As the 2024 elections near, gun violence is surfacing as a pivotal issue for Latino voters across the United States. This growing demographic is caught in a complex dynamic: they overwhelmingly support gun control, driven by the disproportionate impact of gun violence on their communities, yet they are increasingly purchasing firearms as a means of self-defense.
This urgency is echoed by activists like Phillip Gomez, a Berkeley student who founded the Latino Rifle Association in response to the 2019 El Paso shooting. "Latinos had been the target of a horrific terrorist attack by a white nationalist, and I knew that many Latinos were going to start exploring the prospect of armed self-defense," Gomez said in Berkeley Law interview. Concerned that traditional gun culture, symbolized by the National Rifle Association, was toxic and unsafe, Gomez created the LRA as a progressive, community-oriented alternative.
"We aren't interested in integrating with mainstream gun culture — we want to be a complete alternative to it," he emphasized. Gomez's initiative reflects a broader trend within the Latino community, where concerns about safety coexist with a strong desire for responsible gun ownership and gun control.
According to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, 81% of Latino immigrants believe restricting gun ownership is more important than protecting gun rights. However, this number drops to 65% among U.S.-born Latinos. The urgency of the issue is underscored by the alarming rates of gun violence in Hispanic communities.
Data from the Center for American Progress reveals that Hispanics are twice as likely to die from gun violence as their white counterparts. The CDC reports that between 1999 and 2020, nearly 75,000 Hispanic individuals lost their lives to gun violence, with violent homicides accounting for 60% of these deaths. This disparity has only grown in recent years, with gun-related deaths among Hispanics rising by 66% from 2014 to 2020.
In states like Texas, where Latinos make up over 40% of the population, the issue is particularly pressing. Texas has experienced some of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history, many of which have directly impacted Latino communities. The 2019 El Paso Walmart shooting, where a gunman specifically targeted Hispanics, and the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, which claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers, most of whom were Hispanic, are stark reminders of the threats posed by gun violence.
Latino leaders and organizations are pushing for more comprehensive gun control measures. UnidosUS, a prominent advocacy group, has called for stricter background checks, bans on assault weapons, and better mental health support to combat the crisis. These efforts align with the views of the majority of Latinos, particularly Latinas, 80% of whom support restrictions on gun ownership.
Young Latino voters, who will play a pivotal role in the upcoming elections, consistently rank gun violence prevention as one of their top concerns. The U.S. Surgeon General's recent declaration of gun violence as a public health crisis has further given momentum to the efforts to address the issue at both local and national levels.
As the 2024 elections draw nearer, candidates will likely need to address these concerns head-on if they hope to win the support of Latino voters, who are increasingly demanding action on gun violence to protect their communities.
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