Much has been made of the pragmatism of black voters (especially older black voters) as they shift decisively behind Joe Biden in the Democratic presidential primary. But what of Latino voters? What has driven them to the polls? For generations, political scientists have routinely called the Latino electorate the “Sleeping Giant” — yet it is clear the giant is already awake.

To write of “Latino” voters is always misleading given their tremendous internal diversity. There are left-wing Mexican Americans in Texas and right-wing Cuban Americans in Florida, recent transplants and multigenerational residents. Still, it’s clear from exit polls that Latinos have, as a demographic bloc, delivered wide and resounding support to Bernie Sanders. While pundits continue to talk about the inevitability of a Biden nomination, they tend to underestimate the influence of a population that has quietly shaped the contest and still has a chance to swing this election, including by staying home in November.

Win or lose, Sanders has done two things that none of his opponents have been able to pull off: first, win big with Latino voters; and second, draw Latino support by speaking directly to the issues that matter to them. Studies conducted by the UCLA Latino Policy Initiative show that where Sanders has won, he’s done so by targeting Latino-heavy districts, some in places where the Democratic Party never goes. For example, in the Washington State primary, Sanders carried three predominately Latino districts by more than 50 percent, giving him a boost against his competitors. In California and Iowa, his campaign targeted rural communities with Spanish-language flyers and canvassing that paid off spectacularly: some Latino-heavy areas awarded all of their delegates to Sanders. And in West Texas, despite narrowly losing the state as a whole, “Tío Bernie” won overwhelmingly.