MLK less influential on Latinos than Black Americans, poll shows

A smaller percentage of Latinos than Black Americans say their personal views on racial equality have been shaped by the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., according to a new survey.

Why it matters: This month marks the 60th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial. But how it's remembered depends on race and generation, a Pew Research Center survey out this week shows.

By the numbers: Only 38% of Hispanic respondents say they've been influenced a great deal or a fair amount by King Jr.'s legacy, compared to 59% of Black respondents, according to the survey.

• Only 34% of white respondents and Asian Americans said they were influenced a great deal by King.
• 25% of Hispanics said King had little or no influence on their views of racial equality.
• That's nearly the same percentage of white respondents (26%). Just 11% of Black respondents said King had little or no influence on their views of racial equality.

The big picture: The survey findings aren't surprising when considering how invisible Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans were to the general population in 1963, Lisa Ramos, an associate history professor at San Antonio College, told Axios.

• Few Latinos were involved in civil rights with Black Americans on the national stage, although Mexican Americans and Black leaders were working together in cities like Los Angeles and Houston, she said.
• In addition, a significant portion of the Latino population today traces its origins in the U.S. to after the passage of a 1965 immigration bill, which greatly expanded migration from Latin America.
• The U.S. Latino population grew from less than 4% in 1960 to nearly 19% today.

The intrigue: The median age for Latinos in the U.S. is 29.8, nearly nine years lower than the median age for the entire U.S. population — 38.5.

• That could play a role in how Latinos view King's legacy since younger generations say they are less influenced by the civil rights leader.
• The same survey found that percentage of Americans who say they've read or heard a great deal about the King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech decreases among younger generations of adults.

The intrigue: The median age for Latinos in the U.S. is 29.8, nearly nine years lower than the median age for the entire U.S. population — 38.5.

• That could play a role in how Latinos view King's legacy since younger generations say they are less influenced by the civil rights leader.
• The same survey found that percentage of Americans who say they've read or heard a great deal about the King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech decreases among younger generations of adults.

The bottom line: King's meaning varies among different racial and ethnic groups and his words are often manipulated to fit one's contemporary political views, Hajar Yazdiha, author of "The Struggle for the People's King: How Politics Transforms the Memory of the Civil Rights Movement," tells Axios.

• Latinos are no different, even if they are less influenced by King.

Methodology: The Pew Research Center survey of 5,073 U.S. adults was conducted April 10-16, 2023, using the Center's American Trends Panel.

• The margin of sampling error is +/- 1.7 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample.

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