SAN DIEGO — Que pasa with Latino voters?

I can't shake that question. Just when I thought I had moved on, a curious public pulls me back in.

It's been a little more than three weeks since America's largest minority shook up the political world by helping reelect Donald Trump, whose first term was ironically marred by outbursts of anti-Latino racism.

In the 2024 presidential election, nearly half of Latinos (46%) voted for Trump. The percentage was even higher (55%) among Latino men. That's a bizarre turn of events for a constituency that was, just 20 years ago, considered a loyal part of the Democratic base.

Pundits and political observers — some of whom only recently discovered Latinos — are scratching their heads.

One of them is a radio host in South Texas, who recently put to me an interesting question.

"What were Latinos saying in this election?" he asked.

It is perhaps better to ask: What were Latinos saying in this election... to each of the major political parties?

First, I don't speak for the more than 62 million Latinos in the United States or even the estimated 16 million who turned out to vote in this year's election. But, unlike politicians in both parties, I listen real good when they speak to me. And it gives me something to share with you.

To Democrats, Latinos were saying this: "You like to think that you're talking to us. But what you're really doing is talking at us. Stop that. And start listening. Instead of being condescending, try being courteous and curious. Ask us what we want, and then tell us how you're going to deliver it.

"Ratchet down the 'woke,' and you can start by striking the word 'Latinx' from your vocabulary. While it might be popular with white liberals in New England, we never asked for it. Stop taking our votes for granted, neglecting our community and approaching us with the same blueprint you use for Black voters.

"You should know that we value three things above all else: family, work and respect. Failed economic policies made it difficult for us to support our families. We expect you to work hard for our votes. And we insist that you show us respect by not treating our support like an entitlement — so much so that, when you don't get what think you deserve, you attack us as uninformed, unintelligent or ungrateful.

"Given that a majority of Latinos have supported every Democratic presidential candidate since John F. Kennedy in 1960 — even the terrible ones — we expect more from you than scare tactics intended to keep us from voting for Republicans. Until you figure this out, and resolve to try harder, half of us will defect to the GOP — whether it deserves our support or not. And we both know it doesn't."

Meanwhile, to Republicans, Latinos were saying this: "Don't get carried away or jump to conclusions. And don't get ahead of yourselves. We've had a nice first date. But we're not getting married. We need to know you better, especially since a lot of what we've seen from you over the years was obnoxious and odious. Like the rank nativism that often guides your take on immigration, including how some Republicans rile up white people by scapegoating Latinos for all societal ills.

"We might agree with your stance on issues like crime, national security or the economy. We might even support your position on getting tough on the U.S.-Mexico border, but we are reluctant to go along with attacks on immigrants themselves. Since many of us come with immigrant families, we are crystal clear about how hard foreigners work at jobs that Americans don't want. Tread carefully. Criticize the policies, but lay off the migrants.

"Again, this is not a permanent realignment. After all, we've had some nice Republican suitors before. Ronald Reagan got 40% of the Latino vote in 1984, and George W. Bush got 44% in 2004. And now Trump has received 46%. Every 20 years, a Republican hits the jackpot with Latinos. But in all those elections in between, Latinos voted overwhelmingly for Democrats. That pattern is likely to continue. About half of us like Trump. A lot. But that doesn't mean our support is transferable to the next Tom, Dick or JD who comes along."

That's what Latinos were conveying in this election, and they said it loud and clear. All the parties need to do is pay attention. Unfortunately, that is not their strong suit.

To find out more about Ruben Navarrette and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Elijah Merrell at Unsplash