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.

Faculty Mentor(s)

Gilberto Garcia

Additional Mentoring Department

Political Science

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May 16th, 3:00 PM May 16th, 3:20 PM

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.