruvian and he's an Army vet who served in 385 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:09,919 Speaker 1: the US military. Matt's first foray into political holy was 386 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 1: as an academic. He met Gary Segura, who would go 387 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: on to become his close collaborator when they were both 388 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:21,720 Speaker 1: working at the Tomas Ribera Policy Institute at the Claremont Colleges, 389 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:24,680 Speaker 1: and this was back in nineteen ninety nine. 390 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 8: You know, I think it started for us in wanting 391 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 8: to make sure that there was an accurate portrait of 392 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 8: Latinos being discussed and debated. We felt that that was lacking. 393 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:39,400 Speaker 1: Segura and Matt Barreto, they were both studying Latino voting patterns. 394 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 1: They were studying demographics and political outcomes, and they were 395 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 1: working together at the beginning of the Latino population boom 396 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: in the early two thousands, that's the one that we 397 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 1: talked about earlier. So they saw the urgency around understanding 398 00:24:54,760 --> 00:25:00,960 Speaker 1: this potential political constituency voters. They started working with Latino 399 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 1: groups like NALEO, this is the National Association of Latino 400 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 1: Elected and Appointed Officials. They started working with the National 401 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:13,479 Speaker 1: Council of La Rasa, which today is known as unidos US. 402 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,240 Speaker 1: And they were also working with LULAC, the oldest and 403 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 1: largest Latino civil rights organization in the United States, and 404 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: these organizations are pretty much the trusted Latino mainstream civil 405 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: rights organizations in the country. 406 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:31,439 Speaker 2: Civil rights and political. 407 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 8: As professors were helping them gather data about our community. 408 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:38,480 Speaker 8: But we noticed that that was lacking in the DC debates, 409 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 8: that they weren't interviewing people in Spanish, they weren't talking 410 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:44,920 Speaker 8: to any immigrants, they didn't understand mixed status families. None 411 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 8: of this made sense to them, and so we wanted 412 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:51,439 Speaker 8: to bring what we thought was highest level social science data, 413 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 8: accurate polling data, accurate qualitative focus group data that we 414 00:25:57,320 --> 00:25:59,919 Speaker 8: would publish in social science journals, and we wanted to 415 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 8: bring that into the political arena. 416 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:06,000 Speaker 1: So Gary Segura and Matt Barretto they went on to 417 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:09,640 Speaker 1: found the polling firm Latino Decisions. This happened in two 418 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:12,880 Speaker 1: thousand and seven, and what set them apart from other 419 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:17,480 Speaker 1: potentially similar polling firms in terms of polling Latinos was 420 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:20,680 Speaker 1: that they made a decision to interview more Spanish speaking 421 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 1: families and immigrants, and they felt that this kind of 422 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 1: polling was missing from DC politics, right, But it did 423 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:32,800 Speaker 1: take some time for them to break into this pretty 424 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:35,520 Speaker 1: insular world of political polling. 425 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:38,600 Speaker 8: For many years we were shut out. They would ask us, well, 426 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 8: what presidential or senate campaigns have you worked on, and 427 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 8: we would always say, well, none, until you give us 428 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:43,200 Speaker 8: a chance. 429 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:47,400 Speaker 1: Barretto and Segura caught their big break when they made 430 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:51,159 Speaker 1: a big prediction that put them on the map in 431 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 1: the world of political polling. 432 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:56,240 Speaker 8: It was the twenty ten midterms. This was the year. 433 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:58,119 Speaker 8: It was the rise of the Tea Party and a 434 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:02,359 Speaker 8: real backlash to Obama. And we started doing polling for 435 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:06,439 Speaker 8: a lot of Latino interest groups demonstrating that Latinos were 436 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 8: not part of that right wing backlash to Obama. In fact, 437 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:12,959 Speaker 8: Latinos were upset about the Tea Party, which eventually, as 438 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 8: we all know, morphed into the Freedom Caucus and now MAGA. 439 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 8: They were wanting to take healthcare away from everybody, and 440 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:22,399 Speaker 8: that wasn't sitting right with Latinos. And we did a 441 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:24,159 Speaker 8: series of polls on Nevada. It was one of our 442 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 8: most important states we were looking at. Harry Reid was 443 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:30,439 Speaker 8: up for election, He was the majority leader and he 444 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:33,400 Speaker 8: was facing off against Sharon Engle, a very right wing 445 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:37,439 Speaker 8: Tea Party candidate. And what our research showed, and the 446 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:41,600 Speaker 8: mainstream polling was missing this was that Latinos in Nevada 447 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 8: were energized, they were mobilized, they were upset. 