This is a great book for anyone interested in Hispanic Republicans. At first glance, one might think that's it not possible, but it certainly is.

A very detailed and insightful look at the growing number of Republican Hispanics in the US. A lot of history and explanation of how the shift occurred and continues to do so.

It is a commonly held belief that most of the Hispanic vote in the near future will skew Democratic due to the Republican party adopting more restrictive policies on immigration, citizenship, and other areas of concern for Hispanic voters. Geraldo Cadava offers a more nuanced view in the Hispanic Republican. Despite its title, the book reads more like a history of the evolution of the Hispanic vote from the days of the New Deal to present—particularly covering the period from Eisenhower to Trump. Beginning with Eisenhower, Hispanics became more active in politics and a core group skewed Republican due to the parties stated values of hard work, individualism, and self-reliance among others.

Yet as this history illustrates, the Hispanic vote is not some giant monolith as illustrated by divisions between Mexicans, Cubans, and later Guatemalans, El Salvadorians, Nicaraguans, etc. Both parties have often had to compete for this diverse Hispanic vote. The Republicans from Nixon to Bush made consistent efforts by appointing Hispanics to prominent positions and taking hard lines on issues important to Hispanic voters. When Republicans didn’t (see Gerald Ford awkwardly eating a tamale for example) they paid for it.

In the Hispanic Republican, I think the ultimate lesson is that the Hispanic vote is just as unsettled as other aspects of American politics has become in the last decade or two and should not be taken for granted by either party. I think this a book that should be read by people who want to understand how political parties respond to the concerns of voters and how this response explains voting behavior.