The dominant narrative about Latinos in US presidential politics goes something like this: a rapidly growing segment of the population, Latinos are a force to be reckoned with, and now that Donald Trump has shown himself to be an unrestrained bigot preparing to unleash a deportation brigade — a posture that has lost him the support of even the most conservative Hispanic political leaders — he’s pretty much assured himself of defeat. In key swing state like Florida, Latinos will help deliver Hillary Clinton to victory.

Yet in recent weeks, as the center-left media relentlessly played clips of Trump snarling, Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto looking like fools at the podium, and #TacoTrucksOnEveryCorner guy Marco Gutiérrez holding forth on “dominant” cultures, it became increasingly clear that we are being distracted from the serious issues that face Latinos and Latin Americans alike.

Some more salient questions that should be posed: what role has neoliberalism played in the deterioration of conditions for Mexicans north and south of the border? To what extent have US military strategies to control the border and fight the “war on drugs” created extreme violence in northern Mexico? Will justice finally come to the families of the forty-three students murdered in the small Mexican town of Ayotzinapa? Will police violence continue to be meted out against striking teachers in places like Oaxaca? Why do both US and Mexican elites ignore the staggering increase in wealth inequality in Mexico, where almost half the country’s wealth is held by the richest 1 percent?