Much of progressives’ post-election attention has been centered on how Latinos voted in states like Florida and Texas. There’s been less of an interest in the Latino vote in Arizona and Wisconsin—yes, Wisconsin—where Latino voters helped propel Democrats to victory.
Wisconsin is probably the last place most people would think of when they hear of a Latino and immigrant-centric grassroots, right? After all, it’s the land of dairy farms, Paul Ryan, and the Green Bay Packers, not Latino immigrants.
Well not quite.
While it is certainly not as large as, say, California, Wisconsin has a robust Latino population and is home to one of the most effective immigrants’ rights groups in the country.
Voces de la Frontera is a membership-community organization that focuses on immigrant, Latino, and workers’ rights. Originally founded as a newspaper in Texas, Voces de la Frontera, which translates to Voices from the Border, moved to Wisconsin in 2000 and eventually transformed into a grassroots nonprofit advocacy group.
While it may seem odd for an immigrants’ rights group to be based in Wisconsin—a state that is geographically much closer to the Canadian border than the Mexican one—it actually points to the growing trend of new Latino communities emerging throughout the U.S.
It’s true that the largest Latino populations in the country are found in California, Texas, Florida, and New York. However, according to a study by the Pew Research Center, many states like North and South Dakota, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Louisiana have all seen a dramatic increase in their Latino population. Between 2000 and 2014, the Latino population of South Dakota grew a whopping 190 percent.
These growing Latino communities often rely on grassroots to help advocate for their rights. Such is the case with Voces de la Frontera.
Latino workers in America’s dairy capital
Voces de la Frontera’s central goal is organizing and defending immigrant workers. They have Workers’ Centers in Milwaukee and Racine — both of which offer legal clinics — ‘Know Your Rights’ training, English classes, and bilingual Citizenship classes. Additionally, Voces de la Frontera campaigns for various civil rights and social justice issues, including paths to citizenship for immigrants, advancing workers’ rights, deportation defense, and Get Out the Vote campaigns. Voces de la Frontera has a total of 10 chapters throughout Wisconsin.
They’ve advocated for legislation to provide driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, successfully beat back an anti-sanctuary bill, and helped pressure Sheriff David Clarke to resign from his post.
One of their most successful strategies is their Day Without Latinos strikes. In 2016, Voces de la Frontera organized a large-scale Day Without Latinos and Immigrants strike in an attempt to stop Wisconsin Republicans from passing legislation that would ban sanctuary cities. According to Voces de la Frontera’s website, they were able to spread the word about the strike “through Spanish language media, through flyering at churches and community spaces, and through word of mouth.” The Wisconsin Senate elected not to pass the bill.
For their work, The Nation named Voces de la Frontera’s strikes the “Most Valuable Strategy “of 2016.
Additionally, Voces de la Frontera is also looking to mobilize Latino voters in Wisconsin. In an interview with Our Issues Milwaukee’s Andrea Williams, Voces de la Frontera’s Founder and Executive Director, Christine Neumann-Ortiz said, “There are now 29,000 newly-naturalized immigrants since 2016 that will be eligible to vote in November. We have 23,000 Latino youth who will be able to vote for the first time in November.”
Voces de la Frontera has mounted numerous voter outreach campaigns, including their Voceros por el Voto (”Spokespeople for the Vote”) campaign, which they launched through their 501(c)4 arm, Voces de la Frontera Action. Voceros (”spokespeople”) recruit family, friends, and neighbors to vote for pro-immigrant and pro-worker candidates. Voceros do not need to be eligible to vote to help inform and mobilize voters.
But while Voces de la Frontera is certainly interested in advancing immigrant and Latino rights, they are allied with numerous other progressive causes. According to The Nation, Voces de la Frontera has worked with antiwar and LGBT rights groups while also helping to defend public workers and teachers.
“We are the largest Latino-based organization, but we are multi-racial, especially our Youth arm,” said Neumann-Ortiz. “We see linking those struggles as very key.”
