The use of Spanish online soars among US politicians in election year

America’s political class is speaking, writing and tweeting more than ever in Spanish, either because of the growth of this language in the U.S. due to the demographic increase of the Hispanic minority, or because it is an election year. In a country with 63.7 million Hispanics (19.1% of the population) of whom 36.2 million have a date with the polls on November 5 (14.7% of the electorate, a historical record), the use of of Spanish in the Senate has soared in the last six years. If in 2018 there were 13 senators who used it in their digital communications with citizens, in 2024 there are 47 out of a total of 100. All this, despite the fact that only six senators are of Hispanic descent. This is one of the highlights of the report Spanish in U.S. Politics, carried out by the think tank The Hispanic Council and due to be officially presented on Tuesday. EL PAÍS is offering an advance preview of some of its main conclusions.

In the House of Representatives, according to the findings, 25.6% of its members use Spanish in their digital communications. That means 113 of out the total of 435 representatives. The figure is better understood if we consider that it represents an increase of 45% since 2018, when The Hispanic Council first began its research on the use of Spanish in American politics. In both chambers, the data reflects the use of Spanish either in posts on the social platform X or in the Spanish-language versions of the politicians’ official websites.

By party, the Democrats are in the lead in both chambers. In the Senate, 77% of Democrats (37) use Spanish in their digital communications, according to the study, compared with 16% of Republicans (8). According to the report, the senators who stand out the most for their use of Spanish are Bob Menéndez, a Democrat for New Jersey; Mike Lee, a Republican for Utah; and Patty Murray, a Democrat for Washington.

In the House, the number of Democrats who use Spanish has risen from 50 to 92 in six years and they now represent 43% of the Democratic representatives. Among Republicans, the figure has increased from 10 to 21. The report says that the representatives who stand out the most for their use of Spanish in their digital communications are Jesús ‘Chuy’ García, a Democrat representing Illinois; Nanette Barragán, a Democrat for California, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat for New York.

Looking ahead to the presidential election, The Hispanic Council points out that “the Hispanic vote is not homogeneous, on the contrary, it is increasingly diverse,” although traditionally voters have leaned towards the Democratic Party. The researchers note that in the year 2000 Hispanics played “a decisive role in George W. Bush’s victory.” The report also points out that “the gap between the Democratic and Republican votes among Hispanics is narrowing.” However, looking at the figures, only 56% of Hispanics in the country can vote, due partly to the fact that it is a young age group (30% are under 18 years old) and partly to the fact that there are 20% who are not U.S. citizens. Another unknown factor for November 5, according to this think tank, is what the turnout rate of the Hispanic community will be.

Republicans are currently in control of the House with 218 representatives over the Democrats’ 213 (in addition there are four vacant seats due to the resignation of Republican lawmakers). The Democrats control the Senate with 51 members (48 from the party plus three independents) compared to 49 Republicans.

Two centuries have elapsed since the first Hispanic politician set foot in the U.S. Congress. It was Joseph Marion Hernández, in 1822, as a representative of Florida. However, it was not until “the 1950s when the Hispanic community began to enjoy a stable presence in the country’s politics.”

Regarding the presence of Spanish at the national level, the study is optimistic for several reasons, including the fact that “there are nine million students learning Spanish in the United States.” Furthermore, citing the Census Bureau, out of a total population of 336 million, 43 million (13% of the population) “speak Spanish at home.” The study also notes that the states with the highest percentage of Hispanics are New Mexico, where they represent 50% of the population, and Texas and California, where they are close to 40%.

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