Gun violence is one of the most important voting issues for Latinos this election cycle.
In fact, Latinos across the country have been supporting gun safety initiatives for several election cycles—likely because the demographic is disproportionately affected by the dangers of guns. The Center for American Progress found that Hispanics are twice as likely to die from gun violence as their white counterparts. The U.S. Surgeon General declared gun violence a public health crisis for the first time ever this year.
“Latino voters believe guns are too accessible, and they want elected officials to end school shootings and expand community safety and mental health programs,” Clarissa Martinez De Castro, vice president of the Latino Vote Initiative at UnidosUS, told Latino USA. “This really makes it necessary for candidates and parties to pay more attention to this issue.”
This issue is especially relevant in Texas, where over 40% of the population – the largest ethnic group in the state – is of Latino descent.
Texas has more registered guns than any other state in the country. It has also been the site of some of the worst mass shootings the United States has ever seen, some of which directly affected Latinos and Latinas. In August 2019, a gunman traveled hundreds of miles to El Paso, Texas, and killed 23 people at a local Walmart. He specifically targeted Hispanics because he believed there was an “invasion” at the border. In May 2022, a mass shooting occurred at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 students and two teachers dead. Most were Latinos and Latinas.
Latino USA covered both the El Paso Walmart shooting and the Uvalde mass shooting when they happened and continued to provide coverage afterward, including in a documentary produced in partnership with Frontline.
In this episode, Latino USA returns to the Lone Star State. Producer Reynaldo Leaños Jr. travels to El Paso, Texas, to speak with Latino activists and gun owners about gun reform and safety ahead of the November presidential election. Maria Hinojosa returns to Uvalde, Texas, to meet with a survivor of the Robb Elementary mass murder and see how the community is engaging in gun reform.
This story is part of our ongoing political coverage, “The Latino Factor: How We Vote.”
Featured image by AP Photo/John Locher, file.
