The end of the rainbow?

Last month, Donald Trump reportedly received the highest percentage of the Latino vote of any Republican presidential candidate in history. This was crucial in propelling him back into the White House. Whereas President Biden had a significant advantage with Hispanic voters over Trump in the 2020 election, the latter had a double-digit increase in such support this year. As a result, many people have opined regarding the apparent fracturing of the Democrats’ once-reliable multiracial coalition. In particular, there is a growing concern regarding whether African Americans and Hispanics are moving apart politically. Indeed, some observers are even suggesting that the notion of “people of color” as a social and political construct is a relic of a not-too-distant (but nonetheless bygone) era. As the racial breakdown of the election has come in sharper focus, consternation has arisen among many African Americans — who overwhelmingly view the once and future President as someone who is inimical to their interests. In fact, it is not hyperbolic to say that, in some quarters of Black America, there is a sense that Hispanics “betrayed” them. While it is difficult to ascertain how widespread or enduring this gulf is, its existence is undeniable. This is a...