448 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:49,480 Speaker 1: The national news media was predicting that Harry Reid was 449 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:54,439 Speaker 1: going to lose data from Latino decisions though, suggested that 450 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 1: not only would Harry Reid win, but that he was 451 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: going to turn Nevada blue to high Latino. 452 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:04,919 Speaker 8: Voter turnout, and later we were able to document with 453 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,199 Speaker 8: validated voter turnout data voter files post election that it 454 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 8: was the Latino vote that saved Harry Reid in that election. 455 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:13,080 Speaker 8: I think that really brought us a lot of attention, 456 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:15,400 Speaker 8: but it took us a long time until twenty sixteen 457 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 8: that we finally got onto a campaign, and that was 458 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 8: the Hillary Clinton presidential. 459 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 2: Campaign, which is a pretty big deal. 460 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 8: It was a good place to start. Yeah, we had 461 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 8: a lot of polling experience and research experience, but that 462 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:30,480 Speaker 8: was our first presidential and that was quite a ride. 463 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:35,160 Speaker 1: Barretto went on to work with every Democratic presidential campaign 464 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:39,480 Speaker 1: from twenty sixteen till today. Latinos they were finally in 465 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 1: the room. They were helping to make those messaging decisions. 466 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 1: But then instead of success in every single election, Latino 467 00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 1: support for the Democratic Party was waning. Now, Matt Barretto 468 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 1: has two reasons that he says that happened. He says 469 00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:00,080 Speaker 1: the first has to do with Donald Trump and the 470 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 1: way that he has spoken to Latino voters. 471 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,960 Speaker 8: The message that I think Latinos eventually took from Trump 472 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 8: was that there was this belief that he was a 473 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 8: good businessman and that he was fighting to make the 474 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 8: economy better for people. And he would say that. He 475 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:17,400 Speaker 8: would say crass things, and he would say unbelievable things, 476 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:20,600 Speaker 8: and he didn't care if the Republicans didn't like him. 477 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: The second reason has to do with the new, younger 478 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,719 Speaker 1: group of Latino and Latina voters that has cropped up 479 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:28,960 Speaker 1: since twenty sixteen. 480 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 8: The Latino electorate is so evolving and so new that 481 00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 8: you know, forty percent of the voters in twenty twenty 482 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 8: four were not voters in twenty sixteen. They weren't even there. 483 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 8: So it's not as though people have changed their mind. 484 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 1: The brand new that younger Latino population is less likely 485 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 1: to speak Spanish. Mike Madrid, that political veteran analyst who 486 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: we heard from at the top and who is a 487 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 1: veteran anti Trump Republican, he brought this up. 488 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:04,120 Speaker 5: The fastest growing segment, which is the US born, particularly 489 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 5: the third and fourth now generation Latino voter, doesn't speak 490 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 5: any Spanish at all. 491 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:14,640 Speaker 1: For Madrid, part of why he thinks Latino Decisions, the 492 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:19,560 Speaker 1: polling organization and the sp research why they may not 493 00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:23,000 Speaker 1: have accurately been reading the temperature of the Latino electorate 494 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 1: is because of the percentage of Spanish speakers represented in 495 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 1: their data. Remember, the new generation of Latinos is speaking 496 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:33,960 Speaker 1: Spanish less. 497 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 5: They were starting to have these very large subsamples of 498 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 5: Spanish speaking interviewees. And when you do that, you start 499 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 5: to naturally skew towards recently migrated voters, who understandably have 500 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 5: a higher level of concern amongst of immigration issues broadly. 501 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 1: When I ask Matt Barreto specifically about this critique that 502 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: let You Decisions, his polling company had oversampled Spanish speakers 503 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:07,680 Speaker 1: in their polls and how this may have led them 504 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: to over emphasize immigration as a top issue for Latino 505 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:15,959 Speaker 1: voters in previous presidential elections. Here's how Barretto responded. 