Pol 168: Latin@ Politics

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Pol 168 Latin_at_ Politics

• Professor B. Jones
• Dept. of Political Science
• UC-Davis
• Fall 2009

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What is Latino Politics Research?

• Academic focus on race/ethnic politics typically
  on African-Americans
• which seems natural given historical
  circumstances.
• But as a separate field, Latino Politics has seen
  considerable growth
• But what is it?

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Central Issues and Themes in Political Science
Research on Latinos

• Identity Politics and Community
• Do Latinos Exist? (Dominguez 1994)
• Blurred distinction between race and ethnicity
• The concept of Latino is an American concept
• As such, it is sort of a clearinghouse term
• Sometimes, hard to know what it means
• Is there a Latino Vote?

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The Latino Vote

• Courting the Latino Vote
• Analysis from CBS news (from 7/08 but basic
  points relevant) http//www.youtube.com/watch?vtK
  OQ96diBNQ
• So what is the Latino vote?
• BTW, California Field Poll August 2009 21 of
  registered voters are Latino.

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Identity Politics

• A bloc implies identity?
• A prominent research question is the extent to
  which Latinos have common interests
• Share a community
• Have a common identity
• In literature on Af.-Americans, a prominent theme
  is the concept of linked fate.

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Linked Fate

• Linked fate represents a stage of identification
  that starts with a feeling of closeness to others
  who identify with the group label and involves
  the acceptance of the belief that individual life
  chances are inextricably tied to the group as a
  whole (Simien, Journal of Black Studies, 35
  529-550)
• Dawson, M. C. (1994). Behind the mule Race and
  class in African American politics. Princeton,
  NJ Princeton University Press.
• Does a similar concept apply to Latinos? Why? Why
  not?
• Does such a thing need to exist to sustain Latino
  identity?

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Shared Identity

• Do Guatemalans identify with Mexicans?
• Or El Salvadorans, Hondurans, Cubans, Chileans,
  Colombians, Puerto Ricans, Venezuelans,
  Argentinians, ?
• And all as Latino?
• Probably Not
• but does this preclude the possibility of Latino
  Identity?

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Latino Identity

• Mobilization and Collective Action Research
  important here! (Why an important question?)
• Social Movement research important too.
• Can these things evoke identity?
• Importance of people like César Chávez

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Latino Identity

• The role Latino politicians play is important?
• Do they, can they serve as bonding agents in
  the Latino community?
• We will learn about the importance of
  descriptive representation later in the
  quarter.
• But lets take a quick sidetrip CHC
• http//velazquez.house.gov/chc/
• Is a Latino Identity possible?

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Latino Identity

• What factors might promote identity?
• Language? Cultural mores? Shared political
  interests?
• Could immigration issue serve as a bonding
  agent?
• or is it all just a who cares question?!
• Flip the question around?
• What if non-Latinos perceived a Latino Identity?

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Perceptions of Identity

• If viewed as a group by out-group members, what
  are the implications?
• Have Latinos been tethered to the immigration
  issue?
• Springfield, TN http//www.youtube.com/watch?vXc
  ov24pcHgA
• Is there an us vs. them mentality in the
  U.S.?
• If so, where do we find it?
• Brief detour Social Identity Theorythis will
  help us understand how identities can be
  activated.

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Social Identity Theory

• Originally developed by psychologist Henri Tajfel
  and developed further with John Turner
• Seeks to identify conditions under which
  identities emerge.
• Note they need not always be present
• As such, group-based conflict may ebb and flow.

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Social Identity Theory
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Predictions of Discriminatory Behavior/Attitudes
from Social Identity Theory
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Tajfels Continuum
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Social Identity Theory

• The notion of value threat (Branscombe et al
  1999)
• Status Hierarchy
• Context Important
• Are conditions in place or nearly in place to
  predict Latino collective action?
• Are we seeing signs of backlash toward Latinos?
• If so, will this promote some kind of Latino
  Identity?
• This is an issue in Latino politics research.
• Lets think about what political identity might
  look like?

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Latino Identity

• Some Data Analysis
• 2006 Latino National Survey
• Latinos sense of commonality with Latinos

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Latino Commonality
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Latino Linked Fate

• Why might Latinos have a sense of linked fate?
• First off, what is it??
• Does the concept apply to Latinos
• 2006 LNS Data
• How much does doing well depend on other
  Latinos also doing well?

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Linked Fate
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Latino Linked Fate
Do Latinos see their futures, and those of their national origin group, linked to that of other Latinos? YES Do Latinos see their futures, and those of their national origin group, linked to that of other Latinos? YES Do Latinos see their futures, and those of their national origin group, linked to that of other Latinos? YES Do Latinos see their futures, and those of their national origin group, linked to that of other Latinos? YES Do Latinos see their futures, and those of their national origin group, linked to that of other Latinos? YES Do Latinos see their futures, and those of their national origin group, linked to that of other Latinos? YES Do Latinos see their futures, and those of their national origin group, linked to that of other Latinos? YES
Mex indiv. Mex group Cuban indiv. Cuban group PR indiv. PR group
Nothing 14.3 7.1 18.4 13.4 22.1 11.3
Little 15.3 13.2 11.9 8.6 15.3 14.1
Some 24.6 25.8 20.5 22.2 21.7 28.5
A Lot 39.2 46.8 36.3 43.7 34.1 38.5
How much does your doing well depend on other Latinos/Hispanics also doing well? How much does national origin doing well ? How much does your doing well depend on other Latinos/Hispanics also doing well? How much does national origin doing well ? How much does your doing well depend on other Latinos/Hispanics also doing well? How much does national origin doing well ? How much does your doing well depend on other Latinos/Hispanics also doing well? How much does national origin doing well ? How much does your doing well depend on other Latinos/Hispanics also doing well? How much does national origin doing well ? How much does your doing well depend on other Latinos/Hispanics also doing well? How much does national origin doing well ? How much does your doing well depend on other Latinos/Hispanics also doing well? How much does national origin doing well ?
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Contributing Factors to Latino Linked Fate

