Politics

"Ask a Mexican" Columnist Thinks Mexicans Have Natural Libertarian Tendencies

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This week's syndicated "Ask a Mexican" column by Gustavo Arellano exhibits a bit of a "Libertarian Moment" moment, as he notes:

A 2014 Pew Hispanic Center survey showed that 11 percent of Latinos surveyed identified as libertarian—almost as many as gabachos! As I've been writing since you were in high school, Mexican immigrants from the countryside and their descendents (the majority of Mexicans in el Norte) are natural libertarians, what with their up-by-the-bootstraps mentality, skepticism toward government of any kind, hatred of police and love of liberty (let us play our tamborazo in the back yard and raise chickens in peace!)…

Arellano goes on to admit Mexicans tend to blunt that natural libertarian tendency with some social conservatism and old-fashioned social mores.

Arellano wrote a 2012 Reason cover story, "Taco USA".