506 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:19,360 Speaker 8: We stand by those analyzes. They've been published in social 507 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:22,440 Speaker 8: science journals, and in fact, what we think has happened 508 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 8: over the years is that the exit polls have started 509 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:28,480 Speaker 8: to adapt and they offer more accurate data. They do 510 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 8: Spanish language polling now, and so I think the critics 511 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 8: are sort of misguided and they were sort of too 512 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,320 Speaker 8: focused in on the past, because I think most of 513 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 8: the data lines up in twenty twenty four. We certainly 514 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 8: don't disagree that there was shifts on the Latino vote. 515 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 8: We were advising the campaign and telling them about this. 516 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 1: In twenty twenty four, Barretto's firm had immigration and border 517 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 1: security as the fifth most important issue to Latino voters, 518 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 1: behind things like inflation and the economy. So Barreto was 519 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 1: not advising the Harris campaign that immigration was the top 520 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:06,480 Speaker 1: issue for Latino voters. Barretto also says that the critique 521 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 1: that Democrats were messaging in overly progressive ways on immigration 522 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:15,040 Speaker 1: during the Harris campaign. He says that critique doesn't make 523 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 1: sense for him. 524 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 8: I think this is probably one of the funniest criticisms 525 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,280 Speaker 8: i'd say of the Harris campaign in twenty twenty four. 526 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:25,920 Speaker 2: Okay, I like the fact that we're talking funny. Now, 527 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 2: what do you mean? 528 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:34,320 Speaker 8: Because she ran on border security, her work as Attorney 529 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 8: General of California on border enforcement, and ran and delivered 530 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:43,640 Speaker 8: her speech at the DNC on border security, and I 531 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 8: think to the point you were making you and others 532 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 8: were saying, like, hey, maybe you should talk about pathway 533 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:50,520 Speaker 8: to citizenship more. The reason you were saying that is 534 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 8: because she was not talking about it. 535 00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 1: Now, It's true, Harris did not champion immigration reform pretty 536 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: much at all in her campaign, for example, Barack Obama did. 537 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:06,480 Speaker 8: She was talking about border security. So it's funny when 538 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:10,080 Speaker 8: people come along and make up that, oh, she was 539 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:13,640 Speaker 8: just too liberal on immigration and as the daughter of immigrants, 540 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:17,760 Speaker 8: like she was for amnesty and Latinos, no one was 541 00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 8: saying that. Go look at all the ads that were produced. 542 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:24,840 Speaker 11: Kamala Harris has spent decades fighting violent crimes. As a 543 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 11: border state prosecutor, she took on drug cartels and jailed 544 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:32,200 Speaker 11: gang members for smuggling weapons and drugs across the border. 545 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 11: As Vice President, she backed the toughest border control bill 546 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 11: in decades, and as president, she will hire thousands more 547 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:43,640 Speaker 11: border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking. 548 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 11: Fixing the border is tough, so is Kamala Harris. 549 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:50,880 Speaker 3: I'm Kamala Harris, and I approved this message. 550 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:54,360 Speaker 2: And you're saying basically. 551 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:59,240 Speaker 1: That now you have people in retrospect saying, oh, the 552 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:02,160 Speaker 1: problem would come Harris and Latino and Latina voters on 553 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 1: the issue of immigration is that she was too soft, 554 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:06,719 Speaker 1: and you're saying that's ridiculous. 555 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:09,759 Speaker 8: Yes, people are saying that there's this perception, and this 556 00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:12,319 Speaker 8: could separately be true, that there's a perception among some 557 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:17,400 Speaker 8: that the Democrats are too week on immigration, and I 558 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:19,600 Speaker 8: think what they mean is two week on border security. 559 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:23,360 Speaker 8: I think by the time Harris got in, she was trying, 560 00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:26,000 Speaker 8: and she gave so many speeches about border security. She 561 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 8: was trying to provide more attention to that issue that 562 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 8: Democrats had done a bad job on. 563 00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:36,680 Speaker 1: And this is where the opposing viewpoints of Mike Madrid 564 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:39,520 Speaker 1: and Matt Barreto, in terms of their understanding of what 565 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:43,000 Speaker 1: happened with the Latino vote in twenty twenty four, where 566 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:48,120 Speaker 1: it actually converges. Madrid agrees with Barreto that Harris made 567 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 1: an attempt to message differently about border security in particular. 