Statistics are not fully available for recent years, but new gun ownership statistics from 2019 and 2020 show that gun ownership by Latinos has jumped by a staggering 50 percent.
In recent years, there has been a notable rise in the purchase of firearms by people of Latino origin in the United States. This phenomenon, driven by various reasons including personal safety concerns, the desire to protect families, and racially charged attacks, has transformed the landscape of gun ownership in the country.
Yard markers at a shooting range in Los Fresnos, TexasVeronica Gabriela Cárdenas
One-fifth of new gun owners are Hispanic: Between 2019 and 2020, gun purchases by Latinos grew nearly 50%, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearms trade association. Although there are no numbers for Latino gun owners in Texas, non-white clients make up 20% of new license holders.
Julián Longoria, a weapons instructor and former police officer from Brownsville, Texas, has witnessed this change firsthand; a good proportion of Latinos ask him for training in how to use weapons. “Ten years ago, most of the people who came for training already had a prior interest in weapons. Now I see a lot of people who have never had any,” says Longoria.
Violence, insecurity and anti-immigrant or racially motivated shootings, such as the massacre in El Paso, have been a key factor in the demographic change. “Many of the people who come to me are concerned about the safety of their children and their own safety. They had never considered having a weapon, but current circumstances have led them to make this decision,” he explains.
Ángel Rodríguez, law enforcement officer, practices at a Texas shooting range.Veronica Gabriela Cárdenas
