The Latin community is done being treated as an afterthought by Kentucky politicians
In 2019 Governor Andy Beshear won the governor's race by less than 5,000 votes. In 2015 Matt Bevin won the republican nomination for governor by less than 100 votes.
Census data shows that Kentucky had 30,000 Latin/Hispanic registered voters in 2020. A number big enough to have swung the Beshear and/or Bevin elections in a different direction. And yet, 30,000 registered Latin/Hispanic voters represent only 50% of eligible Latin Hispanic voters. That is a very concerning statistic for us in the Latin/Hispanic community, but it should be concerning to every Kentuckian. Why?
First, the Latin/Hispanic population grew by 233% in Kentucky between 2000 and 2020. In some Kentucky cities, like Shelbyville, the percentage of the population that is Latin/Hispanic is as high as 15% - with nearly 200,000 Latin/Hispanic people in the state.
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Second, that means that the segment of our population with the most growth and one that has much to offer economically, culturally and otherwise is not as civically engaged as it could be. Many of us in the Latin/Hispanic community have advanced degrees, with experience in high-demand fields like health care, construction, technology and manufacturing that could help our state be more competitive in a quickly changing national and global landscape.
For all the value we add and even more value we could bring, we want and deserve to be part of shaping our shared trajectory - for the benefit of our Latin/Hispanic community, our region and our state.
That is why a group of us in the Latin/Hispanic community have come together to form a new effort we are calling Nueva Fuerza (which means New Force) that is focused on achieving two things:
Growing civic engagement in the Latin/Hispanic community, and
Elevating the Latin/Hispanic voice to have more impact in Kentucky elections.
Just as Kentucky is tired of being treated as “fly over country” by national politicians, we in the Latin/Hispanic community are done with being treated as an afterthought by Kentucky politicians. When we see campaigns hire junior staff to engage the Latin/Hispanic community, whereas other demographics get veteran political operators and tacticians, it makes it clear that we are not a priority.
But we are not waiting for things to change on their own. No, we are rolling up our sleeves and getting to work through Nueva Fuerza - taking a multi-pronged approach that will include things like educating our community on civic engagement, connecting with elected leaders, doing voter registration drives, partnering with nonprofits that serve Latin/Hispanics and helping to prepare folks to run for office.
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We want to see folks in office who represent the growing Latin/Hispanic community in Kentucky. That is why Danny Alvarez’s campaign meant so much to us; Danny not only represented hope for the future, but the potential that our community has when it exercises its right to vote. We see this same potential in other Latin/Hispanic candidates and an opportunity to continue Danny’s legacy.
And when we say educate our community, we really mean to accompany them because all of us in Nueva Fuerza are all learning, too. Learning, for example, that it's not just about knowing who to vote for but also understanding ballot initiatives, going to city council and school board meetings, meeting your elected officials and encouraging your friends and family to vote.
One of our earliest aspirations is to have a cohort of three to five Latin/Hispanic folks run for office together for different elected positions in 2024, so they can support one another, inspire others to run and also show our region that many of us in the Latin/Hispanic community are ready to raise our hand and play a leadership role.
Our ultimate vision at Nueva Fuerza is to see a day when every member in the Latin/Hispanic community is civically engaged and our voice has an impact on every election. We pursue this vision because we believe that our Greater Louisville region can be even more economically and culturally vibrant when our Latin/Hispanic community is civically engaged and when we can contribute our shared wisdom to decision making.
Indeed, we believe, and ask that you join us in believing, that what is good for the Latin/Hispanic community is good for our entire region. A more just equitable world that benefits all of us. We all do better when all do better.
Nueva Fuerza is a collective of local citizens, both U.S.-born and Naturalized, with backgrounds from all over the Latin American world - Peru, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Guatemala, Panama, and others - and work in government, for-profit, and non-profit sectors at many of the biggest and most influential companies/organizations in our region. We are accompanied by allies who also believe that representation matters and adds to the strength and resilience of our state.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Elections: Louisville Latin community wants more political engagement