568 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:55,880 Speaker 5: That's the problem. They could not make the adjustments or 569 00:34:55,880 --> 00:35:00,600 Speaker 5: the pivots. Kamal Harris tried to. She adjusted dramat to 570 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:03,759 Speaker 5: the rights. But with ninety days, you can't make up 571 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:06,319 Speaker 5: for fifteen years of bad branding in ninety days you 572 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:07,000 Speaker 5: just can't do it. 573 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:15,839 Speaker 1: And coming out of the election, both strategists believed that 574 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:18,880 Speaker 1: there was little Harris could do to gain traction with 575 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:24,400 Speaker 1: Latino voters, that she was doomed from the start, But they. 576 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 2: Disagree on why. 577 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:28,520 Speaker 1: Madrid thinks that the problem was that it was impossible 578 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:32,400 Speaker 1: for Kamala Harris to buck those so called progressive immigration policies. 579 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:36,920 Speaker 1: The Madrid says the Democrats were pushing for decades. Barretto, 580 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:40,440 Speaker 1: though he doesn't buy that. He thinks voters in general, 581 00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:46,640 Speaker 1: across all demographics were simply really unhappy with the Democrats. 582 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:54,120 Speaker 8: Latinos are not the ones who quote lost this election. 583 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:58,760 Speaker 8: There was shifts in every single demographic in the United States, 584 00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:01,319 Speaker 8: and yes there were shifts than the Latino vote, but 585 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:04,399 Speaker 8: there was something much larger going on here. We saw 586 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:07,759 Speaker 8: a lot of it as about the moment, not necessarily 587 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:11,279 Speaker 8: about Biden or Harris, but the sort of national and 588 00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:14,840 Speaker 8: even international moment that we were in Following COVID and 589 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:19,319 Speaker 8: the economic recovery. People were frustrated and inflation was only 590 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:24,239 Speaker 8: slowly getting addressed and getting abated. The president was not 591 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:27,520 Speaker 8: able to wave a magic wand and make inflation go away, 592 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 8: so people were frustrated. 593 00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:33,759 Speaker 1: So Breto's co founder Gary Segura he presented in that 594 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:37,640 Speaker 1: webinar that we referenced earlier, and this is what he said, quote, 595 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:41,280 Speaker 1: if no Latino had voted in this past presidential election, 596 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:44,080 Speaker 1: the outcome would have been unchanged. 597 00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:45,120 Speaker 2: Wow. 598 00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:49,680 Speaker 1: So this idea, dear listener, it flies directly in the 599 00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:52,880 Speaker 1: phase of the kind of political analysis that I have 600 00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:56,719 Speaker 1: been talking about throughout the entirety of my career, which 601 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:00,360 Speaker 1: is an analysis that says that Latino and Latina vot voters, 602 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:03,839 Speaker 1: that they are in fact change makers, that they do 603 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:06,360 Speaker 1: make an impact on our country, and that they do 604 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:12,480 Speaker 1: strengthen our democracy. So I wonder, Matt, if Latinos and 605 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 1: Latinas are not going to be this kind of transformational 606 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:22,399 Speaker 1: source of vibrancy in democracy kind of the way I've 607 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: been talking about Latino and Latina voters for years, right, 608 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:29,440 Speaker 1: then Latino and Latina voters end up turning more towards 609 00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:34,120 Speaker 1: Donald Trump, mostly men. And so honestly, there has been 610 00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:37,319 Speaker 1: for me, una crisis consciencia, Like I'm just like, okay, well, 611 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:41,000 Speaker 1: so what am I not understanding about what's happening? And 612 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:44,280 Speaker 1: so I'm wondering if you too are having a crisis 613 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:49,960 Speaker 1: of conscience in the sense of you know, Latinos and Latinas, 614 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,720 Speaker 1: they're voting like everyone else. Did we get it wrong 615 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:56,360 Speaker 1: that we were like their Latini dad is going to 616 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:58,480 Speaker 1: be central to how they vote. 617 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:04,959 Speaker 8: People want to see themselves, their families, and their communities represented. 618 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:09,200 Speaker 8: We're very proud people, a very proud community, and we 619 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:13,480 Speaker 8: want to see our heritage reflected in our politicians, in 620 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:16,880 Speaker 8: our communities, in our leaders. And I don't think that 621 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:18,759 Speaker 8: has gone away at all. I don't think Latinos have 622 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:22,400 Speaker 8: become more culturated. They haven't become anglicized. I think the opposite. 