Defectors

The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America

By: Paola Ramos

Narrated by: Victoria Villarreal

AN NPR BEST BOOK OF 2024 • An award-winning journalist's exploration of how race, identity and political trauma have influenced the rise in far-right sentiment among Latinos, and how this group can shape American politics

“A deeply reported, surprisingly personal exploration of a phenomenon that is little understood in our politics: the affiliation of Latino voters with causes and candidates that would seem, at first glance, unwelcoming to them." —Rachel Maddow

Democrats have historically assumed they can rely on the Latino vote, but recent elections have called that loyalty into question. In fact, despite his vociferous anti-immigrant rhetoric and disastrous border policies, Trump won a higher percentage of the Latino vote in 2020 than he did in 2016. Now, journalist Paola Ramos pulls back the curtain on these voters, traveling around the country to uncover what motivates them to vote for and support issues that seem so at odds with their self-interest.

From coast to coast, cities to rural towns, Defectors introduces readers to underdog GOP candidates, January 6th insurrectionists, Evangelical pastors and culture war crusaders, aiming to identify the influences at the heart of this rightward shift. Through their stories, Ramos shows how tribalism, traditionalism, and political trauma within the Latino community has been weaponized to radicalize and convert voters who, like many of their white counterparts, are fearful of losing their place in American society.

We meet Monica de la Cruz, a Republican congresswoman from the Rio Grande Valley who won on a platform centered on finishing “what Donald Trump started” and pushing the Great Replacement Theory; David Ortiz, a Mexican man who refers to himself as a Spaniard and opposed the removal of a statue of a Spanish conquistador in New Mexico; Luis Cabrera, an evangelical pastor pushing to “Make America Godly Again;” Anthony Aguero, an independent journalist turned border vigilante; and countless other individuals and communities that make up the rising conservative Latino population. Cross-cultural and assiduously reported, Defectors highlights how one of America's most powerful and misunderstood electorates may come to define the future of American politics.

Respect

One of the best reads for me this year. Pao just wow, the interviews conducted were done with such grace and respect. You have a forever follower.

The mystery is finally solved

I have always been curious about why would some minorities support a party that is against them and this book gave me a clear answer.
Although the author has a different view to most of her interviewees, she never dehumanized them and treated them with respect. I love that.

Fantastic

This is a must read for anyone and everyone curious about how we got to where we are.

I recognize people, friends and family, in her book.

As I read this book, I recognized friends, family, and acquaintances within the stories she tells. I already had a sense of why and how so many Latinos have shifted toward the extreme right, but the way Ramos lays it out—so clearly and compellingly—helped me see the patterns more vividly. She captures not just the shift to the extreme right, but the emotional and cultural forces driving it.

I only wish this book had been written 10 years ago. Maybe then, some of those friends, family, and acquaintances could have been saved from falling down this path.

Excellent overview of why so many Latinos are joining the far right

I loved her journalistic lens where she interviewed Latino Trump voters and learned more about why they are voting for someone who essentially wants to deport them. A very nuanced book.