Latino voters are a growing force in Pennsylvania’s old industrial towns − and they could provide Harris or Trump with their margin of victory

Puerto Ricans make up over half of the Latino population in Pennsylvania. Lisa Lake via Getty Images by A. K. Sandoval-Strausz, Penn State After Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president in early September 2024, posting a message to her 284 million fans on Instagram, some Democratic strategists suggested that an endorsement from Puerto Rican recording artist Bad Bunny could do more to sway the election – particularly in the key swing state of Pennsylvania, which is home to about 300,000 eligible Puerto Rican voters. But when many Americans think of Pennsylvania’s deindustrialized eastern counties – including presidential bellwethers such as Northampton – they may think more of Billy Joel’s “Allentown” than Bad Bunny’s “Una Velita,” a song about the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. As a professor of history and director of Latina/o Studies at Penn State, I think that both entertainers – the legendary singer-songwriter and the Grammy-winning titan of reggaeton and trap – can help explain the political terrain in the Keystone State, which is widely viewed as the battleground that will determine the next president. Bad Bunny hasn’t shied away from politics in Puerto Rico, raising hopes he may endorse a candidate in the presidential race. Frazer...