Recent polls on the recall election, however, show many Latinos don't yet realize what's at stake. An Emerson/Nextar poll found 54% of Latinos favoring the recall this month, a reversal of broad support for Newsom in May. Organizers tell me it's because of anti-Newsom propaganda on social media and confusion about the recall. Fernando Guerra, a Loyola Marymount University professor of political science and Latino studies, told me Newsom's team has to do a better job of communicating what Latinos have gained: "This governor has done more for Latinos when it comes to education, health and economic integration than any other governor in the history of California." Guerra called the recall backers "anti-Latino folks." Latinos are grieving and exhausted after suffering disproportionate financial and death tolls from the pandemic; 52% of us know someone who has been hospitalized or died. We're recovering from four years of a race-baiting president and a surge in hate crimes. Some Latinos have real reasons to be frustrated with Newsom and are struggling to make ends meet despite his support; the lockdowns were hard. "I mean, we do not catch a break," said Armida Lopez, a Los Angeles resident from El Salvador who said the relentless challenges are causing some of her young friends to avoid thinking about the recall. That worries her because she knows things could get worse. The Republican front-runner in the recall election, Larry Elder, wants to reverse sanctuary laws, healthcare for undocumented people and even birthright citizenship. He's sought advice from former Gov. Pete Wilson, who oversaw California's most anti-Latino decade. As a longtime mentor of former President Trump's most sadistic advisor, Stephen Miller, Elder and his policies would make life worse for Black and brown people in every part of this state. Sonja Diaz, UCLA's Latino Policy and Politics Initiative founding director, said a successful recall would be a "lotto ticket for the Republican Party." Republicans would use it in midterm election ads to rally national support for a right-wing agenda detached from science. A victory for the Republicans could also dampen elected officials' enthusiasm for policies that help Latinos, such as a pathway to citizenship for undocumented people in the reconciliation bill. "It will raise really significant questions about the idea that the Latino vote is a genuinely powerful political entity that's capable of driving policy at any scale," Roberto Suro, a journalism and public policy professor at USC, told me. But many activists and organizers believe our community is going to show up for Newsom.