How Latinidad is Transforming America
Luis A. Miranda Jr., author of "Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That is Transforming America.” Photo courtesy of Luis A. Miranda Jr.
A new memoir by the father of entertainment superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda offers an authentic take on the political power of U.S. Latinos.
In the foreword to “Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That is Transforming America,” Lin-Manuel Miranda — of “Hamilton,” “Moana,” and “Encanto,” fame — writes that Luis A. Miranda Jr.’s new memoir truly reflects his father’s inimitable personality. “In his typical overachieving fashion, Luis has really written three books,” the multi-award-winning songwriter, actor, producer and director states.
“There is his life story,” Lin-Manuel explains, describing how the memoir takes Luis from a small town in Puerto Rico to 1970s New York, where he finds love, creates an extraordinary family dynamic, and achieves national acclaim as the co-founder of MirRam, one of the top Latino political consulting firms in the United States. The second book, according to his son, is about the growing political power of Latinos from various countries uniting and finding common cause in New York and across the country.
“From there emerges a third book, an indispensable political handbook on the ‘Latino voter,’” Lin-Manuel continues. “(It’s) the most prized and mysterious growing electorate, a favorite topic of political pundits everywhere.”
In an election year like no other — in which strategists are frantically trying to determine how to persuade voters of every type — 2024 seems to be the perfect moment for this memoir’s release.
palabra recently sat down with Luis Miranda, for a lively, informative and wide-ranging conversation about Latino political potential, what voters should be doing between now and Election Day, his thoughts on Lin-Manuel’s success, and the power of la familia.
The questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
"Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That is Transforming America," by Luis A. Miranda Jr. with Richard Wolffe, Hachette Books, 2024. Image courtesy of Luis A. Miranda Jr.
palabra: Let’s begin with the title: I understand the part about you being relentless, but tell us how Latinos are transforming the United States.
Miranda: Three main things are happening with our community: (It’s) growing in numbers in an unprecedented way. We are now 65 million, poised to grow in a decade to 80 million. The second thing that is happening with our community is that it’s getting more diverse: It (used to be) Cubans in Florida, Mexicans in the southwest and Puerto Ricans in New York. Now we see very large communities of Dominicans, Colombians, Ecuadorians and Central Americans growing throughout the country. We are now a very diverse Latino population. The third thing that is happening is dispersion: Florida, New York, California and Texas are (only) part of the story. When you look at Georgia and North Carolina — whomever the next president of the United States is — races are so close in those two states that 5% to 7% of Latino voters in those states can decide who gets the electoral votes. We are now everywhere.
palabra: I’ve heard you say that some people just don’t understand the “Latino vote” — the Latino community. What are people getting wrong?
Miranda: Politics in this country (have traditionally) been determined by African Americans and whites. And that’s the way in which many see politics in this country. All of a sudden, there is the largest minority group, Latinos, that is a composite of many of us. So, understanding where we come from, the generation that we belong to, what was happening in our country of origin when we migrated — all of those variables are going to frame the discussion of (any particular) Latino vote, instead of talking about the “Latino bloc” as a monolithic group. If we want to win those votes, (people) are going to have to dissect us as a group a bit more.
palabra: What should the Latino community be doing and thinking about in the next few weeks before the election?
Miranda: By October in most states, registration will be over. We need to talk to our family members and friends. We need to figure out when the registration deadline is (and) convince and alert our Latino brothers and sisters that if they are not registered to vote, they should. There are 36 million Latinos who are eligible to vote. So imagine if a massive number of those 36 million were to come out and vote, we (would) change the shape of the election and the electorate.
‘I don’t want us to be a melting pot. A melting pot becomes “blah.” We are a sancocho, where you could taste each ingredient, but the sancocho, as a whole, is much better.’
palabra: Let’s talk about familia. How has your own upbringing informed the success that you and Lin-Manuel and the rest of your family are now enjoying?
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Miranda: First of all, you don’t do anything alone. I grew up in a small town of six streets in Puerto Rico. My parents were very much part of the fabric of that tiny, little town. My dad was the manager of the credit union, and my mother was a businesswoman running the travel agency. We were involved in civic life: the Lions Club, the Rotary, the Red Cross. My parents, my siblings and I were all very much involved. So, you learn to serve others and enjoy doing things for others when you do it as a family, and when you teach it generation after generation.
palabra: Describe your feelings and reaction to the success of “Hamilton.”
Miranda: We always knew that Lin-Manuel, as they say, was going to go places — (he was) always very talented. It was not only his talent, but his ability to work with others. He loved theater because it is a collaborative endeavor, because different people get together to create art. With his success, several things have happened. It has allowed us who have spent our lives using our human capital and volunteering to now be able to also financially support those organizations and communities that we have been with forever. It has also given us a bigger microphone to speak our truth about the causes, the people, and the issues that we believe in and want to move forward. Those are huge changes that come with success. Everything else is the same. We continue to get together as often as we can as a family.
Luis A. Miranda Jr. embraces his son, Lin-Manuel Miranda at the opening performance of "Hamilton," at Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A.Ferré in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2019. Photo by Emilio Madrid-Kuser
palabra: What do you hope readers will take away from “Relentless”?
Miranda: We come from very proud people. We have strong families who migrated to this country. We are also transforming our communities, from our countries of origin to this larger concept of latinidad. I am part of a strong 750,000 (person) Puerto Rican community in the city of New York, but when…we create latinidad, we are talking about three million people. We can continue to be who we are, but we have much more power when we join hands with our brothers and sisters of Latin America. (Lastly,) we need to grow politically and teach the larger U.S. we are not a monolithic group.
I don’t want us to be a melting pot. A melting pot becomes “blah.” We are a sancocho, where you could taste each ingredient, but the sancocho, as a whole, is much better.
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Saida Rodríguez Pagán is a Los Angeles-based journalist celebrating her fourth year as a contributor with palabra. Since 2020, Saida’s articles on the entertainment industry — and her television reports and documentaries — have been nominated for 22 Los Angeles Press Club-sponsored awards, Golden Mike Awards, Emmy Awards, or National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors regional and national awards. Saida was born and raised in New York City and is of Puerto Rican ancestry. She earned a master’s degree with distinction in Strategic Communication from National University, a B.A. in Communication from the City University of New York, and, in September 2024, received a certificate with highest honors in Journalism and News Writing from The New York University School of Professional Studies. Her show, “American Stories with Saida Pagan,” can be seen on YouTube and the Arroyo Channel in Southern California, as well as on various streaming platforms. @SaidaPagan
