Media Stereotypes and the Invisible Latino 'Nones' (No religious affiliation)

[Lost-in-FL]

First, I do not know how old is this article -however, it points to a very recent phenomenon that has been ignored in America (and even in the Latino community). This trend, as the author points out, is the growing secular latino segment. This segment is believed to be "silently" changing the political landscape of a community. It is "silent" only because the media (both mainstream and Latino) has managed to ignore the growth on this segment and thus continues to push forward highly stereotyped images about Latinos "being pious" and "voting predominantly republican".

The US Latino community is changing, and this change is affecting the overall political environment of the overall United States being that Latinos are one of the fastest growing communities in the United States.

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http://secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=fi&page=latino_nones


... "Nones" are affecting Latinos' political leanings. ARIS 2008 shows that Latino Nones are five times more likely to prefer the Democratic Party over the Republican Party and have become more pro-Democratic over time. This may explain why Latinos have leaned more Democratic in recent elections: the fastest-growing segment of the Latino population is becoming more pro-Democratic...

...though Latino Nones (including atheists and/or agnostics) are all around us, they are hard to find. Latino Nones are less likely to attend religious services, more likely to have graduated from college, and more likely to speak English. Latino Nones, especially atheists and agnostics, are invisible in American society because they do not fit the stereotype of the poorly educated, Spanish-speaking religious fanatic. The normalcy of Latino Nones is their greatest liability and the driving force of their invisibility. They don't have crucifixes hanging from their necks or Bibles under their arms. Instead, they study, work, and live their own lives. As such, the media ignores them because they are not exotic or interesting. Yet, Latino Nones are not only invisible in their own country and its mainstream media; they are also invisible within their own community...

...Latino Nones have to live in a dual world without being acknowledged in either one. In the mainstream world, Latino Nones do not pass the “exoticism” test; they are not “Latin” enough. In the Latino world, Nones defy the self-image of the whole group; there, too, they are not “Latin” enough. In both cases, an important part of the Latino narrative has to do with paying lip service to the supernatural, something Latino Nones are less willing to do. Yet, little by little, Latino Nones—like the rest of American Nones—are shaping America and their own communities' future. Will anyone notice?

[DavidDvorkin]

1. They'll have to be noticed eventually

They're in the same position now that atheists were in general in the US until recently. Now, thanks to a coming-out movement that's gathering steam, atheists are ever harder to ignore.