Latino Families Split on Voting

While many Latin American families tend to vote on the liberal side of politics, others are split because some members hold conservative views and voted Republican for Donald Trump.

“This election has caused a rift in my family,” said Cessie Melendez, a Cuban-American Upper East Side resident waiting in line at her polling place on East 91st Street.

A majority of Cuban-American families identify as Republican, according to the Pew Research Center. The trend dates to Fidel Castro’s communist takeover of Cuba in 1959 and the country’s subsequent decline. In the 2020 election many chose Trump because they fear socialism.  Melendez said, “My family are Trump supporters and believe Biden promotes a socialist environment, but that is not the case.” 

Her family criticized her choice for president. “They strictly said to me, ‘We will not talk to you until the elections are over. Voting for Biden is the worst decision you could make, and your family is very disappointed in you.’” While Melendez disagrees with them, she said, “I understand their fear of being oppressed.”

The Trump campaign apparently played on their fears. Latino families who use social media like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were targeted by Spanish-language accounts that supported Donald Trump. They saw a constant stream of false information that Biden promoted socialism, would raise their taxes, and was trying to steal the election. This had a big impact on many Latino voters.

Some, like Melendez, were not fooled. Maria Gonzales, a first-generation Mexican immigrant and first-time voter, felt that she was voting not only for herself but for her parents and DACA recipient friends. “Many of my family and friends cannot vote, so it is a privilege to even be here,” she said, adding that she filled out her ballot with anxiety but also confidence and pride.

That same feeling was shared by other immigrants. Stephen Aduamah, a Ghanaian immigrant, said that it is more than a privilege for people of color to vote in 2020. “One hundred or 50 years ago a person with my skin color would have never thought they had the right to vote,” he said. “So I am doing this for my family and Black and Brown folks everywhere.”