The Hispanic population is divided over the war with Iraq. Latinos born in the United States express strong support as well as optimism over its course thus far while the foreign born voice more cautious views and greater concern over the potential for terrorist attacks and economic losses, according to a Pew Hispanic Center poll of Latino adults taken April 3 to 6, 2003. This survey shows that support for the war is considerably higher among all Latinos as U.S. troops take the fight to Baghdad than in a similar survey taken in mid-February when the prospect of war was being debated at the United Nations.

Three-quarters of U.S.-born Hispanics now say they support the war and about one-fifth say they are opposed, which is comparable to the split found in several polls of the general public taken since combat began. Meanwhile, about half of foreign-born Latinos express support while a third are opposed. Among the foreign born, support was highest among those who have become U.S. citizens, and it was lowest among the most recently arrived immigrants. A significant split is also evident along gender lines with females considerably less supportive of the war than males. Nearly half (49 percent) of U.S.-born Latinos say the war is going “very well” compared to a little more than a third (35 percent) of the foreign born.