Transcript Pol 168: Latin@ Politics

Pol 168: Latin@ Politics
Professor B. Jones
Dept. of Political Science
UC-Davis
Fall 2009
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?
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”?
The “Latino Vote”
• “Courting the Latino Vote”
• Analysis from CBS news (from 7/08 but
basic points relevant)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKOQ96
diBNQ
• So what is the Latino vote?
• BTW, California Field Poll August 2009:
21% of registered voters are Latino.
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.”
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?
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?
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
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 let’s take a quick sidetrip: CHC
• http://velazquez.house.gov/chc/
• Is a Latino Identity possible?
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”?
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?v=Xcov24pcHgA
• Is there an “us” vs. “them” mentality in the U.S.?
• If so, where do we find it?
• Brief detour: Social Identity Theory…this will
help us understand how “identities” can be
“activated.”
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.
Social Identity Theory
Social Identity
Theory
Social
Psychological
Component
System
Component
Societal
Context
Social Categorization and
the Salience of Social
Identity
Permeability and
Legitimacy
System
Historical or Political
Circumstances
Predictions of Discriminatory
Behavior/Attitudes from Social Identity Theory
“Tajfel’s Continuum”
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.
Let’s think about what political identity might look like?
Latino Identity
• Some Data Analysis
– 2006 Latino National Survey
• Latinos’ sense of commonality with
“Latinos”
Latino Commonality
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?
Linked Fate
Latino Linked Fate
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” …?
Contributing Factors to Latino Linked Fate
Perceived commonality1
•
•
•
•
•
•
Nativity
Language Use
Linked fate w/ African. Amer.
Partisan Identity
Linked fate w/ Latinos
Race/ethnicity of co-workers
1
Latino Linked Fate
67.4/62.9
67.9/61.7
74.3/58.6
74.5/61.2
73.7/46.1
66.6/63.3
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.
Levels of Pan Ethnicity and Connectedness
Of One’s Subgroup to Other Latinos
• One-half of LNS Latinos perceive a lot of
commonalities with one’s group and other Latinos
• Stronger pan-ethnic identifiers are more inclined to
see this connection.
• Over three- fourths of the combined stronger panethic identifiers see their own national origin group
as having a similar fate with other Latinos
•
(This slide is a part of an LNS ppt)
Linked Fate
• Note differences by US born vs. non-US
born
• High level? Low level?
• Implications of Pan-Ethnic Identity…?
Pan-Ethnicity
• Attempts to foster pan-ethnicity—which
presumably would foster perceptions of
shared fate—have been widespread.
• Quick History Lesson
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
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)
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
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)
Attention: US-born more attentive than non US-born
in survey (p=.00, two-tail).
Attention to Politics by Birthplace
0.45
0.4
Proportion
0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
None
Not Much
Non US-Born
A Fair Amount
US Born
A Lot
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.
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?
• Let’s consider some data.
Identification: All Respondents
Party Affiliation (All Respondents)
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
REP
DEM
IND
Other
DK
Ref
Identification: By Gender
Party Affiliation by Gender
0.4
0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
REP
DEM
IND
Other
Latino
Latina
DK
Ref
Identification: By Birthplace
Party Affiliation by Birthplace
0.5
0.45
0.4
0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
REP
DEM
IND
Non US-born
Other
US-born
DK
Ref
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?
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?
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?
Identification: Central American
• Central American Origin
– 14 percent REPUBLICAN
– 32 percent DEMOCRAT
– 31 percent INDEPENDENT
– 6 percent SOMETHING ELSE
– “Leaners” 47 percent DEM
Identification: South American
• South American Origin
– 17 percent REPUBLICAN
– 36 percent DEMOCRAT
– 28 percent INDEPENDENT
– 10 percent SOMETHING ELSE
– “Leaners” 47 percent DEM
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-Field-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.