The New York Times recently reported that Massachusetts saw the second biggest shift in voters choosing Donald Trump — and Hispanic voters were a big part of that.
Vice President Kamala Harris won in the majority Latino cities of Holyoke, Chelsea and Lawrence, but she won them by less than Joe Biden did in 2020, and by a lot less than Hillary Clinton did in 2016, according to election results compiled by MassINC Polling Group.
The president-elect’s rhetoric often demonizes certain groups, including laying out xenophobic and racist claims that are unfounded. But to many Latino voters, their views of Trump are not always based on what he says.
Alberto Vasallo III is CEO and President of El Mundo Boston, and spends his time speaking and interviewing Massachusetts’ Hispanic immigrants. He thinks Democrats misread the moment, focusing too much on Trump’s rhetoric, and less on the issues Latinos truly cared about. Republicans on the other hand, stayed the course, he said.
“They treated them just like normal Americans. We want a better school system, a better future for you here. The economy’s going to get better. All of these things that were easier, simpler messages,” Vasallo said.
Nina Datshkovsky Ennis, chair of Massachusetts Latinos for Trump, said the Hispanic people who voted for Trump did so because they support the party’s values.
“Sometimes you have to put aside personality over policies. People thought he would not be someone who unifies the country so I think the policies he has in place are the best policies that the country needs,” said Ennis. Her family is Ukrainian, Mexican and Spanish.
Asked about specific terminology Trump has used in front of thousands in speeches, Ennis blamed blowback on the media and on Democrats.
“They have a misconception or a misunderstanding and they really thought that he was like that. That’s not true,” she said, adding that she considers Trump a unifying figure, and that there is “no separation” of races.
She’s against any teaching of race in schools, calling it “woke,” and said terminology currently being used in the political system is wrong. “We have to change the the concept, the concepts of what’s equity, diversity and inclusion,” said Ennis.
The shift toward Trump is centered around perception of a broken economy and an insecure border. Some voters told GBH that even if Biden changed asylum and border policy this summer, they feel that immigrants who came here during his administration are not legal immigrants, and that the border should be sealed.
“They were just basically letting people cross the border, have a hearing date. You’ll never see them again. So that was a mistake,” said Alex Veras, a Haverhill resident whose parents are from the Dominican Republic. He’s voted for Trump during all three election cycles.
“Though I am the son of immigrants — you need to control who comes into your country,” he said. “There’s a rule, the process that my parents, my family went by 50 years ago.”
Veras acknowledged that Biden changed policy over the summer to severely limit asylum seekers from crossing the border. That change led to the lowest number of border crossings since the Trump administration.
“I think more has to be done. More apprehensions, they need to step up their game. You know, they could, you know, maybe finish the wall,” he said. Veras believes that the Dominican Republic’s own border wall between Haiti and its subsequent deportations are effective policy. He’s not alone.
In Lawrence, a city where the demographic makes up 82% of the city’s population, the winning margin for Democrats dropped by more than 30 points from 2020. Clinton won 82% of the city in 2016, but Harris only won 57%.
“It’s no longer a group that you could say is like firmly in the Democratic coalition here,” said Rich Parr of MassINC Polling Group.
Vasallo of El Mundo has never seen a broad shift away from progressive ideals from Latinos, but he understands it.
“They hear from the Democrats that this is a racist, misogynist country with all of these ills,” he said. “And they’re like 'Are you looking at the same country that I am because I just left the place that is all of that and more.’” Compared to that, they find Trump’s message to be one of optimism, he said.
Immigrants have been coming in waves for hundreds of years, and East Boston, and the Gateway Cities have become hubs for them. Once immigrants become citizens, they tend to lean toward conservatism, said Vasallo, and some of those who arrived 20-30 years ago feel like new arrivals shouldn’t have smoother journey than they did.
“There’s an absolute palpable feeling that 'why do the new guys get right to shelter, get their their papers processed?
When I came over here 25 years ago, I didn’t get that,” Vasallo said. There’s also an interconnectivity within the community where people know each other well, and belief that some immigrants lie to get asylum.
“They don’t deserve asylum any more than I do. I know them — they’re my cousins friend. I know who they are. They’re no different than me,” he recounted of conversations in the community.
The Democratic tenets of assisting poor and working class people with social services, and progressive policies to tax wealthier Americans also don’t bode well with some immigrants who have been here for many years.
“They start to see that here are these inklings of what they associate with socialism and communism,” said Vasallo, mentioning Cuban and Nicaraguans specifically.
Fifty-five percent of self-identified Latino men and 39% of Latina women voted for Trump, nationwide. While many Latino subdemographics, like women, primarily voted for Harris, Democrats failed to maintain high popularity among Latinos. Part of that was messaging. The U.S. economy has expanded under Biden, and unemployment has dropped to record lows. Fewer people lack health insurance. But inflation continues to remain high, despite a slow drop. Latinos who voted for Trump either haven’t heard that message, or just don’t believe it.