623 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:27,520 Speaker 8: I think we are providing more Latino influence across America. 624 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:31,319 Speaker 8: But I think the issue is that we've always known 625 00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:36,120 Speaker 8: that there are conservative and liberal principles within Latino culture 626 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:40,960 Speaker 8: and religion and practice, and the rest of the country 627 00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:43,560 Speaker 8: is now catching up to that and seeing that. And 628 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:45,600 Speaker 8: you layer on top of it, what was the most 629 00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:48,920 Speaker 8: important factor in twenty four which was the economy. This 630 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:53,960 Speaker 8: is still an overwhelmingly working class community, overwhelmingly first and 631 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:59,120 Speaker 8: second generation immigrant immigrants and children immigrants, just trying to 632 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:02,400 Speaker 8: achieve the America dream. And that is the way that 633 00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:04,600 Speaker 8: we have to continue to understand and that has never 634 00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:08,640 Speaker 8: changed in the one hundred years of Latino migration to 635 00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:12,239 Speaker 8: the US. The desire to achieve the American dream, to 636 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:15,640 Speaker 8: work hard, and the Democrats used to be good at 637 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 8: embracing that, and at some point along the way, Trump 638 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:24,200 Speaker 8: somehow became the candidate, perhaps because of his business success, 639 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:26,680 Speaker 8: to embrace the American dream. And I think if we 640 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:30,200 Speaker 8: get back to that, that is still very strongly wrapped 641 00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:34,560 Speaker 8: around latinidd and opportunity and thinking about a better opportunity 642 00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:37,239 Speaker 8: for the next generation our kids and sending them to 643 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:40,200 Speaker 8: college and they're going to become business owners. That's the 644 00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:43,120 Speaker 8: Latino experience. And I think again the Democratic Party needs 645 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:45,719 Speaker 8: to come back to that, and when they embrace that, 646 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:49,320 Speaker 8: you're going to see very very high success rates. I 647 00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:51,080 Speaker 8: think you're going to be back into the seventies, if 648 00:39:51,120 --> 00:39:54,359 Speaker 8: not the high seventies when those candidates emerge who hit 649 00:39:54,400 --> 00:40:03,040 Speaker 8: those principles and they're Latino principles. 650 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:08,480 Speaker 1: I'm wondering, Matt as we wrap up, so all right, 651 00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:11,600 Speaker 1: so we've had time to think about this, right, is 652 00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:16,719 Speaker 1: there a lesson for Latino posters for your group or 653 00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:22,399 Speaker 1: advocacy groups Latino and Latina advocacy groups that should come 654 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:25,360 Speaker 1: out of this election, and would you say that this 655 00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:27,839 Speaker 1: election has even changed how you think about your own 656 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:32,640 Speaker 1: work or are you more kind of dug in and 657 00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:35,279 Speaker 1: saying you weren't listening now. 658 00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:38,520 Speaker 8: I think every election should cause all of us to 659 00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:40,680 Speaker 8: think about our work. Certainly that's the case for me. 660 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:43,320 Speaker 8: I want to get to the truth. I want to 661 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:46,600 Speaker 8: understand what happened and why and what can be done better. 662 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:50,640 Speaker 8: I think the sort of immediate first twenty four hours 663 00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:53,600 Speaker 8: and twenty four days after the election, people were not 664 00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:56,920 Speaker 8: taking the time to reflect on the data and reflect 665 00:40:56,960 --> 00:40:59,240 Speaker 8: on what happened, and so that's sort of a media 666 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:02,440 Speaker 8: analysis should all be thrown away, but we should be 667 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:05,520 Speaker 8: invested in a much deeper reflection and look at the 668 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:09,359 Speaker 8: data and what happened and figure out how we can 669 00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:11,719 Speaker 8: do a better job. If you're on the side that 670 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:14,680 Speaker 8: you would like to see democratic policies and actin and 671 00:41:14,719 --> 00:41:19,120 Speaker 8: democratic politicians elected, then there's no question that all of 672 00:41:19,160 --> 00:41:21,080 Speaker 8: us have to do a better job of communicating with 673 00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:24,560 Speaker 8: Latinos and convincing Latinos. How can we understand the community 674 00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:30,600 Speaker 8: better and making sure that we're positioning candidates and messages 675 00:41:30,719 --> 00:41:32,719 Speaker 8: that feel authentic. As I said, for me. That was 676 00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:35,399 Speaker 8: the biggest lesson. Let's be more authentic, let's be real, 677 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:38,920 Speaker 8: let's talk to people honestly, and let's earn their