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Spanglish Sway: Luring Younger Hispanic Voters to the Polls

In recent years, the power of the Hispanic vote in the United States has become increasingly prominent, and politicians have taken note. To tap into this massive voting bloc, campaigns are implementing diverse initiatives to engage new and existing Hispanic voters – one of which is the use of Spanglish. For those that don’t know, Spanglish is a popular linguistic portmanteau that combines English and Spanish, and is often used in Latino communities. It has become increasingly popular among young Hispanic voters, particularly those in the millennial and Generation Z age groups. In order to reach these young voters, campaigns have sought to capitalize on Spanglish as a way to communicate with them in a language that resonates. This has been seen frequently on the political campaign trail, as many candidates have adopted Spanglish when speaking to Hispanic audiences. For example, during his 2016 presidential campaign, former Vice President Joe Biden consistently used Spanglish when reaching out to Hispanic audiences, which was met with great enthusiasm. In addition to language, campaigns have also worked to engage new Hispanic voters by embracing cultural elements, such as music and social media. It’s a strategy that is proving to be successful, as the Hispanic vote continues to become an increasingly powerful force in US politics. By connecting with younger Hispanic voters through language and culture, campaigns have the opportunity to reach a significant demographic. In doing so, they will not only help to shape the outcome of future elections, but to ensure the voices of the Latino community are heard and represented in government.