Latinos and the United States Political System: A Case Study of Latino Political Participation and Representation in the City of
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC 137A
Start Date
16-5-2013
End Date
16-5-2013
Abstract
The Latino/a people have a unique history in the United States of America; however, the majority of citizens within the United States ignore the long historical experience of this growing population. This research project examines the dramatic demographic growth of the largest ethnic/racial minority in the United States, with a special focus on the Latino/a community in Sunnyside, Washington. This study focuses on the local civic structure and examines the levels of political participation, representation, and the effectiveness of the political system on the more than 12,720 Hispanic or Latino/a inhabitants. One of the central ideas explored is the weak political representation at the local level in spite of the presence of a large Latino/a population. The research project applies the theoretical interpretations on political participation from the social economic status model to the rules of the game and the political mobilization of the Latino community. In conclusion, the study proposes strategies to increase political participation and representation of Latinos/as at the local level. This research uses a combination of demographic data from the US Census (2012), city/municipal documents, newspaper articles, and voting records on the Latino/a population.
Recommended Citation
Purkey, Krystelle; Pray, Steven; Shearer, Brendan; and Cohen, Levi, "Latinos and the United States Political System: A Case Study of Latino Political Participation and Representation in the City of" (2013). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 99.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2013/oralpresentations/99
Additional Mentoring Department
Political Science
Latinos and the United States Political System: A Case Study of Latino Political Participation and Representation in the City of
SURC 137A
The Latino/a people have a unique history in the United States of America; however, the majority of citizens within the United States ignore the long historical experience of this growing population. This research project examines the dramatic demographic growth of the largest ethnic/racial minority in the United States, with a special focus on the Latino/a community in Sunnyside, Washington. This study focuses on the local civic structure and examines the levels of political participation, representation, and the effectiveness of the political system on the more than 12,720 Hispanic or Latino/a inhabitants. One of the central ideas explored is the weak political representation at the local level in spite of the presence of a large Latino/a population. The research project applies the theoretical interpretations on political participation from the social economic status model to the rules of the game and the political mobilization of the Latino community. In conclusion, the study proposes strategies to increase political participation and representation of Latinos/as at the local level. This research uses a combination of demographic data from the US Census (2012), city/municipal documents, newspaper articles, and voting records on the Latino/a population.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Gilberto Garcia