Bilingual Campaign Targets Latino Voters to Oppose Project 2025

Thursday 29 August 2024 - 12:45

A coalition of seven advocacy organizations has launched a bilingual campaign aimed at educating and mobilizing Latino voters against Project 2025. The campaign, titled "Defendiendo Nuestro Futuro, Latinos Against Project 2025," seeks to highlight the potential impacts of the conservative policy plan on key issues such as education, healthcare, reproductive rights, climate change, and immigration.

The coalition, primarily comprised of left-leaning and progressive groups, has identified a significant knowledge gap among Latino voters regarding the specifics of Project 2025. Despite many being familiar with the plan, few understand its detailed implications. The campaign aims to bridge this gap through door-to-door canvassing, phone-banking, and social media outreach in swing states.

"The more we educate the community about this plan and its implications, the more Latino voters will understand that Project 2025 is not in their best interest," said Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of the immigrant rights advocacy group America’s Voice, during the campaign's launch.

Latino voters, particularly young and newly registered voters, are poised to play a pivotal role in the upcoming presidential election. According to a recent Equis Research poll, the Latino community's influence is hard to predict but undeniably significant.

Yadira Sánchez, executive director of the Latino civic engagement organization Poder Latinx, noted that "there’s a huge gap of information missing on Project 2025 in the Latino community." Sánchez's organization engages with about 200 people weekly in six states, and she estimates that less than 20% are aware of Project 2025, partly due to the lack of Spanish-language information.

Interestingly, TikTok posts about Project 2025 garnered millions of views earlier this year, indicating a high level of engagement among young Hispanic adults who prefer digital news sources. One point that gained considerable attention on TikTok was Project 2025's plan to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, which could cut vital education programs in Latino communities.

Katharine Pichardo-Erskine, executive director of the Latino Victory Foundation, argued that such a move would undermine efforts to break the cycle of poverty. A national poll commissioned by her organization found that a plurality of Latinos are familiar with Project 2025, with nearly 40% viewing it negatively.

Developed by the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 is a transition project that includes a policy blueprint and a personnel database for the next Republican president. It has the support of over 100 conservative organizations, many led by close allies and former advisers of former President Donald Trump, who is the current Republican presidential nominee.

Although Trump has publicly disavowed Project 2025 and redirected supporters to his own campaign platform, Agenda47, the Latino groups believe there is insufficient separation between the two. They point to overlaps in conservative views on issues like immigration, where Project 2025 calls for mass deportations and the completion of the border wall.

The campaign also highlights Project 2025's proposals to limit Medicaid through spending caps, which could affect health care access for nearly 18 million Latinos enrolled in the program. Additionally, the plan proposes strict limitations on abortion, which would disproportionately impact Latinas, who already face significant restrictions in many states.

On climate change, Project 2025 aims to roll back environmental regulations, which could exacerbate the detrimental effects of climate change on Latino communities. These communities are more likely to experience higher temperature-mortality rates and live in areas prone to flooding and natural disasters.

Furthermore, Project 2025 seeks to dismantle the National Labor Relations Board’s oversight role and stop the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from collecting employment statistics based on race and ethnicity. This move could erode workers' protections and their right to unionize.

"Too often as a community, we choose not to vote, but this time we have to vote," said David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West. "Never before have we seen the consequences of not voting as real as they are now."

A spokesperson for the Heritage Foundation did not respond to requests for comment. However, the organization's Project 2025 website states, "The Left has spent millions fearmongering about Project 2025, because they’re terrified of losing their power."

The bilingual campaign underscores the urgency of educating Latino voters about the potential impacts of Project 2025, ensuring they are informed and motivated to participate in the upcoming election.