An examination by distinguished Latino/a scholars of the increasing influence of 37 million Latino/a Americans on U.S. electoral and social movements.
Latino/a Americans hold the potentially largest swing vote in U.S. elections and are a growing influence on the nation's politics. This diverse group, including Cuban Americans, Puerto Ricans, Mexican Americans, Central and South Americans, and Caribbean Americans, occupies a role in American society that is quickly exerting a significant impact on electoral and social movements.
Latino Americans and Political Participation examines Latino/a American political behavior, covering both electoral and other political issues. The essays provide thorough accounts of the relevant people, places, and events and provide a broad overview of Latino/a political participation in the United States. The information is accessible to individuals new to the topic, but there is extensive coverage to satisfy experienced researchers as well.
The volume is rich with case studies and contains information on important political figures, key political events, and a guide to supplementary literature and resources. Contributors include prominent Latino/a scholars who provide a thorough review of the academic literature on such subjects as political demography, protest politics, interest groups, social movement participation, and political representation in national, state, local, and community-level politics.
Features
• Chronology of key events in Latino/a political history, a multicultural bibliography, and lists of key players in Latino/a American political movements
• Tables and charts showing the numerical impact of Latino/as, and a selection of Internet databases and websites for further exploration
Highlights
• Valuable compilation of research on the political behavior of the ethnically and racially diverse Latino/a population
• A provocative and indispensable guide to understanding the evolving politics of America's largest racial and ethnic group
• A reexamination of assumptions about Latino/a politics and the diversity of this population in the United States regarding electoral behavior, including gender differences in approaches to political activity
Sharon A. Navarro, Ph.D., is assistant professor of political science in the Department of Political Science and Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX. She is a contributing author to Women's Activism and Globalization: Linking Local Struggles and Transnational Politics and Globalization on the Line: Culture, Capital, and Citizenship at U.S. Borders.
Armando Xavier Mejia is a lecturer in the Chicano/a Studies Program and a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.
Reviews
"It is a useful and important contribution to reference collections in public, community college, and college and university libraries."—American Reference Books Annual
"An excellent reference guide that focuses on the fastest growing and arguably most diverse U.S. ethnic group ... this particular volume is an excellent reference for anyone interested in studying Latina/o politics. Highly recommended. General readers and lower-division undergraduates and above."—Choice
