Between Harris and Trump: Latinos ahead of the US election

DW (English)

Their votes could spell victory or defeat. Just ahead of the US election, what issues concern the Latino community?

Transcript

00:00They could play a decisive role in the US presidential elections.

00:10Latinos make up 15% of the country's eligible voters, a hotly contested segment with both

00:15candidates eager to win them over in their own way.

00:29Can such a diverse group be said to have a Latino vote though?

00:33Labelling different ethnic groups is purposely done to divide these groups.

00:40You have those people who feel strongly about one way and those who feel strongly about

00:44the other one.

00:45There is no Latino vote, there is American vote.

01:00Our journey begins in Miami, a city where more Spanish is spoken than English.

01:06Today, over 65 million people, almost a fifth of the entire US population, are Latino.

01:13They come from countries like Mexico, El Salvador, Cuba or the US territory of Puerto Rico.

01:19Their votes could have a decisive impact on the presidential election.

01:23What issues are important to them and what are their views of the country?

01:30To find out, we visited three states where Latinos play a significant role – Pennsylvania,

01:35California and Florida.

01:39Mayra Jolie lives here in Miami.

01:42She grew up in the Dominican Republic and after studying law, immigrated to the US in

01:47the 1990s.

01:48You know when somebody is just stopping or just looking to see, because in the back it

01:53says Trump, in my side it says Trump, in the front it says Trump, and if you are on the

01:58other side it says Trump too.

02:00So I lower the window and he goes like, seriously, Trump?

02:07He's going to lose.

02:08And I go, what's it to you?

02:11Despite herself having immigrated to the US, she supports Republican Donald Trump's strict

02:16immigration policies.

02:18When Trump said he's going to deport, massive deportation, it's necessary.

02:24Because if in three and four years we have massive invasion, it has to be massive deportation.

02:31And we're not talking about the people that were already here.

02:36Everybody who entered within the last three years have no business coming here or being

02:41here.

02:42As an immigration attorney, she helps people who have come to the country legally or who

02:46qualify for permanent residency.

02:49Today she has a meeting with a client outside of Miami.

02:52My dear, can I park over there?

02:55Because last time I parked here, they wanted me to take my flag down.

02:59Ah, there they are.

03:02You see them?

03:04Those are the protesters.

03:07Okay, family, they hate me.

03:10I hate them back.

03:13In front of the immigration office, dozens are waiting for their appointments.

03:18All these people in the line, the people in the line are going to complain about me, the

03:22attorney, that I have a flag and that I'm hurting their feelings?

03:25Give me a break, I'm an American.

03:28They are not.

03:31But my clients, they love me because they know, you know, I fight for them.

03:37It doesn't matter if I'm supporting Trump.

03:40I would be better for them because if they know I am Trump's friend, they're going to

03:45feel like, well, you know, I'm with her.

03:49And if Trump is her friend, he's not going to do anything to me.

03:54So they are smart.

04:02Her client is from Guatemala and wants to stay in the U.S. permanently.

04:06Her children were born here and, unlike her, are citizens.

04:10Here, the lawyer's open support for Donald Trump is met by many with opposition.

04:16That, what the lawyer is doing, is bad.

04:20You know, that is proselytism.

04:23You know, he's saying that immigrants eat pets.

04:28They are saying that he's going to deport everybody.

04:32Everybody's in risk now.

04:34These ladies coming here with that Trump, and it's a federal building.

04:40There shouldn't be a law to do that.

04:43Activists regularly meet in front of the immigration office.

04:47They want to offer migrants not just food and drinks, but also hope.

04:53Our journey takes us from Florida to California, Kamala Harris' home state.

04:59Amelia Ceja left Mexico with her family more than 50 years ago

05:03to make a fresh start here in Napa Valley, north of San Francisco.

05:09Within just one generation, the Ceja family has worked their way up from simple vineyard work.

05:15Today, they own their own winery.

05:20That's Pedro, my husband, his brother Armando.

05:24That's me, and that's my sister Lamarta.

05:27Without us, immigrants, especially from Mexico,

05:31because over 90% of the workers in the vineyards hail from Mexico,

05:35there wouldn't be any of these amazing wines that we're making,

05:41nor food on our table, because immigrants are willing to do all the hard work.

05:47It's hard work that doesn't always pay off.

05:50Migrant farm workers are often especially hard hit by poverty.

05:54Winery owners with Latin American roots, like Amelia, are rare.

05:58It's no wonder that for many Latinos, issues like inflation,

06:02the cost of living and the health care system are crucial.

06:09For Amelia, however, the electoral decision isn't about heritage.

06:16We all want safety.

06:19We all want the same thing for our families, that they're safe, they're sheltered,

06:24they have no food and access to an education.

06:28All of us universally want the same thing.

06:32Expert Ana Sofia Pelayas from Florida also believes it's difficult to speak of a Latino vote.

