KANSAS CITY, Mo. — President-elect Donald Trump won the majority of Latino men's votes.
This year, Trump won 54% of Latino men's votes — 18 points more than the 36% share he won four years earlier, according to Edison Research.
Oscar Hiciano lives in Independence and says he previously voted for Democrats.
However, according to him, his general values don’t align with the Democratic party anymore.
"I don't agree that abortion is women's health," Hiciano said. "There's not one thing that they run on this campaign that I said, 'Yes, they're right.'"
The economy and immigration are some of the reasons he chose to vote for Trump this year.
"If you cross the border — when you jump the fence or walk through the fence — however you get you got here, you knew if you get caught, you're going to be sent back," Hiciano said.
Hiciano came from the Dominican Republic 25 years ago to live his American dream.
He's been a U.S. citizen since 2007, but admits that at some point, he overstayed his visa.
"If for any reason immigration decided that I needed to go, there was no point in what I would have said, 'Oh, the evil people — they sent me back,' because I knew the rules," he said.
Edgar Palacios, founder and president of Latinx Education Collaborative, an organization focused on Latino representation and education, weighed in on Trump earning more Latino votes.
"The more removed you are from those issues, the more that you've integrated and assimilated into American culture, which means that may not be your leading issue," Palacios said.
Palacios says financial stability is one of the causes of the Latino men's vote shift.
"It seems like the economic stability was a big concern, making sure that we have jobs and lower gas prices," he said.
Palacios says it's important not to generalize.
"We still have diverse opinions, and we have diverse backgrounds and places that we come from and cultural beliefs and whatnot," Palacios said. "We have to understand that Latinos are not just one thing, we are many. Those who spend time getting to know our community, understanding the issues, and spending resources with us are going to see favorable results."
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