Latinos in Texas, Arizona and California Are 'Concerned' and 'Stressed' About Finances

A new poll released Tuesday by UnidosUS said that Latinos in Texas, Arizona and California “remain concerned and stressed about their financial situation” and that “52% of respondents are worried about being able to pay next month’s rent or mortgage,” according to a media release from the organization.

The poll surveyed 1,200 respondents across these three states, which represent three of the top five states with the most Latino eligible voters in 2022. A recent Pew Research Center study notes that California has 8.5 million eligible Latino voters, Texas has 6.5 million and Arizona has 1.3 million. In that same study, Pew estimated that the 2024 Latino eligible voter population will reach a total figure 36.2 million, with California representing 33% of the state’s total eligible population. Texas Latinos make up a 32% share of all eligible voters and Arizona Latinos are at 25%.

“Latinos continue to struggle to stay afloat financially,” Eric Rodriguez, senior vice president of Policy and Advocacy at UnidosUS, said in the media release. “These results underscore the need for the financial industry to do more to lower costs and reach marginalized consumers, and for policymakers to address Latinos’ economic concerns and do more to consolidate the economic gains from the past few years.” 

The release and the overall findings included other takeaways that confirm that the economy is and will always be a major issue for U.S. Latinos. Here are just some takeaways:

• 53% of Latinos with student loans said their loans went into deferment or forbearance, and 19% said they have gone into default.

• 62% of respondents said they have less than $400 in savings.

• 47% of respondents over 40 years old said they have less than $40,000 saved for retirement.

For the full report and findings, UnidosUS published those materials here.

What We’re Reading Today

Puerto Rico Blackouts: The Associated Press reports the latest out of Puerto Rico, where power outages left over 340,000 customers in the metropolitan are in the dark. On Thursday morning, Luma Energy said the power was restored. (Story here.)

Former Latino Rebels correspondent Carlos Berríos was at La Fortaleza Wednesday night and captured a small protest against Luma.

Nothing New Here: Over at Deadline, “Diversity in TV Down 12% with Hispanic Representation Particularly Low, Samba TV Reports.” (Story here.) Is this 1994 or 2024? Has anything really changed?

Latino Americans in Pennsylvania: Looks like Latino Americans for Trump is more than just a name. The Trump campaign’s official Hispanic outreach effort opened up a new office in Reading, which is 67% Latino (mostly Puerto Ricans and Dominicans).

For those who follow Puerto Rico politics, former Republican and pro-statehood governor Luis Fortuño was at the event, saying, “We believe in the American Dream, and the only way to obtain the American Dream is working hard.” (Story here.)