From The Conversation · Diana Orcés · · 3m
Hispanic Americans losing faith in the American dream
Immigration enforcement and declining national pride are eroding Hispanic Americans' belief that hard work leads to success.
In brief
Immigration enforcement and declining national pride are eroding Hispanic Americans' belief that hard work leads to success. Hispanic Americans across all political affiliations are losing faith in the American dream, driven by immigration policies and concerns about belonging rather than party affiliation. Originally…
Trump gains ground with Hispanic voters
Donald Trump received 43% of the Hispanic vote in 2024, up from 35% in 2020. This represents a significant Republican advance among Hispanic voters.
ICE arrests and shootings escalate
Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests of people without criminal records are rising. Federal agents have shot nearly two dozen people, mostly Latino, including Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero who died in Texas and Maine.
Faith in the dream is fading fast
Only 40% of Hispanic Americans now believe the American dream is real, down from 52% just two years ago. The dream is the belief that hard work leads to getting ahead.
Immigration views trump party lines
Opinions about Trump's immigration handling, national pride, and concerns about democratic rights are strongly linked to losing faith in the dream. Surprisingly, political party affiliation is not.
Republicans gain but lose ground on immigration
Hispanic Republican identification doubled from 10% in 2013 to 21% in 2025. Yet approval of Trump's immigration handling dropped from 31% in 2025 to 19% in 2026.
Most fear ICE makes communities less safe
68% of Hispanic Americans believe increased ICE agents are making communities less safe. This perception could determine whether Republicans hold their recent electoral gains in November 2026.
National pride plummets among Hispanics
Only 42% of Hispanic Americans feel extremely or very proud to be American, down from 51% overall. Among Hispanics, pride dropped from 77% in 2013 to 42% today. 56% now feel like strangers in their own country.
“56% now feel like strangers in their own country”
Voter ID laws create democratic anxiety
Latino citizens already face disproportionate barriers from strict voter ID requirements. Misinformation about noncitizen voting and the proposed SAVE America Act could further suppress Hispanic voter participation.
Language reveals different perspectives
Hispanic respondents who took the survey in Spanish were more likely to believe the American dream is real than those who took it in English. They may be comparing opportunities in the US to their countries of origin.
One in five Americans is Hispanic
When a growing segment of American society doubts that hard work brings opportunity, citizenship provides safety, or participation brings acceptance, the consequences extend beyond November's elections to democracy itself.
The main idea
Hispanic Americans across all political affiliations are losing faith in the American dream, driven by immigration policies and concerns about belonging rather than party affiliation.
