Florida’s growing Latino population is taking center stage in the 2024 presidential race as the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund (NALEO), the nation’s leading non-profit for Latino political engagement, projects a historic Hispanic voter turnout. 

Florida Atlantic University has a significant Hispanic student body, at around 28% of the total population.

The University Press conducted five interviews with Latino students at FAU. Many of these young voters expressed concerns about issues like immigration, economic hardship and cultural identity. But the path to the ballot box remains very complex.

Complex feelings on immigration

For freshman Sheyli Tomas-Sales, whose parents immigrated from Guatemala, the upcoming election is an opportunity for her generation to evoke change. 

“This will be my first time voting,” she shared. “And it’s important because we’re the ones constantly talking about how we need change.”

Yet, Tomas-Sales, like many other young Latino voters, is concerned about finding a candidate who genuinely represents her views. She mentioned that she identifies with Kamala Harris because of her focus on women’s rights and immigration, issues that feel personal to her as a Latina. 

“Kamala Harris has immigrant parents, and because of that, she has a point of view that we have, as well as most of our parents are immigrants,” she said. 

For her family, immigration is the main reason they are voting for Harris. Tomas-Sales expressed that her parents and her five siblings feared deportation many times while Donald Trump was the president.

“We had a few scares while he was in the chair as a president, and it was just like a really hard time for her… we did have a scare where she potentially could have been deported,” Tomas-Sales said.

Both of her parents came from Guatemala. Her mother was 21, her father was 14, and they met in America.

“My dad came alone, so he had to find his own way. He found a job, and he’s built himself, I would say, from the ground up. I really see him as a role model just because he’s such a hard worker, as well as my mom,” she said.

Both her parents’ journeys are marked by overcoming challenges to build a better life in the U.S.

“[My mom] already did have kids, but she wanted something new and wanted something better for her and my three older brothers. She came from Guatemala, and now she has her own business, her own cleaning business,” she said.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, 1.5 million deportations occurred during the four years Donald Trump was in office. 

Immigration stands as a key issue among Latino students at FAU, many of whom have personal connections to the topic. 

For Alexander Granados, a student with family roots in El Salvador, the issue of immigration isn’t just political; it’s personal. It remains the most pressing issue for him and his family. His father, who came to the United States at 14, instilled in him an understanding of the hardships immigrants face. 

“I feel like immigration affects us more as Latinos because I know a lot of people going through this. My dad came to this land illegally, so I understand where people are coming from and why they do it,” he said.

Granados preferred not to share who he is voting for in November but he expressed hopes that the new president is sympathetic toward immigrants, understanding what they might be escaping in their home countries. 

“It’s important to acknowledge the reasons why people are coming over here and understand they’re not [criminals]… but it’s not always the case. Most of the time, because they’re coming to live for a better life, it’s their last resort, I guess. So you shouldn’t judge them so harshly,” he said.

David Linares, a political science major and vocal member of Students for Life and Turning Point USA, holds a more conservative stance on immigration.

“My father came here from Cuba, and while I respect our heritage, I believe we need a more sustainable approach to immigration,” he said.

He also emphasized the importance of understanding the reasons behind immigration, adding, “We shouldn’t judge people so harshly when they’re coming for a better life. But we also need to have a process that doesn’t overlook our own needs.”

Latino heritage and American identity

Many Latino students are navigating the intersection of cultural heritage and American identity. Linares, who identifies strongly with his Latino roots, expressed that for him and his family, one of the biggest issues is the lack of American culture adoption.

“I have no problem embracing both my Hispanic background from both countries and also my identity as an American, but it seems to me more and more a lot of Hispanics seem more proud of the legacy of the countries that they left instead of the legacy and the heritage of the country that they made their home,” he said. He noted that while he respects the legacy of his heritage, he believes Latinos in the U.S. should also adapt to the American identity.

Linares thinks the identity problem he refers to is the reason why a lot of Hispanic individuals don’t feel included and often might feel targeted by political rhetoric. 

