Disaggregating the Latina/o/x “umbrella”: The political attitudes of US Colombians

Although scholars theoretically acknowledge the diversity of the Latina/o/x vote, few studies have investigated similarities or differences beyond those of the largest Latina/o/x groups. To better understand the nuance of the Latina/o/x vote, this article examines the political preferences of Colombian Americans relative to those of other Latina/o/x subgroups in the United States. We pool data from six surveys of Latinas/os/xs during the 2016 presidential election to construct the first and largest nationally representative sample of US Colombians. Our findings highlight many similarities between Colombian Americans and other Latinas/os/xs, including partisan affiliation and likelihood of voting. At the same time, there are differences in support for individual political candidates, which suggests that important sources of heterogeneity are present within the Latina/o/x vote. Although the concept of the “Latina/o/x vote” holds ground because of the commonalities shared by subgroups under this umbrella, the notable differences warrant careful analysis and consideration.