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Buenos días and bom dia! Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month started yesterday, so while we’re taking a look at recent celebrity politics and a water quality lawsuit in Westminster, we’re also putting the word out about East Boston’s Latin Music and Dance Festival this weekend. ¡Wepa!
But first, let’s drill down on the large yet misunderstood Latino voter bloc.
TODAY'S STARTING POINT
Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. residents are Latino, the second largest demographic in the US after non-Hispanic white Americans. 65 million are eligible to vote in this election. IMAGES FROM ADOBE STOCK; ILLUSTRATION BY KEILANI RODRIGUEZ/GLOBE STAFF
Latinos make up a formidable voting bloc this election with 36.2 million eligible to vote. But the demographic is a mosaic made up of different nations of origin, languages, values, and political ideologies, which makes appealing to this varied and populous voting group a challenge.
Outdated and reductive stereotypes about Latino voting patterns, like the assumption that most Latinos are Catholic and therefore anti-abortion, mistakenly flatten us, and political messages that rely on those assumptions do so at their own risk. A conservative 50-year-old Cuban-American in Florida could vote much differently than a progressive 20-year-old Puerto Rican in Massachusetts.
We aren’t just of many backgrounds; we are also of several generations. And the generational divide skews voting behavior even further. Location, age, values, nation of origin, each aspect of our complex identities adds a new dimension to consider. And that complexity often means Latinos are ignored. Low Latino voter turnout, in part due to voter suppression and political disenfranchisement, just reinforces the idea that this group is too complicated to win over and not worth a serious strategic effort.
“It's so hard to even have conversations about voting with the Latino community,” she told me. “And I had always just wanted to kind of demystify how complex things are. Latinos, like other groups in the US, rarely get the opportunity to have nuance that they deserve.”
In reporting this story, Esmy said she wanted to debunk the common political myth of Latinos as a “sleeping giant,” the idea that whoever unlocks the key to unifying and winning over our massive voting bloc will awaken a beastly voting power. But she also wished to appeal to our community directly, and show the importance of political engagement despite the distorted political stereotypes about us.
“I may myself not be able to cast a vote in this election, but that doesn't mean I haven't been writing about it for the last eight years,” said Esmy, who is a DACA recipient and ineligible to vote. “And so I always try to encourage people [to vote], especially people that are disillusioned. I've always likened politics to the weather. You might not be the kind of person that checks the weather up every morning and yet the day that it rains, it's gonna rain on you anyway. You might as well have some information about what's going on. And it's okay if you don't check this proverbial app every morning, it's just about checking in every so often, so you're not caught in a storm.”
Esmy’s fascinating article is part of a special report in the Globe Magazine, “The Power Of Now / El Momento Es Ahora,” featuring more in-depth reporting on Latino issues.
POINTS OF INTEREST
A dancer at last year's East Boston Latin Music and Dance Festival. AGNIESZKA RYTYCH-FOSTER
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. The FBI is investigating what appears to be a second assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump as he played golf at his club Sunday afternoon. The suspect, who is in custody, was hiding in bushes behind a fence surrounding the course. More on the suspect below. (CNN)
LOS ANGELES The big winners at the 76th Emmy Awards last night included "The Bear," "Shogun," "Baby Reindeer," and "Hacks." The FX drama "Shogun" collected a whopping 18 awards between last night and last weekend's Creative Arts Emmys. The show was hosted by the father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy. (The New York Times)
VIRGINIA Popular deli meat company Boar’s Head has shut down its plant in Jarratt, Va., after a listeria outbreak that has killed nine people and sent another 57 to the hospital in 18 states. The company will permanently discontinue sales of liverwurst. (CNN)
EAST BOSTON Play glow in the dark Jenga on Tuesday, then dance your heart out at the East Boston Latin Music & Dance festival on Saturday (photo above). Boston at a Bargain is a weekly list of things to do in the city that will help you fill up your social calendar. And they’re all free! (The Boston Globe)
ZIMBABWE After an unprecedented drought that has led to food shortages, the government has instructed wildlife parks to shoot and kill 200 elephants (out of an estimated 100,000) to help feed people in the hardest-hit regions. The move will also help manage the country's burgeoning elephant population. (The Guardian)
WESTMINSTER, Mass. A class action lawsuit is targeting local companies for alleged PFAS water contamination using the RICO Act – typically applied to organized crime – which would allow the plaintiffs to seek triple damages. The legal action against the companies, if successful, could set a standard for damages. (The Boston Globe)
VENEZUELA Authorities here say they have arrested foreigners, including a US Navy Seal, and accused them of plotting to kill the country’s controversial leader, Nicolás Maduro, in the midst of a political crisis arising from disputed elections earlier this year. The US has rejected claims of CIA involvement. (CNN)
VERMONT The boutique Hotel Vermont has a fall foliage hotline so prospective guests can call in for real-time updates on spectacular foliage displays. Call 802-651-0080 from now through October from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a concierge will update you on leaf colors. Try it! It’s unbe-leaf-able. (Forbes)
ELECTION INSIGHTS | 49 days until the presidential election
We're learning more about the man arrested for allegedly attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course. The suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, owns a small construction company in Hawaii that builds affordable housing. He has repeatedly criticized the former president for such things as Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and the attack on the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to CNN.
