María de Los Angeles Torres Interviewed for NPR Story About Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and the Latino Vote
María de Los Angeles Torres, professor and director of the Department of Latin American and Latino Studies, was interviewed for an NPR story entitled “Why Ted Cruz and Rubio Can’t Count on the Latino Vote.” The article discusses how, despite the two candidates’ Cuban heritage, they aren’t necessarily the favorite candidates of Latino voters nationwide, perhaps because of their stances on immigration.
“ ‘I think that the Latino electorate is an electorate that votes policy. When you have candidates that have very clearly distinct agendas, particularly in immigration in today's electoral climate, I think that Latinos are not necessarily swayed by a person's background. ...
‘What has changed, I think, in the last 15 years is the fact that immigration, once a marginal issue for many Latinos or a non-issue for Cuban-Americans and Puerto Ricans, for instance, has become central to the Latino agenda.’ ”
To read the full interview, or listen to an audio version which appeared on the program Weekend Edition Saturday, visit the NPR website here.