“I think it is unfortunate that a lot of Hispanics… especially among young people like, 18 to 25-year-olds, choose the Democrat Party and think that they support them only because they are definitely put off by a lot of the anti-immigration rhetoric that the Republican Party has. They think that they are being targeted just because they’re of Hispanic origin,” he said.

Despite Linares’ concerns about Hispanic voters aligning with the Democratic Party due to anti-immigration rhetoric, he emphasized a deeper connection to shared American values, regardless of ethnic background.

”We have more in common with our neighbors, whether they’re of African American origin or European origin or Hispanic origin… we have more in common with them, our fellow Americans, than we do with a Cuban or Uruguayan who we’ve never met back in our countries of origin,” he said.

He also expressed that the reason he and his family are voting for Trump is because they see in him a support of Christian and conservative values. 

Lukah Meirelles, a theater major at FAU, expressed that his Latino identity has been a source of pride, though he’s concerned about certain cultural shifts. “I see terms like ‘Latinx’ and feel they’re just not respectful to our language or culture. We have bigger issues to worry about, like affordable housing and safety,” he said. 

According to a Boston University article, Latinx is a gender-neutral term for people of Latin American heritage, which emerged in the early 2000s within U.S. activist and academic circles. It is designed to replace the masculine “Latino” and feminine “Latina.”

A growing voting block divided

According to the NALEO Educational Fund, 2.5 million Latinos are registered to vote in Florida,  comprising 18% of all registered voters. Voter turnout among Hispanic individuals is expected to rise by nearly 14% compared to the last election cycle. One in five eligible voters in Florida is Hispanic. FAU Latino students recognized the importance of their vote and seemed divided. 

With just over a month before the November general election, Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy surveyed Florida’s Hispanic voters from Sept. 23 to Sept. 25 on who they would vote for. With a seven-point lead, voters back Donald Trump over Kamala Harris. The biggest difference the poll found is between Cuban voters, who favor (61%) Trump, and Puerto Rican voters, who favor Harris by 58%

Prices, inflation and the general feeling that the economy worsened are common feelings the interviewees shared.

Meirelles said he’ll be voting for Trump because he promised to lower the cost of living, as he and his family are struggling financially.

“It has been extremely tough for me lately when it comes to shopping for groceries or trying to buy a house because my mother and I were trying to buy property here in the state, and it’s been a challenge for us… it’s just gone up and in the past 10 years, and it’s just gotten to a point where it’s just not realistic for us,” he said.  “And I have two jobs… I’m barely getting by, and that’s just not a way of living.”.

For Yisset Hardy, an FAU student born in the Dominican Republic, the background and heritage she comes from shape the way she views America’s political landscape.

“My background allows me to see how the political issues in developing countries often reflect a lack of attention to the needs of the people, particularly in terms of economic development, security and governance,” Hardy expressed. “These issues mirror the political struggles I’ve witnessed in my native country, which has made me more conscious of the need for strong, effective policies and leadership.”

She also said economic and foreign relations policies are the biggest issues that drove her to vote for Trump. 

“I’ve decided to vote for Donald Trump because I believe his policies align more closely with the direction I think the country should be heading,” she wrote in an email to the UP. “This is not my first time voting — it’s my third as a naturalized American citizen. I strongly believe in voting for policies, not just people. My experience as a Latina influences my perspective compared to other Americans, as I am particularly sensitive to issues of government mismanagement and inefficiency due to what I witnessed growing up.”

Despite varying levels of enthusiasm, the young Latino voters at FAU reflect a key demographic that political campaigns cannot afford to ignore. As November approaches, these students’ voices highlight the diversity of thought within the Latino community, as well as the complex blend of identity, heritage and policy concerns that shape their views on voting. 

For many young Latinos, the 2024 election represents both a responsibility and an opportunity to make their voices heard on a national stage.

This story is in the UP’s latest print issue, “Historic Election,” which can be found in the distribution boxes around the Boca Raton campus or in the Student Union room 214.

Sofia De La Espriella is the Editor-in-Chief of the University Press. Email sdelaespriel2022@fau.edu or message her on Instagram @sofidelaespriella for information regarding this or other stories.