Latino Politics

by De La Garza, Rodolfo O.

• ISBN13: 9780275997588
• ISBN10: 0275997588
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-07-31
• Publisher: Praeger Pub Text

Summary

When analyzing Latino politics, the first point of departure is to examine the validity of the concept of Latino politics in the first place. De la Garza begins by reviewing how the growth and geographic distribution of this population transformed in the nation's mind three distinct national origin groups-Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban-into Latino, the nation's largest minority group. De la Garza argues that the settlement experiences of the big three and the conditions characterizing contemporary Central and South American immigration set Latinos apart from European immigrants and African Americans to the extent that explaining their status and behavior requires new ways of thinking about minorities and American politics. Particularly, this book analyzes Immigration and immigrant incorporation.This book will answer important questions about the role of Latino politics in America. For example, do distinct nationalities such as Mexicans and Puerto Ricans share fundamental social and political values? How frequently and toward what ends do the several groups mobilized to achieve shared goals? Is there a distinct Latino agenda? Are Latinos unwilling to incorporate into the nation's social and political mainstream, or do they support the nation's core values which include its foreign policy agenda? This book also examines the extent to which Latinos engage in the political process. This section will include an examination of what institutions-such as the national and state party systems, unions, and churches-do mobilize Latinos as voters, civically engaged citizens, and residents more generally. De la Garza reviews turnout and partisanship. Ultimately, he concludes that Latino politics is in its infancy, and its future viability is uncertain. Barring unforeseen developments, the issues facing these groups may not be sufficient to create a unified national movement. This could be somewhat overcome via coordinated state-level initiatives that will also involve coalitions with other groups such as unions and community based organizations which could allow Latinos to organize as Latinos but will not emphasize ethnicity as it pursues its goal. In the long term, this approach would contribute greatly to combating discrimination, to providing Latinos substantially increased access to significant societal institutions, and to allowing Latinos to engage in symbolic ethnic celebrations.