Only non-Latinos talk about Latinos as a monolithic group. America’s Latinos are a diverse collection of populations of different ethnic, racial, geographical, religious, and cultural backgrounds. A growing number do not conveniently align with either party, and overwhelming majorities, when asked, reject the label “Latinx.”
In 2020, Trump gained 8 to 10 points with Hispanic/Latino voters vs. his performance in 2016, and this year a growing number are prepared to lay blame for the economy at the Democrats’ feet. In addition, immigration and health care rate higher in importance among Latino voters than for the general population.
Registered voter Latinos are nearly twice as likely to identify as Democrats, and half as likely to identify as Independents than those not yet registered.
But the role of religion in Latino politics is not to be ignored. Only about half of American Latinos are Catholic, and increasing numbers identify as evangelical… many aligned with Pentecostal and charismatic sects.
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At Houses of Light, a Latino-majority evangelical church in Northridge, California, a 2020 online voter guide distributed among the congregants in advance of the 2020 presidential election, gave Donald Trump a four-star rating of “Very good,” while Joe Biden was given no stars and a rating of “Terrible. Don’t vote.” (Which is, by the way a flagrant violation of the religious tax exemption.)
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