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