Politicians Encouraged To Learn Spanish, Not Just Fake It During Campaigns

John Gimenez attaches a flag to his vehicle during an event hosted by the Hispanic Federation to encourage voting in the Latino community Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Kissimmee, Fla. The Hispanic Federation is a non-partisan organization.

John Raoux / AP

The voting advocacy organization Voto Latino is calling on elected lawmakers to make a year-round effort to engage with Latino constituents. They’re also calling out those who make feeble attempts to speak to voters in Spanish.

“We want elected leaders to continue communicating with our community in the language that they speak and understand, but also with real frequency,” said Danny Friedman, the managing director of Voto Latino. “Our community is not simply a group to check off the list at campaign time.”

More than 40 million people who live in the U.S. speak Spanish at home, making it the second most spoken language in this country.