by Natalie Veloso
The Latinx vote is expected to have a heavy impact on the 2020 election—and Omaha Latinx citizens will play a major role.
In the upcoming election, 32 million Latinxs will be eligible to vote, according to the Voto Latino website.
Historically, relatively few registered Latinxs have participated in presidential elections, but times are changing.
2020 presents a historic opportunity for Latinxs to make their mark on national politics and factor in on who takes office in the White House, according to the Salud America! website.
Yuriko Doku, assistant director of the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS) program, said she encourages eligible Latinx voters to vote during this election by reminding them to register and vote early rather than waiting until the last minute.
“For Omaha Latinxs, it is necessary to get more Latinx representatives in office,” Doku said. “For that, we need Latinx leaders who are able to represent us.”
Omaha resident María Barría said she wishes Nebraska had more Latinx representatives.
“Latinx people are a significant part of Omaha,” Barría said. “Our representatives should represent us, too.”
Generation Z Latinxs will definitely make a difference in this election, Doku said.
“Being internet and social media savvy makes them well-informed about all the steps they need to know in order to vote,” Doku said. “For instance, they know where to vote and how to vote early. Additionally, this generation is also concerned about the issues we are currently facing like COVID-19 and social inequality, which also makes them eager to vote.”
Barría said she has enjoyed seeing an increase in the number of young Latinx people encouraging others to vote in her area.
“Omaha’s young Latinos are going to make a bigger difference than they realize,” Barría said. “They are giving me hope.”
Barría said she encouraged her two eligible children to vote for the first time during this election.
“Every vote counts,” she said. “Even one vote can be the deciding factor.”
Latinx communities tend to face issues like racial profiling by law enforcement, gentrification and housing affordability, unsafe workplaces, segregated public schools and immigration raids, according to the Voto Latino website.
These factors are driving forces that are pushing more and more Latinxs to vote in this election.
Doku said another significant group in Omaha that will make a difference in this election are any Latinx residents who are able to strive for their citizenship.
“We need to encourage Omaha Latinx who are US residents to become citizens,” she said. “We know that sometimes you find people who are comfortable being US residents or do not know that there are nonprofits that offer citizenship classes.”
Latinos who are expected to vote during the 2020 presidential election will account for the largest non-white demographic group in history, according to the Salud America! website.
Nebraska’s Latinx citizens are an important part of this statistic.
“Our Latinx population accounts for nearly 190,000 in Nebraska, approximately 10% of the total state’s population,” Doku said. “If we want changes in towns such as Schuyler, Grand Island or Lexington in which a large number of the Latinx population reside and work in meatpacking plants, we need more Latinx senators in Nebraska’s unicameral legislature.”
Nebraska State Sen. Tony Vargas made history in the 2016 election by becoming the first Latino elected to the Nebraska Legislature, according to his official website.
Vargas is the only Latino state senator serving in Nebraska’s unicameral legislature.
“If we really want public policies to change, we need more Latinxs senators,” Doku said. “One voice is not enough.”
