In north Philadelphia, Jose Reynoso is working to fulfill his dream. After starting with a food truck, he runs Alta Cocina, a restaurant serving Dominican, Latin and international food.
The cross-section of cuisine sits at a cross-section of efforts to reach Latin and Hispanic voters amid an unprecedented election cycle in which the voting coalition could hold the keys to the White House.
“We’re living a little bit better now,” Reynoso, the owner and chef, said about their neighborhood in mid-October. “The only thing is that the economy is a little bit shattered. Let’s see if we make a change politically to see if we can realize our dream.”
“The problems that are hurting us the most: the economy, migration and taxes are also very expensive and food prices are very expensive,” Freddy Baldera, who also works at the restaurant, said.
Politically, they each indicated support for Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Because in the same way Donald Trump gives us the impression that he is not, he does not get along well with immigrants. So, as I said before, right now immigrants are the ones trying to lift up the country with their labor force,” Reynoso said.
A poll from Florida International University found most Latino voters said they supported Harris, with the vice president garnering 54.7% favorability in battleground states compared to Trump with 27.7%. Inflation and the economy were top issues.
In the same neighborhood as Alta Cocina, volunteers are knocking on doors amid an effort from civic organizations to share information.
“Just to get information for, like, anything they help, voting, housing or any programs out there,” said Freddie Saz.
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An October survey by the Hispanic Federation, a nonprofit organization, and Latino Victory Fund, a self-described progressive organization, found 64% of Latino voters in battleground states reported contact with campaigns and Latino civic organizations to encourage their vote — with more contact from Democrats.
“Just focus on one segment of our community and the poll is the difference between candidate Trump and candidate Harris are smaller. But when you factor in bilingual, Spanish-speaking English speakers, you see that that margin is wider,” said Saz.
Its survey found more enthusiasm after the Democratic ticket change, more support for Harris and the top issues being pocketbook issues with Pennsylvania reflecting similar results. The commonwealth includes around 579,000 eligible Latino voters, according to UCLA’s Policy and Politics Institute.
“We want to say that the road to the White House is to the Latino community, and this time, the road to the White House may be here in Pennsylvania, the Latino vote here in Pennsylvania will decide the future of the White House,” said Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation.
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The Asociación Puertorriqueňos En Marcha (APM) has worked in the area for decades. This cycle, it says they’ve knocked on more than 5,000 doors to educate potential voters.
“We did a big caravan. We have gone through the streets, kind of mimicking what happens in Puerto Rico, with the big sound system and a jingle, you know, get out and vote, and if you don't vote, then don't complain,” said Nilda Ruiz, the organization’s CEO and president.
With little time left before Election Day, campaigns are working to sway Latino and Hispanic voters.
“I always feel like the election is always black and white, like people that's, that's, that's how they see America, and everything in between. It's like it's almost non-existent,” she said, noting “that the Latinos and the Puerto Ricans have the opportunity to turn this election.”
Broadly, each campaign has tried to sway Latino voters with their economic messages, media blitzes and rallying events.
Harris has promoted her ‘opportunity agenda,’ this week campaigned in Phoenix and Las Vegas, with a focus on energizing Latino voters, and rolled out a new Spanish language ad criticizing recent comments from a comedian at a Trump rally that called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” in an effort to reach Puerto Rican and Latino voters.
A new Univision survey found 70% of Pennsylvania Latinos saw the comments as more racist rather than humorous.
Ruiz said it “hits a note” for Puerto Ricans.
“I think it woke people up. Like this will have an impact,” she said.
“The respect for the island, for our culture and who we are is just not there, and they're just minimizing it. And, you know, we're, we're just outraged,” she added.
Trump has sought to appeal to Latino voters in the homestretch of the election, holding a roundtable with Latino leaders and a previously scheduled rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, just days after the comment.
Republican allies have dismissed concerns about its impact.
“I don't think it's going to move the needle. I think Puerto Ricans, just like the majority of Hispanics and Americans, are going to vote based on the economy, the record and the issues that are important to them,” said Carlos Trujillo, former ambassador to the Organization of American States in the Trump administration and senior advisor to the campaign, also calling the jokes unfortunate.
The campaign has expressed confidence in support.
“Seeing the early returns and a lot of the polling and seeing just the increase in Dade County and southwest region, Nevada, included, Georgia and Pennsylvania, it will be the largest margin of Hispanic votes that any Republican nominee has ever received,” said Trujillo. “I think the energy, the enthusiasm, the polling, has been very reflective of that.”
Gloria Vasquez cast her ballot next door to the rally Tuesday. She told Scripps News she was concerned about the comments being reported about her home island, but ultimately continued to support Trump.
“I don't want to just make my decision based on that comedian, and see what Donald Trump has to offer to this country,” she said, adding that it was “more valuable to me to make my decision.” But Vasquez also noted it could hurt Trump, based on the reaction she’s seen to the comedian's comments.
The Trump campaign believes the Hispanic vote could make the difference, particularly in Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Georgia
“We understand that the problems that affect the rest of the Americans affect us as well, and we want to be part of the solutions. So that's basically our strategy, making sure that Latinos all over the country understand that the problems that we're having now were, in a big part, created by the current administration of Harris and Biden, and that we didn't have those problems before,” said Jaime Flores, the Trump campaign’s Hispanic communications director.
