In their coverage of the 2016 presidential debates, national media outlets could take a cue from the University of Nevada's student news publication, The Nevada Sagebrush, which recently highlighted how the media often pigeonhole the Latino vote as a single-issue constituency concerned only with immigration, and consequently overlook the many other issues that keep Latinos away from the polls on Election Day.

CNN will broadcast the first Democratic presidential debate October 13. Media figures are predicting that “immigration could be a major issue” in the debate, given the large Latino population in Nevada, where the debate will take place, and the growing importance of winning the Latino vote for presidential candidates. The media has a long track record of portraying the Latino vote as mostly concerned with the single-issue of immigration, despite the fact that recent polls have shown that Latino voters identify education, the economy, and health care as the issues they are actually most concerned with.

In an October 13 article for The Nevada Sagebrush, Ali Schultz illustrated why the media, and presidential candidates, should not treat immigration as the only issue of interest to Latino voters, arguing, “It is high time politicians recognize that the Latino population is as diverse as it is large, and it cannot and should not be pigeonholed as a single-issue constituency.” Schultz wrote, “If politicians truly want Latinos to vote for them, they should start by addressing the circumstances that prevent individuals from many groups from going to the polls,” citing education, income inequality, voter ID laws, and criminal justice. According to Schultz (emphasis added):

While immigration is indeed a complex and far-reaching problem that must be addressed, the use of immigration policy as an attempt to pander to Latino voters needs to stop. It is high time politicians recognize that the Latino population is as diverse as it is large, and it cannot and should not be pigeonholed as a single-issue constituency.

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The diversity of people we classify under a broad term makes it difficult, almost impossible, to unify their varied social and political interests into a single platform addressing a single issue. Doing so not only disparages the cultural differences among Latinos but also serves to alienate the 64.4 percent of Latinos the Census Bureau reports are native citizens as of 2012.

Focusing on immigration reform as a way to win over Latino voters also presents a larger problem:-- non-Latino politicians effectively deciding what matters to Latino voters.

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If politicians truly want Latinos to vote for them, they should start by addressing the circumstances that prevent individuals from many groups from going to the polls.

A vast array of political research strongly suggests that the more educated and wealthy an individual is, the more likely they are to be politically engaged. Given this research, it is little surprise that Latinos vote at such low rates.

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The research does not lie; the Latino population is one at a distinct disadvantage in terms of education and income. Ignoring this information and shoving all Latinos into a stereotyped category is not only a disgraceful insult, it is also perpetuating the inequalities that make it more difficult for any group to achieve educational and socioeconomic advancement.