The number of Latino registered voters in Georgia almost doubled from Millennials, born 1981-1996, to Generation Z, born 1997-2012, the largest increase of any racial demographic in data that includes all registered Georgia voters.
Miguel Martínez, a 21-year-old Latino student at the University of Georgia and a registered voter, registered as soon as he turned 18 and tries to vote in every election, he said.
“I come from a family of immigrants, and so I’m their eyes and I’m their voice,” he said. “If I’m not doing my due diligence, then what am I doing?”
Martínez said immigration status affects many Latino people’s ability to vote, but Gen Z is often the first generation to be eligible in their family.
“I think after [Trump] was put in office, a lot of Latinos were also affected by the policies he brought in … people started getting deported, visas started becoming more expensive and less frequent,” Martínez said. “People started hurting from these things … and I think that’s a big reason why people shifted to knowing they can vote and create some type of impact.”
The increase could be a result of those negative impacts, he said, but he said that could be a worrying cycle and people need to register regardless of the political climate.
“For our generation specifically, a lot of us are the eyes and voices of our parents because for so long, they’ve been afraid to speak up,” he said. “And I think now that we have the voice and power to do something about that, I mean, while it might not be instant, the people in front of us are the ones to be affected, right?”
Evan Frilingos is a junior majoring in journalism with a minor in anthropology at the University of Georgia.
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