vote. 678 00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:41,800 Speaker 8: I think if we do that, then the next candidates 679 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:44,799 Speaker 8: that emerge, if they follow that path, they're going to 680 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:45,479 Speaker 8: do quite well. 681 00:41:50,280 --> 00:41:52,239 Speaker 2: All right, Well, Matt Barretto, thank you so much for 682 00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:53,719 Speaker 2: joining me. I really appreciate it. 683 00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:56,200 Speaker 8: Yeah, thank you for reaching out. Mideos. It was great 684 00:41:56,200 --> 00:42:00,000 Speaker 8: to speak with you. 685 00:42:00,239 --> 00:42:00,759 Speaker 2: Coming up. 686 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:05,520 Speaker 1: Antonia, Si, Rahitho and I reflect together what exactly does 687 00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:10,000 Speaker 1: this erosion between the Democratic Party and Latino voters mean. 688 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:13,520 Speaker 1: At the beginning of the episode, we told you how 689 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:18,399 Speaker 1: Latino data in politics really got going. When Democrats, when 690 00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:21,800 Speaker 1: they believe that Latinos could vote as a consistently liberal 691 00:42:21,880 --> 00:42:26,080 Speaker 1: block like black voters, that is proving to be less 692 00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:30,040 Speaker 1: and less true. So what does that mean about the 693 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:35,720 Speaker 1: elusive so called Latino vote and does it actually exist? 694 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:50,439 Speaker 1: We're going to break that down when we come back. Yes, hey, 695 00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:53,440 Speaker 1: we're back and you're listening to the final episode of 696 00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:57,920 Speaker 1: a collaboration between Latino USA and in Perfect Paradise, and 697 00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:02,919 Speaker 1: I'm here with that show's host anton and yes Sidehilo, Antonia, Hi. 698 00:43:02,920 --> 00:43:05,960 Speaker 3: Madiya so Amadia, I'm curious, like what were your main 699 00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:09,400 Speaker 3: takeaways from that conversation you had with Polster Maparetto. 700 00:43:09,719 --> 00:43:13,680 Speaker 1: I mean, I think the takeaways is that people like 701 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:17,920 Speaker 1: to make broad analyzes about what is happening with these 702 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:22,239 Speaker 1: voting so called blocks, and that it's actually much more 703 00:43:22,320 --> 00:43:27,640 Speaker 1: complicated than that. I think something that I've known and 704 00:43:27,719 --> 00:43:31,040 Speaker 1: talked about for a while, right that Latinos and Latinas 705 00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:35,160 Speaker 1: in this country, you know, using this term assimilate right, 706 00:43:35,200 --> 00:43:39,080 Speaker 1: that they will maybe not be the change force, that 707 00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:43,120 Speaker 1: in fact they'll begin to vote like everyone else. So 708 00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:45,800 Speaker 1: what does that mean about the power of our vote? 709 00:43:46,400 --> 00:43:49,000 Speaker 3: For me, Like, it actually resonated a lot to me 710 00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:53,560 Speaker 3: to hear you talk about the crisis consciencia, because that's 711 00:43:53,560 --> 00:43:56,640 Speaker 3: something that I've really been struggling with, you know, like 712 00:43:56,719 --> 00:43:59,520 Speaker 3: what my latinida means to me, Like that term has 713 00:43:59,560 --> 00:44:01,080 Speaker 3: meant a lot to me over the years, and it's 714 00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:03,360 Speaker 3: always been something that I think is associated with like 715 00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:08,280 Speaker 3: a belief in human rights and that immigrants are people 716 00:44:08,360 --> 00:44:12,880 Speaker 3: who deserve humane and good treatment and like all of 717 00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:15,120 Speaker 3: these things that sort of like encompass my identity and 718 00:44:15,160 --> 00:44:17,600 Speaker 3: like this election, frankly had me feeling a little bit 719 00:44:17,640 --> 00:44:20,160 Speaker 3: like am I part of the Latino vote? 720 00:44:20,200 --> 00:44:20,239 Speaker 8: Like? 721 00:44:20,239 --> 00:44:22,480 Speaker 3: Who are these people? Kind of is sort of how 722 00:44:22,480 --> 00:44:22,920 Speaker 3: I felt. 723 00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:27,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, And it's really complicated, and we're taking on one 724 00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:32,160 Speaker 1: particular side of the conversation, right yeah, now for me, 725 00:44:32,719 --> 00:44:35,640 Speaker 1: I actually and now I don't want to say I'm 726 00:44:35,640 --> 00:44:38,080 Speaker 1: gonna go to the grave with this because that's terrible 727 00:44:38,120 --> 00:44:42,400 Speaker 1: to say. But I do believe that immigration is deeply 728 00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:46,640 Speaker 1: important to Latino and Latina voters. But I do believe 729 00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:49,560 Speaker 1: that the way you talk about it is what's. 730 00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:52,560 Speaker 2: Going to make them move one way or another. 731 00:44:53,000 --> 00:44:55,239 Speaker 1: Like it is an important issue, but if you're not 732 00:44:55,360 --> 00:45:00,560 Speaker 1: giving anything that's interesting, then probably it's not going to 733 00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:04,040 Speaker 1: be the number one issue. So like if again, if 734 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:09,719 Speaker 1: Kamala Harris was meeting build the Wall with pathway to citizenship, 735 00:45:10,160 --> 00:45:12,840 Speaker 1: I think it could have been different. Right, But Okay, 736 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:16,719 Speaker 1: there's a question about this about how important is immigration? 