By Truth & Liberty Staff on Feb 17, 2021 10:00 am
In the 2020 elections, President Donald Trump made historic gains with minorities, specifically Hispanics. For decades, it was assumed that minority groups voted for liberal policies, but recent results showed something else.
Mark Gonzales of Hispanic Action Network recently joined the Truth & Liberty live cast to discuss a number of issues, including conservative values in the Hispanic community.
Educating Voters is the Key
Active in mobilizing churches and communities to engage the political process and participate in government, Hispanic Action Network relies heavily on voter education.
“When you educate a Hispanic, nine times out of ten he’s going to vote conservative,” says Mark. “If you don’t educate them, they’re going to vote tradition.”
Mark says that Hispanics typically hold to conservative values, but often elect officials based on how their family has always voted. In many cases, they support candidates who campaign on liberal policies.
“It’s not that they’re any less conservative,” says Mark. “But that’s just the tradition unless you reach them.”
Focusing on the Issues
For years, the Republican Party has not reached out to the community, assuming that they will vote as a bloc for Democrats. According to Mark, this has even skewed the issue of immigration reform.
“‘We’re legalizing 12 million Democrats,’” says Mark of the proposed amnesty program for undocumented immigrants. “No, you’re not. These are people who are conservative, that believe, that are pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, pro-Israel, pro-God, pro-work.”
According to Mark, the life issue and socialism are what drove Hispanic voters to the polls in 2020. Mark estimates final figures will reveal up to 40 percent of Hispanics turned out for Donald Trump. Republicans also saw huge support in Texas, taking seats in the state legislature when pollsters predicted a “blue wave” of Democrat victories.
Elsewhere, in Florida, voters of Cuban and Venezuelan backgrounds responded to the rising threat of socialism by voting conservative. Many Hispanic voters from South and Central America came to the United States fleeing from socialist and communist regimes. According to Mark, Hispanics have already lived with socialism and are willing to stand against it.
Hispanics embrace capitalism over socialism. Small business ownership and entrepreneurship are part of the cultural DNA, Mark says, with 75 percent of new businesses in the United States owned by Hispanics. Conservatives should continue tapping into these values.
“Hispanics are the firewall from [socialism] taking over America,” says Mark. “We’re not going to allow America to go down that path.”
Learn More
Hispanic Action Network exists to educate, equip, and engage the faith community from a biblical worldview, to pray and impact culture by turning faith into action. Learn more about Hispanic Action Network and their resources by visiting their website.
Explore the Truth & Liberty website to watch the full episode with Mark Gonzales. Visit our Research Center for great practical resources. Learn how you can become a Truth & Liberty Coalition member and join us in standing for truth in the public square.
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