PAOLA RAMOS
Author and award-winning journalist Paola Ramos is known for her nuanced reporting on immigration, LGBTQ+ issues within Latino communities, and the diversity of the Latino experience in America.
A regular speaker on Latino identity and immigration policy, her writing and reporting have been highlighted as important for understanding Latino voters, who represent a significant and diverse voting bloc in U.S. elections.
Born in Miami, Florida, she comes from a family of journalists. Her mother, Gina Montaner, is a writer from Cuba and the daughter of Carlos Alberto Montaner, a well-known Cuban writer and political commentator.
Her father, Jorge Ramos, immigrated from Mexico as a young journalist in 1983 and went on to become a trusted and influential voice in Spanish-language media in the U.S., often referred to as "the Walter Cronkite of Latino America."
Early exposure to the power of journalism and media representation left a profound impression on Paola. Growing up in and being exposed to American, Cuban, Mexican, and Spanish cultures, practices, and politics has informed her work as she explores the complexities and enormous diversity within Latino communities.
Building on her family's tradition of engagement with politics and public affairs, Paola studied political science as an undergraduate and then earned a master's degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
During the Obama administration, she worked as an advisor to both the Office of Public Engagement and the Office of Political Strategy, then went on to serve as deputy director of Hispanic media for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.
In 2019 she became a correspondent for Vice magazine's documentary series "Vice News Tonight" and the docuseries "Latin-X."
Her insight and understanding of the unique challenges migrants in border areas face, including issues around healthcare access and HIV prevention, led her to create "The Latin X Drag Queens." Historically, drag performers have played important roles in HIV/AIDS activism in many communities, helping to reduce stigma and raise awareness.
Paola's projects created outreach programs for these vulnerable populations where testing, education, and other health services are made available, including providing emergency contraception to women and girls who have been raped during their journey to start a new and hopefully better life in the United States.
In 2024 she released her most recent book, "Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America."
Based on her experiences traveling around the country to uncover what motivates Latino individuals and communities to vote for and support issues that seem at odds with their self-interest, the book underscores the importance of understanding the effects of cultural factors such as race and colorism on Latino immigrants, many of whom left their home countries burdened by racial baggage, colonialism, and political trauma, and how these harsh experiences can shape an individual's moral compass.
Through her interviews and reporting, Ramos dispels the false belief that Latinos are a homogeneous group and examines the small yet growing segment of the U.S. population that is steadily shifting to the right.
As her reporting persuasively proves, not all white supremacists are white.
