Hispanics are rapidly becoming one of the most influential groups in American politics. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, they make up 16.3 percent of the total population and have become increasingly active in elections. Although Hispanics have tended to vote Democratic, their strong commitment to traditional values, families, and religion and their remarkable self-reliance makes them a powerful swing vote in any election.
Heritage Libertad, our Spanish-language division, recently published a Spanish version of Matthew Spalding’s essay on American exceptionalism, thereby making America’s founding principles more accessible to Hispanics who prefer to read in their native tongue. In the essay, Spalding defines American exceptionalism in terms of the Declaration of Independence’s commitment to universal truths: “Unlike any other nation, America is dedicated to the principles of human liberty, grounded on the truths that all men are created equal and endowed with equal rights.”
Although Heritage’s translation is significant in its own right, it also shows how America’s founding principles apply to all Americans no matter what language they speak. More importantly, “¿Por qué es América excepcional?” is an invitation for these natural conservatives to participate even more in our political discourse as a nation.
¡Adelante!
Sam Sheetz is currently a member of the Young Leaders Program at the Heritage Foundation. For more information on interning at Heritage, please visit: http://www.heritage.org/about/internships-young-leaders/the-heritage-foundation-internship-program