One such factor is the youth of the population. According to some sociologists, the younger a community the less likely they will take an active interest in the political culture. On the other hand, the third largest group, the Cubans, average 35 years of age. Of the three, the Cubans have demonstrated the greater levels of political participation. In the November 1988 election, for example, fifty-two percent of all Hispanics legally in the US. did not vote because they were ineligible.
Poverty is a third factor which affects political participation.
According to Maurilio Vigil, who studies Hispanic political participation, there is a correlation between such socioeconomic indicators as level of education and income, and level of political participation. Factors that contribute to low voter turnout include apathy, a belief that their vote will not make a difference, as well as a distrust of politics because of experiences in their country of origin. It may also be unrealistic to expect that the Hispanic population can develop into a powerful voting bloc given the diversity of their population. Hispanics trace their ancestry to twenty-two different nations, and their experiences in the US are just too different. Some Hispanics can trace their family's presence in the United States back several centuries, while others are first-generation immigrants.