Gallup: Hispanics, Immigrant and Native-born, More likely to be Democrats

New polling data from Gallup shows that Hispanics, both those born inside U.S. and immigrants, are exponentially more likely to be Democrats than Republicans. In fact, the data show that as Hispanics become more integrated intoAmerican society (i.e., they and both their parents are born inAmerica) they become more likely to be strong supporters of theDemocratic Party, and opposed to the GOP with an ever-shrinking margin of independents.

Hispanics who were born in the U.S. with both of their parents born in the U.S. support Democrats 64 percent to 30 percent of Republicans, and 6 percent identify as independent. Hispanics who were born in the U.S. with one of their parents born in the U.S. support Democrats by 57 percent to 34 percent Republicans, while 6 percent are independent. Hispanics born outside the U.S. similarly support Democrats 57 percent, Republicans 25 percent and are 16 percent independent.

“Hispanics in the U.S. identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party over the Republican Party by about a 2-to-1 margin, regardless of whether they were U.S.-born,” Gallup’s Frank Newport and Joy Wilke wrote in explaining the data. “Hispanics born outside the U.S. do have slightly less attachment to either party, and are more likely to be politically independent, but these differences do little to alter the basic underlying advantage Democrats enjoy across the entire Hispanic population.”

Hispanics born outside America also approve of President Barack Obama’s job performance at a substantially higher rate than anyone else, 79 percent approve to 17 percent who disapprove. Hispanics who were born in the U.S. with both of their parents born in the U.S. approve of Obama 59 percent to 39 percent who disapprove. Hispanics who were born in the U.S. with one of their parents born in the U.S. approve of Obama at a 60 percent rate to 33 percent who disapprove.

Gallup’s Newport and Wilke point out at their end of their piece that current GOP establishment tactics of just waiting for Hispanics to assimilate will not prove fruitful for the party, either. “This significant Democratic advantage among Hispanics, regardless of whether they are U.S.-born or immigrants, suggests that simply waiting for Hispanics to assimilate will not be a successful strategy for Republicans hoping to capture a greater percentage of the Hispanic vote,” they wrote.