Eva Longoria on Voting for Hispanic Candidates: 'The US Latino Community Is Smarter Than You Think'
Eva Longoria has taken down a huge misconception about the U.S. Latino community.
Longoria's statement was a response to America Ferrera's appearance at the 2016 MAKERS conference earlier this month. During the event, the "Superstore" actress recounted a hilarious interview with a journalist who asked her how she would proceed if Hillary Clinton and Ted Cruz nabbed the 2016 Democratic and Republican nominations, respectively.
Ferrera pointed out the absurdity of the question, noting how ridiculous the inquiry would be if it was directed at a white man.
How Latino Voters Will Decide
Longoria, 40, said that her friend's reaction to the journalist's question was "brilliant." Granted, the 2016 presidential election has racial issues and identity politics as two of its main concerns, but the actress insisted that the Latino community has more pressing issues on their minds.
"One of the big misconceptions about the Hispanic community is that we will automatically vote for somebody with a Spanish surname. And our community is much smarter than that," the "Telenovela" star said.
Immigration is front and center in the aspiring presidents' campaign trail. However, a survey published on Feb. 3 indicated that 53 percent of Latino voters are concerned about economy/jobs, 40 percent in health care, 36 percent in education, 29 percent in national security/terrorism and 25 percent in immigration.
Impact of the Youth Vote
Longoria also talked about how the Latino community in the U.S. participates in the current election cycle.
"Even though we showed up in record numbers in 2012, we're still a very young community. The average age of a Latino is 27. So when you're talking about the Latino vote, you're talking about the millennial vote, and that group in general is hard to engage," she explained.
Longoria also stressed that young voters play a crucial role in the election, adding that "we have to speak to them and engage with them in a way in which they feel empowered and part of the process."
A study published in January said that Latino millennials account for almost half (44 percent) of the 27.3 million Latino qualified voters this year.
Organizations like Voto Latino and Mi Familia Vota are urging Latino youth to be engaged in this year's presidential election. Ferrera addressed students at the College of Southern Nevada Cheyenne Campus as part of Voto Latino's event to push young Latino voters to attend the caucuses.
Even though millennials comprise 44 percent of the entire Latino electorate, the community's meager attendance at election time diminish their promising political influence. Some are expecting that Latino attendance for the caucuses will be little.