737 00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:20,319 Speaker 1: And in that sense, yes, I mean obviously I have 738 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:23,200 Speaker 1: to be questioning. That's like the nature of us as 739 00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:27,239 Speaker 1: journalists is to be questioning everything in ourselves. And then 740 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:31,200 Speaker 1: I think it does get complicated because we do operate 741 00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:35,080 Speaker 1: in this view that our Latini that is actually going 742 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:40,000 Speaker 1: to be central to how people vote, and sometimes maybe 743 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:44,040 Speaker 1: it is, but also maybe it's not. And we've always, 744 00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:46,680 Speaker 1: like at Latino USA, we've always said Latinos and Latinas 745 00:45:46,719 --> 00:45:49,160 Speaker 1: are not a block. We don't vote as a block. 746 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:51,919 Speaker 1: We have always said that that's true. But I also 747 00:45:52,120 --> 00:45:55,600 Speaker 1: think that we also talk about Latinos and Latinas as 748 00:45:55,640 --> 00:46:00,120 Speaker 1: if they could be a potential block like the black voter, which, 749 00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:04,800 Speaker 1: like the black voters who are reliably blue, reliably blue, 750 00:46:04,840 --> 00:46:08,719 Speaker 1: although they did lose some support as well. So I 751 00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:11,680 Speaker 1: think it's important for a journalists, et cetera, that we're 752 00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:15,000 Speaker 1: able to say, look, we are really having this precis 753 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:19,640 Speaker 1: e conciencia, really trying to break down what Latino and 754 00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:22,960 Speaker 1: Latina voters want, who they are, and how we can 755 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:25,719 Speaker 1: do our job better and get it right as much 756 00:46:25,760 --> 00:46:27,360 Speaker 1: as possible totally. 757 00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:30,200 Speaker 3: One thing that did come through with every single strategist 758 00:46:30,239 --> 00:46:31,919 Speaker 3: we spoke to for the story is that they talked 759 00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:35,239 Speaker 3: a lot about the importance of working class identity within 760 00:46:35,280 --> 00:46:37,680 Speaker 3: the Latino vote and how much a lot of the 761 00:46:37,680 --> 00:46:42,000 Speaker 3: things that ultimately determined who people voted for was working 762 00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:45,920 Speaker 3: class ideals, striving to one day own a home, to 763 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:48,080 Speaker 3: have a better life for their kids, you know, is 764 00:46:48,120 --> 00:46:50,759 Speaker 3: Suenoa Medica. I know, like that part still felt very 765 00:46:50,920 --> 00:46:53,080 Speaker 3: relevant to them, and I think that's something that we 766 00:46:53,160 --> 00:46:55,640 Speaker 3: saw also throughout all of this reporting that we've done 767 00:46:55,719 --> 00:46:59,680 Speaker 3: in this collaboration. Like Lupita like that was so important 768 00:46:59,680 --> 00:47:01,400 Speaker 3: for her, was like having a home and having a 769 00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:05,160 Speaker 3: space to raise her sons, and people leaving the United 770 00:47:05,160 --> 00:47:06,920 Speaker 3: States to go to Mexico because I think, again, a 771 00:47:06,960 --> 00:47:09,560 Speaker 3: higher quality of life, like these issues of like where 772 00:47:09,640 --> 00:47:13,279 Speaker 3: is the dream still? I think is very present for 773 00:47:13,360 --> 00:47:16,440 Speaker 3: Latino voters and it's very tight to class. Do you 774 00:47:16,520 --> 00:47:19,280 Speaker 3: remember this was very early in me working at that USA, 775 00:47:19,400 --> 00:47:22,239 Speaker 3: that Code Switch came out with a piece about the 776 00:47:22,320 --> 00:47:24,920 Speaker 3: Obama Effect. Do you remember about that? Yeah, of course, 777 00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:27,200 Speaker 3: And like the idea behind the Obama effect is that 778 00:47:27,280 --> 00:47:30,280 Speaker 3: like once President Obama was elected, a lot of people 779 00:47:30,560 --> 00:47:35,319 Speaker 3: in their workplaces at institutions, they like looked around and 780 00:47:35,360 --> 00:47:37,840 Speaker 3: they were like, oh my god, no people of color 781 00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:40,000 Speaker 3: or women are in positions of power. 782 00:47:39,960 --> 00:47:41,240 Speaker 2: But we have a black president. 783 00:47:41,760 --> 00:47:43,360 Speaker 3: Right. So it was this moment where like there was 784 00:47:43,400 --> 00:47:46,600 Speaker 3: a lot of emphasis on identity politics, and I think, 785 00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:49,319 Speaker 3: like you know, when Mike and fernand bring up this 786 00:47:49,480 --> 00:47:52,520 Speaker 3: idea that immigration became the silver bullet. I also think, 787 00:47:52,560 --> 00:47:55,800 Speaker 3: like probably even more importantly, is that like identity politics 788 00:47:55,840 --> 00:48:01,279 Speaker 3: took this like very centered role in our conversation about politics, 789 00:48:01,760 --> 00:48:05,480 Speaker 3: but the class part of that conversation sort of took 790 00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:08,480 Speaker 3: a back seat. And I think when we see what 791 00:48:09,080 --> 00:48:11,800 Speaker 3: politicians are resonating on the left right now, seemed to 792 00:48:11,840 --> 00:48:15,520 Speaker 3: be exciting, like the Bernie's, the aocs zoron Mom Donnie 793 00:48:15,520 --> 00:48:18,840 Speaker 3: in New York, Like they're talking much more about class 794 00:48:18,880 --> 00:48:21,560 Speaker 3: issues than the politicians of the mid afts. I'm curious 795 00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:22,439 Speaker 3: what you think about that. 796 00:48:23,120 --> 00:48:23,440 Speaker 11: Look. 797 00:48:24,520 --> 00:48:29,360 Speaker 1: I think that the Latino voter is fascinating because we 798 00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:35,000 Speaker 1: cannot separate this political reporting Antonia from what just happened 799 00:48:35,040 --> 00:48:39,200 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles and what has happened in multiple cities 800 00:48:39,280 --> 00:48:43,640 Speaker 1: across the country the United States. That on the one hand, 801 00:48:43,960 --> 00:48:48,360 Speaker 1: people want to wag their finger and blame Latinos for 802 00:48:48,840 --> 00:48:53,360 Speaker 1: giving the election to Donald Trump. Well, on the other hand, 803 00:48:53,600 --> 00:48:55,680 Speaker 1: you kind of have to look at what has happened 804 00:48:56,440 --> 00:49:00,200 Speaker 1: with Latinos taking to the streets, like there are not 805 00:49:00,400 --> 00:49:03,439 Speaker 1: immigrants who are out there with green cards protesting it's 806 00:49:03,480 --> 00:49:06,680 Speaker 1: just too dangerous. They are the ones who actually are 807 00:49:06,800 --> 00:49:10,440 Speaker 1: changing the historical dynamic of politics in this moment by 808 00:49:10,480 --> 00:49:13,320 Speaker 1: taking it to the