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Hi Dave,
I hope this email finds you well.
I have experienced this election year in both New York and Miami, and I’ve become increasingly interested in the Latino vote. I am a Miami native, but New York has been my home for the last ten years. I feel that Miami and New York City are both melting pots of diverse people, Latinos included. New York has a track record of voting blue while Florida usually votes red. I had never really looked into this because I haven’t ever been really interested in politics. However, given the current state of the world it was only appropriate I start to pay attention. I found it strange that although Majority of Miami Dade County voted blue that the state of Florida voted 51% red. I felt that because the largest population of Cubans is in Florida, that they would vote blue seeing as democracy would allow for freedoms that the Cuban government does not offer.
I had been listening to a multitude of radio and television broadcasts that mentioned how the Republican party had appealed to the Latino community more so than the Democratic party. It was said that the democratic party did not try to gain the Latino vote because they simply assumed it was theirs. I started to reach out to friends and family in Miami and asking them about their political affiliations. I was surprised to learn that a lot of the people I know are republican and that their views on democracy are like that of socialism and communism. I was told that the reason why Cubans usually always vote red is because they believe that democracy is a lot like socialism and communism and they fear that if they vote blue, they would eventually help vote in a government similar to Cuba.
I found this to be extremely interesting and wanting to know more. I am working on a pictorial article that I think would be great for the Miami Herald. This article would be showcasing the Republican Latino voice and help other people and politicians alike understand why and what Latinos in Miami want from their government.
I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Best,
Diana Iser