06:39When you think about health care, education, these are things that worry everyone, that concern everyone.

06:44We have many of the concerns that most Americans have.

06:48You think about housing, you think about transit.

06:51I think climate is certainly probably a greater concern in South Florida

06:55because of where we are and what we're already experiencing.

06:59For the past eight years with NGO Miami Freedom Project,

07:02she's been working to increase Latino voter turnout

07:05and to ensure their needs are being addressed by the political parties.

07:10If you come to Latinos and you just think like,

07:13oh, I'm just going to speak to them in Spanish, but you're not speaking to them about housing,

07:17you're not speaking to them about the economy,

07:19you're not addressing their concerns about climate,

07:21you're not showing them that there are opportunities for them in a green economy,

07:27you're not going to win them over.

07:31What's up, buddy? How are you? Good, good to see you, brother.

07:33All right, so you guys are Section 428.

07:36So you guys are going to be right behind Frankfurt High School.

07:39Just want to make sure they came and tell you your number yet.

07:41See, because you guys closed out the show for us, so that's the end for us.

07:44We've got like an hour and a half to get everybody in order.

07:47We're in Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania.

07:50The annual Puerto Rican Pride Parade is a highlight for Adonis Banegas.

07:54He heads the NGO Consilio, which advocates for the Latino community in the city.

08:00We are embedded in this city. We're proud of this city, as you can see from my hat.

08:04But more so, Puerto Ricans in this community do so much for this city.

08:07And this is just one day, but we're here year-round,

08:10but it's a great day to celebrate all Latinos, all Puerto Ricans in and around Philadelphia.

08:15Pennsylvania is considered one of the most important swing states in this U.S. election.

08:20In 2016, the Republicans won here. In 2020, the Democrats.

08:25The large Latino community could have a decisive influence on who wins this year,

08:29but Latinos are not a homogenous voter group here either.

08:33Obviously, there's two sides to any story.

08:36You have those people who feel strongly about one way and those who feel strongly about the other ones.

08:40But while, you know, here in Philadelphia in particular,

08:43our agency and several other partners really encourage just the opportunity to register to vote and to go out and vote.

08:49And that's our main push for anybody in Philadelphia, but particularly the Hispanic vote.

08:55While the majority of Latinos in the U.S. have historically voted for Democrats,

08:59recent polls show a decline in their support.

09:02It's why Kamala Harris supporters are working even harder to mobilize voters.

09:08But our primary focus is, we expect about a quarter million Latinos in Pennsylvania voted in 2020.

09:16We want to get that number up to about 350.

09:19So our main focus is talking to Latino voters to make sure they come out and vote for Kamala Harris in November.

09:28Back in Miami.

09:32In her legal office too, Mayra Jolie makes no secret of her political views.

09:37She doesn't see any contradiction between her work and her stance.

09:43The controversy comes from, if an immigration attorney is that one who would be taking phone calls from overseas

09:54to help somebody come to the United States illegally.

09:58So at that point, that's not an immigration attorney, that's just a coyote with a title.

10:04Mayra also rejects the categorization of voter groups on the basis of ethnic background.

10:09For her, only one thing matters.

10:12There is no Latino vote. There is American vote.

10:17And that's this American melting pot.

10:20There are Latinos that are voting, there are blacks that are voting, women that are voting.

10:24There is no vote that has to be put in some sort of a box.

10:29It's Americans voting, and it's an American vote.

10:33And that's why, you know, that American vote is going for that American who's going to do the touchdown

10:40and take America back to greatness.

10:44During a radio interview, Mayra called for volunteers to get involved in Republican campaign offices.

10:50Now she wants to check in on them.

10:52This disappointed voter has found a closed campaign office.

10:56Mayra calls the person in charge.

10:58Hi, Mayra.

11:00I called out on the radio today for more volunteers to come.

11:04Now I'm standing here with one, and everything is closed.

11:08No, no, no, we are three weeks away from the election, and everything is dead here.

11:13There isn't a single sign for Donald Trump in any of the houses.

11:16Donald Trump's campaign is dead.

11:19The Republicans seem to have assumed a victory in Florida is already a given

11:23and are focusing on other states.

11:26They're taking the states that they think they have won for granted, which I think is wrong.

11:33At their vineyard in California, the Ceja family are hosting a feast for Hispanic Heritage Month.

11:39The main thing on the menu today, celebrating their culture and history with wine and Mexican food.

11:45Remember one thing, wine brings people together.

11:50And food and wine, conversation, multi-generations,

11:55we can all hang out with each other and enjoy each other's point of view.

12:03I'm Mexican, but I feel at home in my adopted country.

12:08And I've embraced everything that is really wonderful about both cultures.

12:13Being at home in two worlds, a feeling that, despite their differences, many Latinos in the US share.

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