"Latinos Bring New Energy to America's DNA," by United States Hispanic Leadership Institute

I love this graphic out of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) that I think we should share liberally everywhere. Our young people, in particular, need to know and embrace this very positive notion that Latinos are most definitely adding new energy to America's DNA. 

To this, I would add that we are doing this through a replenishing of our own DNA that tracks back to the native peoples of this continent, a DNA that has prevailed against all odds.

There's nothing to fear and much to celebrate. We as a country need to pivot and engage in less fear mongering and more celebrating. If I can't dance, I won't have a revolution! 😊

Sí se puede! Yes we can!

-Angela Valenzuela

The 2020 Census has confirmed that the Hispanization of America 2.0 is effectively underway. The original HoA surfaced following the 1990 Census. Over the next 30 years, Hispanics made unprecedented inroads into American life and culture. Latinos became the leading actors in films. Our music dominated the industry. Salsa outsold ketchup in grocery stores. Nachos outsold hotdogs at baseball games. Latinos started winning the Nobel prize in literature and science. The era of blending in gave way to standing out. The graphic above provides an overview of the accelerated growth and impact of Latinos on the American landscape. Whether it's making America great again or building back better, Latinos arguably are the driving force of progress. The 2020 Census has verified what we Hispanics saw coming throughout the last decade. Latinos accounted for over half of the total population growth in the United States. Eighty percent of all new businesses were started by Latinos. Latino voter registration increased from 11 million to 18 million, and turnout increased from 6.5 million to 16 million. Latino purchasing power increased from $1 trillion to $1.7 trillion, the 2nd largest in America. The Latino GDP went from 10th largest in the world to 8th, surpassing Italy and Germany. Please share this with anybody who says we are a sleeping giant. ¡La raza no duerme! The Hispanization of America 2.0 is energizing every aspect of American society. Kudos to the We Are All Human Foundation and its flagship program, Hispanic Star, for sharing this very informative graphic.

About USHLI For 39 years, the mission of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) has been and continues to be to fulfill the promises and principles of democracy by promoting education and leadership development, empowering Latinos and similarly disenfranchised groups through civic engagement and research, and by maximizing participation in the electoral process.

"Latinos are NOT a Sleeping Giant," by USHLI President Dr. Juan Andrade

 

8.19.2020 

Latino voter registration is growing at a rate six times faster than the general population. Latino voter turnout is growing at a rate five times faster than the general population. Only ill-informed experts, Latinos and non-Latinos, refer to Latinos as “the Sleeping Giant.”

(What’s more, the Latino population is growing at a rate three times faster than the general population. That tells me that Latinos are not even sleeping when they go to bed. Let’s stop this “Sleeping Giant” nonsense already.)This is the 14th presidential election in which I am voting. I have seenLatino voter registration and voter turnout increase in every presidential election. Still, in every presidential election, so-called Latino and non-Latino experts refer to us as “the sleeping giant.” ¡Ya basta con esa ignorancia! In 1982, when USHLI started registering voters in Chicago, there were about 80,000 Latinos registered to vote. Today, there are 288,000Latinos registered to vote, and the number of Latino elected officials has

increased from three to over 30, at all levels of government. There’s no Latino Sleeping Giant in Chicago! In 2012, the so-called “sleeping giant” cast 11.2 million votes nationally.

In 2016, 12.7 million Latinos voted, an increase of 1.5 million, whileBlack voter turnout decreased by 765,000 (the largest decline by any ethnic or racial group in 20 years).Voter turnout among all groups historically drops in midterm elections, but Latino voter turnout increased from 6.8 million in 2014 to 11.7 million in 2018, an increase of 4.9 million voters, the largest among all ethnic/racial groups nationally!Texas is a perfect example. In the 2018 election, Latino voter turnout reached 1.9 million, almost double over 2014. Voter turnout among young Latinos 18-32 years of age increased 500%, and two Latinas

were elected to Congress! This blue wave of Latino voters helpedDemocrats flip 12 State House seats and a few Senate seats. In HarrisCounty (Houston), the 3rd largest county in America, the Latino vote helped flip 17 judgeships and a Latina was elected County Judge, the highest office. This is the result of amazing work being done bySouthwest Voter Registration Education Project and several other groups that have been working diligently to register, educate, and get Latinos out to vote. There’s no Sleeping Giant in Texas!

 Similarly in Arizona, the surge in Latino voter registration and turnout flipped the US Senate seat held by Republican Martha McSally in 2018.In Virginia, Latinas defeated several Republican incumbents who ran anti-immigrant campaigns in races for seats in the House of Delegates.In 2018, Latino voter turnout, which nearly doubled nationally, turned conventional wisdom about midterm elections on its head.In 2020, a record shattering and history-making 16,000 million Latinos may turn out to vote. That’s an increase of 3.3 million voters, enough to flip the White House and possibly a few US Senate races in major battleground states. Hopefully, any references to “the Sleeping Giant”

will become a thing of the past for good, and donors will finally realize that growing the Latino vote is a very worthwhile investment.

Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr.President

 

United States Hispanic Leadership Institute, Inc.