Description

An NPR Best Book of 2024, *Defectors* is an in-depth examination by award-winning journalist Paola Ramos into the growing conservative shift among Latino voters and its potential impact on American politics.

For decades, Democrats have assumed steady support from Latino voters, but recent elections have challenged that belief. Despite his harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric and strict border policies, Donald Trump gained a larger share of the Latino vote in 2020 than in 2016. Ramos embarks on a journey across the country to understand why, speaking with Latino voters who support policies and candidates that may seem to run counter to their own interests.

Through compelling firsthand accounts, *Defectors* introduces readers to a diverse range of individuals shaping this movement, including unlikely GOP candidates, participants in the January 6th insurrection, Evangelical pastors, and cultural activists. Their stories reveal how traditionalism, tribalism, and political trauma within Latino communities have been leveraged to mobilize and radicalize voters—many of whom, like segments of the white electorate, fear losing their standing in American society.

Ramos profiles figures such as Monica de la Cruz, a Republican congresswoman from Texas who campaigned on completing Trump’s agenda and promoting the Great Replacement Theory; David Ortiz, a Mexican man who identifies as a Spaniard and fought against the removal of a conquistador statue in New Mexico; Luis Cabrera, an evangelical pastor advocating to “Make America Godly Again;” and Anthony Aguero, a journalist-turned-border vigilante. These voices, along with many others, illustrate the rise of conservative Latino influence in politics.

Deeply reported and richly cross-cultural, *Defectors* presents a nuanced look at an often misunderstood electorate, shedding light on how this growing political force could shape the future of the United States.