By: Ashley Neyra 🇵🇪
Image via Steven Clevenger/ Getty
As the 2024 presidential election came to an end, many first-time Latino voters found themselves at the center of a historic moment. For many Latinos, this was their first time being able to cast their votes. Vice President Kamala Harris and now President-elect Donald J. Trump left a lot of Latinos with a lot to think about.
With several things to take into consideration, such as immigration policies, healthcare access and the state of the economy, it was a lot to weigh in on, especially for first-time voters entering a very turbulent election.
For most Latinos, the anticipation of being able to cast their first ballot was thrilling, with nearly 22% of Latinos being first-time voters.
Dariana Guzman, 19, expressed her enthusiasm for being able to cast her vote.
“I was pretty excited to be able to hit the polls and cast my votes,” Guzman said. “As a person who likes to indulge themselves in politics, whether it be internationally or nationally. I was excited to be able to contribute."
Latinos had mixed feelings when it came to how they could decide to cast their votes. Some Latinos had more to consider than just their own opinions.
Diana De Lucio, 19, felt that her opinion wasn't the only one she was taking into consideration. For De Lucio, she had to take into consideration the people around her who could not cast a ballot.
“I also had to take their opinion into consideration when it came to who I wanted to vote for because I'm basically like their voice,” said De Lucio, a PG County native.
Others who submitted their ballots were more individual topics, like first-time voter Josiah Pautrat, 20, who deep-dived into both presidential candidates.
“Honestly, I tried to make my decision based on my belief and not anyone else's,” said Pautrat, a student at Stevenson University.. “Obviously, I did research on both sides to figure out, to come to the best conclusion, where I would cast my vote.”
This election caused the Latino community to take a closer look at the presidential campaign. With conversations dealing with immigration concerns and possible deportation being enforced by Trump, leaving many to question what will happen next.
“I know there are a lot of people who are afraid, who are stressed, and they don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Guzman.
Trump’s second presidential victory left the nation with very mixed feelings. Some are going as far as saying that they want to leave the country due to Trump re-entering office on Jan. 20, 2025.
Pautrat states, while there are issues in the country, Americans still enjoy a privilege that isn’t shared elsewhere.
“There are so many other countries around the world that wish they could have the freedom and rights that we have,” Pautrat said. “I think it's kind of spoiled of us to think going to another country would just solve this.”
Commenti