streets. And so I think now 809 00:49:13,440 --> 00:49:16,440 Speaker 1: there is a question of like, wow, like this, if 810 00:49:16,440 --> 00:49:18,400 Speaker 1: you want to talk about that term, which I don't like, 811 00:49:18,520 --> 00:49:22,480 Speaker 1: identity politics, Like this is a moment where Latinos in 812 00:49:22,800 --> 00:49:27,520 Speaker 1: La Latinos in New York, Latinos in Chicago, in Miami, 813 00:49:27,719 --> 00:49:32,440 Speaker 1: in Dallas are actually leading kind of a political moment 814 00:49:33,080 --> 00:49:38,360 Speaker 1: to okay, safe democracy. I think that what we're living 815 00:49:38,360 --> 00:49:40,640 Speaker 1: through right now actually kind of is going to have 816 00:49:40,680 --> 00:49:42,880 Speaker 1: an impact on all of this polling that we've been 817 00:49:42,920 --> 00:49:46,840 Speaker 1: analyzing because I actually think that the moment, the historical moment, 818 00:49:47,400 --> 00:49:50,239 Speaker 1: is going to change this. So I'm really glad that 819 00:49:50,239 --> 00:49:54,800 Speaker 1: we did this reporting. But I think history is rearing 820 00:49:54,880 --> 00:49:58,840 Speaker 1: its head right now. And you know, the President Trump 821 00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:03,400 Speaker 1: that had that Latino support and the Democratic Party that 822 00:50:03,560 --> 00:50:07,640 Speaker 1: lost all of that Latino support because of the policies 823 00:50:07,680 --> 00:50:11,640 Speaker 1: of Donald Trump and attacking Latinos as immigrants and as 824 00:50:11,680 --> 00:50:13,120 Speaker 1: American citizens. 825 00:50:13,719 --> 00:50:15,960 Speaker 2: That could change. You could change right now. 826 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:18,200 Speaker 1: And so that I think is really fascinating and we 827 00:50:18,239 --> 00:50:20,960 Speaker 1: can't walk away from that because it is literally being 828 00:50:21,080 --> 00:50:24,440 Speaker 1: led by Latinos and Latinas and LATINX and Latina people. 829 00:50:24,719 --> 00:50:26,319 Speaker 3: I will push back on one thing, which I will say, 830 00:50:26,360 --> 00:50:28,400 Speaker 3: like I do think the Democrats do have to understand 831 00:50:28,400 --> 00:50:30,640 Speaker 3: and it seems like there is a conversation already happening that, 832 00:50:30,680 --> 00:50:33,839 Speaker 3: like the Latino voter cares so much about immigration, but 833 00:50:33,960 --> 00:50:36,719 Speaker 3: it seems that they have lost based on other things. 834 00:50:37,040 --> 00:50:39,560 Speaker 3: And I think that this idea of like the Democratic 835 00:50:39,560 --> 00:50:43,040 Speaker 3: Party being the working class party, that's something I'm more 836 00:50:43,120 --> 00:50:44,960 Speaker 3: curious to see if the Democrats are going to be 837 00:50:44,960 --> 00:50:47,360 Speaker 3: able to deliver on in the next couple of years. 838 00:50:47,160 --> 00:50:49,960 Speaker 1: Which is essentially what we've been reporting here at Latino USA, 839 00:50:50,120 --> 00:50:54,360 Speaker 1: which is that the Democratic Party was not reaching out 840 00:50:54,600 --> 00:50:58,319 Speaker 1: to working class Latinos and Latinas and giving them an 841 00:50:58,360 --> 00:51:02,000 Speaker 1: alternative to what Donald Trump was saying, which was basically, 842 00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:05,719 Speaker 1: you're a victim. You don't get treated right. I'm a 843 00:51:05,719 --> 00:51:07,840 Speaker 1: great businessman, the economy is going to be great. 844 00:51:08,000 --> 00:51:11,000 Speaker 2: Vote for me totally, totally. 845 00:51:11,040 --> 00:51:14,680 Speaker 1: But on the issue of Latini that Antonia, you know 846 00:51:14,760 --> 00:51:19,880 Speaker 1: that question right that Grisis de Conciencia, Does Latini that exist? 847 00:51:20,800 --> 00:51:24,000 Speaker 1: I think for what I think this particular moment right now, 848 00:51:24,200 --> 00:51:26,960 Speaker 1: summer of twenty twenty five, I think that's going to 849 00:51:27,040 --> 00:51:30,080 Speaker 1: have so much to do with answering that question. So 850 00:51:30,120 --> 00:51:31,520 Speaker 1: I think we need to come back to this, like 851 00:51:31,560 --> 00:51:32,920 Speaker 1: whatever in six months or a year. 852 00:51:33,160 --> 00:51:36,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, totally. And like as far as this question about 853 00:51:36,080 --> 00:51:39,400 Speaker 3: whether Latino pulling firms and adovcacy groups have helped or 854 00:51:39,480 --> 00:51:43,360 Speaker 3: hurt the Democratic Party after all this reporting, I really 855 00:51:43,400 --> 00:51:48,200 Speaker 3: don't think there's a clear answer. Well, Maria, I have 856 00:51:48,400 --> 00:51:50,879 Speaker 3: loved reporting the series out with you. It's been such 857 00:51:50,880 --> 00:51:51,480 Speaker 3: a joy for me. 858 00:51:51,760 --> 00:51:56,440 Speaker 2: As we say, iwanas ranis if you know, you know 859 00:51:58,440 --> 00:51:58,839 Speaker 2: all right. 860 00:51:58,920 --> 00:52:02,239 Speaker 1: This episode was written and produced by Antonia Serejido, the 861 00:52:02,360 --> 00:52:06,120 Speaker 1: host of Imperfect Paradise from Elaist. It was edited by 862 00:52:06,239 --> 00:52:10,560 Speaker 1: Futuro Media's Maria Garcia. Senior producers for this episode were 863 00:52:10,640 --> 00:52:15,600 Speaker 1: Emily Garren and Angelie Sastri Kurbachek. Production support from James 864 00:52:15,680 --> 00:52:17,799 Speaker 1: Child and montiguat Morelis Garcia. 865 00:52:18,280 --> 00:52:19,520 Speaker 2: It was mixed by E. 866 00:52:19,920 --> 00:52:23,319 Speaker 1: Scott Kelly from Elaist. Fact checking for this episode by 867 00:52:23,440 --> 00:52:28,120 Speaker 1: Roxanna guire Di. Latino USA team also includes Julia Caruso, 868 00:52:28,320 --> 00:52:35,160 Speaker 1: Fernanda Echavari, Jessica Elis, Victoria Estrada, Dominique Inestrosa, Renando Leanos 869 00:52:35,239 --> 00:52:41,240 Speaker 1: Junior Stephanie Lebau, Andrea Lopez, Gruzsado, Luis Luna, Flori, Ma Marquez, 870 00:52:41,520 --> 00:52:46,239 Speaker 1: Marta Martinez, J. J. Carubin, Tasha Sandoval, Mour Saudi and 871 00:52:46,360 --> 00:52:50,080 Speaker 1: Nancy Druquigo, Penilee Ramidiez, Marlon Bishop, Maria Garzia and I 872 00:52:50,160 --> 00:52:53,600 Speaker 1: are co executive producers and I'm Your Host Maria jo Josa. 873 00:52:53,719 --> 00:52:57,520 Speaker 1: Catherine Mailhouse is the executive producer of the Imperfect Paradise 874 00:52:57,600 --> 00:53:01,319 Speaker 1: podcast and the director of content Development ele East Buro 875 00:53:01,400 --> 00:53:04,879 Speaker 1: Hinte Aestelapproxima Chao Choo. 876 00:53:05,719 --> 00:53:09,719 Speaker 9: Latino USA is made possible in part by the John D. 877 00:53:10,000 --> 00:53:10,680 Speaker 3: And Catherine T. 878 00:53:10,840 --> 00:53:13,719 Speaker 9: MacArthur Foundation, Michelle Mercer and 879 00:53:13,800 --> 00:53:19,399 Speaker 6: Bruce Golden, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for 880 00:53:19,440 --> 00:53:25,319 Speaker 6: more than fifty years advancing ideas and supporting institutions to 881 00:53:25,400 --> 00:53:28,680 Speaker 6: promote a better world at Hewlett dot org.