Podcast Episode 1: Latinos and the Iowa Caucuses, part one

By Victor Landa, NewsTaco

Latinos are 5 percent of the population in Iowa, that’s a given.

Iowa Latinos have never gotten attention from presidential candidates or the media because of their relatively small size, that’s another truth.

But this year the presidential campaigns from both parties and mainstream media from across the country seem to have discovered Latinos. It’s important now to know who they  are, where they live and who they’ll vote for because 5 percent in a neck-and-neck race can make a decisive difference.

It’s as if everyone has discovered Iowa Latinos, even though they’ve been there since the early 1900’s, if not before.

I’m launching what I hope will be a two-part conversation with people who are “on the ground” in Iowa, working to get the Latino community to participate in the presidential caucuses on February 1.

This is part one. You’ll get a little history of Latinos in Iowa and a lot of insight into what’s being done to motivate and mobilize Latino voters. And yes, it’s an election, so you’ll hear some political stumpin’ along the way.

I talked to Maria Bribiesco, State Deputy Director of LULAC in Iowa, as well as Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Sanders surrogate and Erika Andiola. a senior advisor with the Sanders campaign.

Part 2 is coming soon, I’ll let you know when it’s done.