• Perceived commonality1 Latino Linked
  Fate
• Nativity
  67.4/62.9
• Language Use
  67.9/61.7
• Linked fate w/ African. Amer.
  74.3/58.6
• Partisan Identity 74.5/61.2
• Linked fate w/ Latinos
  73.7/46.1
• Race/ethnicity of co-workers
  66.6/63.3

1 The set of percentages represents Latino
respondents who indicated some or a lot of
commonality for native/foreign born,
English/Spanish speakers. For the linked fate
percentages, it is some/a lot vs. little/nothing.
For partisan, it is partisans vs. non-partisans.
And coworkers represent mixed group of coworkers
vs. only Latinos.
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Levels of Pan Ethnicity and ConnectednessOf
Ones Subgroup to Other Latinos

• One-half of LNS Latinos perceive a lot of
  commonalities with ones group and other Latinos
• Stronger pan-ethnic identifiers are more inclined
  to see this connection.
• Over three- fourths of the combined stronger
  pan-ethic identifiers see their own national
  origin group as having a similar fate with other
  Latinos
• (This slide is a part of an LNS ppt)

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Linked Fate

• Note differences by US born vs. non-US born
• High level? Low level?
• Implications of Pan-Ethnic Identity?

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Pan-Ethnicity

• Attempts to foster pan-ethnicitywhich presumably
  would foster perceptions of shared fatehave been
  widespread.
• Quick History Lesson

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Mobilization and Organization

• Southwest Council of La Raza now
• National Council on La Raza http//www.nclr.org/
  
• Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
  
• http//www.maldef.org/
• Two recent examples

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Historical Groups

• Orden de Los Hijos de Americana
• La Alianza HispanoAmericano
• 19th century groups
• Focus in the southwest and was on Mexicanos
• Population in-flux in early 20c prompted
  emergence of other groups.
• 1927 League of United Latin American Citizens
  (LULAC)

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LULAC

• Website http//lulac.org/
• Promoted cultural assimilation (language
  acquisition) and started the Little Schools of
  the 400 program (1950s)
• Nonpartisan advocacy organization
• Mass-based membership (Latinos generally)
• There are group-specific organizations

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Groups within Political Institutions

• Congressional Hispanic Caucus
• National Association of Latino Elected and
  Appointed Officials (NALEO)
• http//www.naleo.org/
• Formed in 1976
• About 6000 members
• Goals? Aims?
• Southwest Voter Registration and Education
  Project (SVREP)
• http//www.svrep.org/
• More data (Pew 2004 survey)

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Attention US-born more attentive than non
US-born in survey (p.00, two-tail).
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Other Results

• Mexican Origin slightly less attentive compared
  to non-Mexican origin.
• Cuban Origin significantly more attentive to
  politics compared to non-Cubano
• No significant differences in attentiveness for
  Central or South American descent.

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Party Affiliation

• Why care about party affiliation?
• Closed primaries
• Dominance of two-party system (like it or not)
• Concerns about monolithic vote.
• Is it fair to characterize Latino/as as a
  singular group?
• Lets consider some data.

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Identification All Respondents
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Identification By Gender
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Identification By Birthplace
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Identification by Origin Mexican

• Mexican Origin
• About 14 percent identify REPUBLICAN
• About 35 percent identify DEMOCRAT
• About 26 percent identify INDEPENDENT
• About 12 percent identify as SOMETHING ELSE
• Take-away points?

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Identification by Origin Cuba

• Cuban Origin
• About 47 percent identify REPUBLICAN
• About 19 percent identify DEMOCRAT
• About 17 percent identify INDEPENDENT
• About 6 percent identify as SOMETHING ELSE
• Take-away points?

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Identification by Origin Puerto Rico

• Puerto Rican Origin
• About 16 percent identify REPUBLICAN
• About 44 percent identify DEMOCRAT
• About 17 percent identify INDEPENDENT
• About 12 percent identify as SOMETHING ELSE
• Take-away Points?

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Identification Central American

• Central American Origin
• 14 percent REPUBLICAN
• 32 percent DEMOCRAT
• 31 percent INDEPENDENT
• 6 percent SOMETHING ELSE
• Leaners 47 percent DEM

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Identification South American

• South American Origin
• 17 percent REPUBLICAN
• 36 percent DEMOCRAT
• 28 percent INDEPENDENT
• 10 percent SOMETHING ELSE
• Leaners 47 percent DEM

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Implications of all of this?

• Are Latino/as monolithic, in terms of
  partisanship?
• What do these sliver of data suggest for the
  future? (If anything)
• Why Care? Consider demographics of California
• August 2009 CA. Field Poll
• http//www.scribd.com/doc/18170956/August-2009-Fie
  ld-Poll
• Republican 79 WNH
• Democrat 55 WNH
• Can we detect a political identity?
• It seems clear, however, why Latinos matter!
• We need to look at population statistics.