He implied on social media that he voted for Trump in 2016, but quickly grew disillusioned with him. "We all were greatly disappointment and it seems you are getting worse and devolving," he wrote, CNN reports. "I will be glad when you gone."
Before Hawaii, he lived in North Carolina for decades, where NBC News reports he has a long criminal and civil court history, including a conviction for possessing a machine gun. He registered to vote there in 2012 as an "unaffiliated" voter, and voted in that state's Democratic primary in March of this year.
Routh was a strong supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia and traveled there more than two years ago. While there, he was interviewed by AFP and called Russian leader Vladimir Putin "terrorist" who "needs to be ended."
He even self-published a 291-page book last year (here it is on Amazon) that outlined his strong support of Ukraine, but also his great disappointment that more Americans and Europeans weren't more overt in their support. He called the war with Russia "unwinnable." He also wrote about the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and China's military threats against Taiwan.
Meanwhile, it’s been quite an interesting if tense moment for politics and pop (and online) culture.
VP Kamala Harris has collected quite a few celebrity endorsements. The list includes Taylor Swift, Martha Stewart, Rick Steves, and George Clooney. Donald Trump can count Elon Musk, Kid Rock, and Amber Rose among his endorsement list. Expect to see more endorsements as the election approaches.
The false claim about Haitian immigrants harming pets in Springfield that Trump referenced in the debate has been partially attributed to a local woman's Facebook post. While Trump’s reference of the misinformation has been virally mocked on social media platforms following the debate, it has also fueled anti-immigrant zealotry. Despite local authorities debunking the rumors, Springfield schools and municipal buildings had to close on Thursday and Friday after city officials received bomb threats. On Saturday, three medical facilities were targets of bomb threats, though it is unclear if these threats were all made by the same person. The originator of the Facebook post now expresses regret, saying she never intended for her post to cause harm.
But disinformation is spreading everywhere and ramping up. As the election approaches, Latino voters are a particularly vulnerable target of disinformation especially through social media platforms like WhatsApp and YouTube. Anti-disinformation organizations like Factchequeado, a Spanish-language fact-checking outlet, are working to combat these tactics. They’re fighting fuego with fuego by offering a Whatsapp live fact check chatbot. But there is still a long way to go and Argentinian journalist and Factchequeado co-founder Laura Zommer says, “We need to push to have more information equality, not just translate pieces from English to Spanish.”
Elsewhere, another Latina, Lynda Carter, the original Wonder Woman, has publicly announced she does not support her sister Pamela Carter’s run for the Arizona state legislature. Pamela Carter is running for the seat in legislative district 4, representing north Phoenix. The former Wonder Woman said, “I have known Pam my entire life, which is why I sadly cannot endorse her for this or any public office.” Pamela Carter is running as a far-right candidate.
POLAROID DIARIES
Where we share our adventures around New England and rate them for Starting Point readers.
I love state fairs. As far as I’m concerned, the bigger the better. And this fair, which represents all six New England states, is huge! Come for the unique fair food, and stay for the music lineup! There are carnival rides, agricultural exhibits, quirky vendors, you name it! Drive in early though; parking fills up fast. The cheapest parking spots are $10 cash.
Queer people and allies rejoice! The first lesbian bar to operate in Boston in 10 years has opened in Back Bay. I attended the crowded grand opening Thursday and ordered a few too many Dirty Shirleys (that’s a Shirley Temple with vodka in it). The dance floor downstairs was packed and lively, but the line out the door made me glad I arrived early.
Rating: Bagged 10/10 (💰)
HEADLINES IN THE CLOUDS
Guess the headline from three choices based on the words that appear in the story.
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