CLAS Hosts Discussion on Latinx Perspectives of US Elections
On January 29, 2021, the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), an affiliated center of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University (BU), hosted a panel discussion titled “Latinx Perspectives on the US Elections.“
The discussion featured Andy X. Vargas (Pardee BA ’15), Massachusetts State Representative, BU professors Cristian de la Rosa – Clinical Assistant Professor of Contextual Theology and Practice -and Susan Eckstein – Professor of International Relations and Sociology – and BU students Damariz Itzel Posadas Aparicio – Master of Theological Studies candidate – and Miguel Angel Fernandez Plaza – PhD candidate in Political Science. The speakers reflected on the impact of Latinx voters in the 2020 US elections, the complexity of the Latinx community and Latinx identity, as well as the challenges facing Latinx residents in the US, in particular with regard to immigration policies.
Vargas noted that one of the main lessons coming out of the 2020 election cycle is that “the Latinx community is not a monolith.” He highlighted the complexity of Latinx electoral map, with 78% of Latinx voters opting for Joe Biden in Pennsylvania, while in areas of Florida and Texas, a majority of Latinx voters supported President Trump.
A recording of the event can be viewed below.
CLAS provides students with a versatile and powerful vehicle to develop an in-depth and interdisciplinary understanding of the Latin American region. The program offers students a wide variety of regionally-focused courses in Latin America, which are taught by a range of academic departments. The interdisciplinary nature of the program provides the necessary breadth and depth for students to understand the complexities and remarkable diversity of Latin America, defined as the 20 independent countries in the Western Hemisphere south of the United States with Spanish, French, or Portuguese as their official languages. Learn more about this center on the CLAS website.