For decades, Democratic Party gained the upper hand in Latino votes Because of shared values ​​like civil rights and immigration reform. But over the past decade, a subset of the influential Latino voter bloc has shifted to the far right. In Paola Ramos’ new book “Defectors: The Rise of the Latin Far Right and What It Means for America” breaks down the deeply internalized cultural, historical and psychological forces that drive this small but growing group to extremism.

“Over the past few years, I’ve interviewed Latinos along the border, in evangelical communities, and in Miami to understand why Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric was normalized. His Christian nationalism and anti-communist messages resonated with them,” Ramos says. “Writing this book allowed me to fully process these tendencies and categorize these patterns into tribalism, traditionalism, and trauma.”

Ramos noticed a shift during Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016 and pointed out the unexpected change. Latino voters have lower turnout. However, the book’s concept was solidified during the November 2020 election after Trump’s anti-immigrant sentiments were observed to be normalized.

In general, according to Pew Research CenterLatinos are estimated to be eligible to vote this year, down from 32.3 million in 2020. That number translates to about 15 percent of eligible voters.

According to a new national NBC News/Telemundo/CNBC poll54 percent of Latino voters support Harris. Meanwhile, 40 percent of Latinos support Trump and 6 percent are undecided or not voting at all. This could change Important results for the upcoming electionspotentially reshaping the political landscape.

“If this isn’t alarming to political strategists, then I think it does a great disservice to Latinos because we need to understand this.” From where This happens sociologically and Later Politically,” says Ramos.

Ramos’ concept of tribalism, traditionalism, and trauma reflects the established identities that Latinos have; Consider internalized racism, colonial legacies, and political trauma.

We interviewed Ramos to explore three aspects of what’s driving conservative Latino voters this election cycle. With less than two weeks until Election Day, understanding this voting bloc has never been more urgent.

Tribalism: Internalized Racism and Belonging

One of the people Ramos interviewed for his book was Anthony Aguero, a self-described freelance reporter; This individual published his work on Border Network News, an online platform he founded with a Latino friend who goes by the name Oscar El Blue, “to cover immigration news.” He related it to the world. Ramos found that “the data do not support Anthony’s criminalization of the immigrant community.”

While serious immigration reform is needed at the U.S.-Mexico border, there are still many misconceptions about Latino immigrants. According to Ramos’ report, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed: “Undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crimes” than Native Americans, Domestic trafficking victims are U.S. citizensAccording to UNICEF and 80 percent of individuals caught with fentanyl at border crossings According to data from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), those at ports of entry from 2019 to 2024 were actually US Citizens, not immigrants.

Ramos thinks Aguero’s beliefs are a result of internalized racism. As Ramos puts it, “Latino generations were told to assimilate, keep their heads down, learn English, and conform to these structures.” The desire to assimilate and belong, especially in terms of proximity to whites, is the primary reason why some Latinos are turning to Trumpism.

Traditionalism: Religion and Colonial Legacies

Traditionalism, with its roots in colonialism and religion, has been an important factor in the shift to the far right among Latinos. Evangelicalism grew among Latinosand Trumpism capitalized on this religious shift.

In Ramos’ book, we meet Pastor Luis Cabrera, who begins the scene with: “We’re taking some radical Christians to the capital of every state. It’s about God and he wants his country back!” Cabrera is also credited with coining the slogan “Make America Godly Again.” The Nicaragua-born pastor also transformed his small evangelical church into the campaign headquarters of 2022 MAGA Republican congressional candidate Mayra Flores.

A quick look at the history of religion in Latin America confirms an important factor that Ramos points out: “As Latinos, we have normalized being submissive to brainwashing.” Because it’s ingrained in Latin culture and has a way of subtly seeping into our psyche. What makes Christian nationalism “one of the greatest dangers of our day,” as Ramos writes, is “ideology based on the myth that the United States was founded as an explicitly Christian nation.” What makes Latinos vulnerable to this type of hiring? As Ramos writes, “Latinos are the nation’s fastest-growing group of American evangelicalsToday, at 15 percent, we are not talking about the fact that Catholicism “was institutionalized in Latin America by Europeans for 500 years,” as Ramos writes. This is generations of religious indoctrination based on the appeal of law and order messages, especially in evangelical communities.

Trauma: Political History and Strongman Politics

Cubans in Florida have long been associated with the far right, conservative politics, and the Republican Party; some believe that the Democratic Party is directly associated with communism. But to truly understand the motivations of immigrant voters, Ramos asked medical anthropologist and family physician Dr. He spoke with Jessica Cerdena about how emotional scars, like trauma, play out in American politics.

Trauma is defined as “an emotional response to a horrific event,” especially political trauma. Dr. Cerdena said: “More than 75% of immigrants to the US from Latin America report a history of trauma“It’s something that can be passed down through generations.”

Because it is a type of PTSD, hypervigilance can manifest as intrusive memories and nightmares. In most cases Dr. The main strategy is to avoid anything that reminds you of the trauma, Cerdemna says. While Ramos describes the list of characters in the book that brought Ramos to his awareness because of the damaging ways they expressed their policies, he argues that “countless American administrations have taken advantage of this pain, exacerbated it, and carefully weaponized it to their own advantage.” it was a reflection of the unresolved trauma they carried.

Ramos named his book “Refugees” to describe the emotional journey of Latinos who are estranged from their communities and identities. He argues that this divide is driven by insidious forces such as internalized racism, political trauma, and colonialism that far-right movements have weaponized to influence Latino voters. This is more than politics; it is about reclaiming a sense of self within a racial hierarchy that equates success with proximity to whiteness.

That’s why we refugees can look like an Afro-Cuban from Miami. And From the former leader of the Proud Boys, to a Mexican American Border Patrol agent from Texas, to an Afro-Dominican woman from the Bronx who identifies only as Hispanic.

To fully appreciate the characters Ramos interviews, you must approach this book with curiosity, compassion, and awareness of your own racial baggage, prejudices, and traumas. Without this awareness, themes can seem overdone. But ultimately, the book is a reminder of how widespread trauma is in our societies.

So what is at stake if this growing segment of the Latin far right is ignored? This shift is about more than voting patterns; It’s a reflection of deeper cultural shifts within the Latino community that have the potential to reshape American politics.

As Ramos says, “If Latinos are meant to be at the heart of America’s majority-minority future, and some find comfort in whiteness and traditional values, that could have major implications for what 2045 looks like.”

Cindy Y. Rodriguez He has spent 17+ years creating powerful stories. One of his proudest accomplishments is hosting and producing the Webby-winning and Emmy-nominated five-part documentary series “Hay Dinero,” which offers practical financial planning tips for the Latino community and highlights the deep connection between culture and generational trauma. Cindy’s commitment to creating diverse and impactful content shines through in her work, especially when touching on topics such as identity, culture, and race. In addition to Vivala, her work includes co-launching HuffPost’s Latino Voices and co-founding the award-nominated feminist podcast “Morado Lens,” featuring conversations covering sex, culture and spirituality.