“We have always seen the struggle for immigrant rights as a larger struggle of labor rights in this country, as racial justice, so it’s very much informed the alliances we’ve formed and our understanding of what we’re up against and what it takes to change it,” she added.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, most of Voces de la Frontera’s funding comes from contributions and fundraising. In 2018, their total revenue was $854,513, down from 2017’s $966,565. They have received funding from the Baumann Foundation, the Edward W. Hazen Foundation, and Forward Community Investments.
Its c4 arm, Voces de la Frontera Action, had a total revenue of $459,208 in 2018, up from 2017’s $17,951.
In 2012, The Nation named Voces de la Frontera the “most valuable grassroots organization in the U.S.” They’ve also partnered with the United Steelworkers, won the endorsement of the AFL-CIO, and recently were awarded National Education Association’s 2020 Cesar Chavez Accion y Compromiso Human and Civil Rights Award.
Voces de la Frontera’s intersectional approach to change is part of a growing consensus among Progressive activists that the key to success is working together, rather than focusing on one single issue.
“It’s also about not looking at it as an individual,” explained Neumann-Ortiz, “but that we’re part of a larger movement for social justice.”
As the Latino population in the U.S. continues to grow and expand geographically, alliances will become a crucial tool in effecting long-lasting and significant change.
Wisconsin helps lead Democrats to victory
The news came around midday on Nov. 4, just one day after the election: The Associated Press had called Wisconsin for Joe Biden.
While the final numbers aren’t out yet, it’s safe to say that Latinos played a key role in Biden’s Wisconsin win.
In a virtual press conference with other Wisconsin organizers, a jubilant Neumann-Ortiz said, “We did it. It almost seems surreal now.”
Neumman-Ortiz highlighted some key statistics: The Latino voter turnout in Wisconsin for the 2020 election was 74%. Approximately 135,000 Latinos turned out to vote. For reference, in 2016, the Latino voter turnout was 46.7%, down 5.8 from the 2012 election.
Additionally, a report by Milwaukee’s TMJ4 News found that Trump won Wisconsin by 22,748 votes in 2016. In 2020, he lost by 20,539. That’s a swing of over 43,000 votes.
“We know that in Wisconsin, with the margin so thin, that the Latino vote as new and infrequent voters is gonna be a critical part of that winning margin,” said Neumann-Ortiz. She added, “So this was a historic turnout.”
Shortly after Wisconsin was called for Biden, Neumann-Ortiz spoke at a post-election press conference with Indivisible Wisconsin and Leaders Ignited in Transformation.
There, she said, “I also am very, very proud and inspired of the participation, of the historic turnout and organizing of many new Latinx voters, many of whom are naturalized U.S. citizens voting for the first time.”
During the virtual press conference, Neumann-Ortiz credited Latinas for their work in mobilizing voters. “Latina voters, both in Wisconsin and nationally, are a key progressive voting bloc… they are undoubtedly a force, a progressive force that needs to be continued to be recognized for the leadership that they have in engaging their families, their community.”
Perhaps even more importantly, she pointed out that it was years of grassroots organizing in states like Arizona and Wisconsin led to these crucial victories.
“We know that this voting bloc that has been created, which represents people of color, Latinos and youth here in Wisconsin is also true nationally, where we see a new coalition — a progressive voting coalition — that is making a difference in these swing states, because there’s been years of organizing that’s been going on outside of elections and during elections that are engaging people meaningfully.”
As other statewide grassroots groups—like Arizona’s LUCHA—have pointed out, if Democrats want to win, they must work with these groups who know and understand local Latino voters and their needs.
Neumann-Ortiz added, “There’s been a legacy of organizing and engagement coming out of the anti-immigrant politics of like Sheriff Arpaio and those kind of harsh anti-immigrant policies. So there’s been an awakening... of the Latino community in particular, as part of this voting bloc.”
“Wisconsin,” she said “delivered a very badly needed change.”
