John A. Garcia

Latino Participation, Partisanship, and Office Holding

University of Arizona Harry Pachon, Claremont Graduate School The Latino population in the United States is growing rapidly, and one possible consequence is increased political participation and empowerment. Another consequence may be that Latino communities, voters, and interests face increasing marginalization and discrimination. Whatever scenario one envisions, several realities are clear. Latino political mobilization is difficult because of

Su Casa Es Nuestra Casa: Latino Politics Research and the Development of American Political Science

Since the 1970s, Latino politics research has evolved, alternately responding to real-world political events and demographic changes, embracing new and emerging trends in the broader discipline, and offering new insights of its own that contribute to the development of political science. In so doing, there have emerged both an intellectual foundation and a growing body of empirical results, each of which challenges long-held theories and findings in the discipline more broadly. Thus, Latino politics research is central in refining and broadening our understanding of American politics. Immigration, social marginality, and their uncertain status as a racial or ethnic minority make this population unique and raise important obstacles in applying existing interpretations and orthodoxies from the disciplines other traditions to this emerging and rapidly growing segment of American society. The major contributions of this line of inquiry are identified in five key areas: pluralism, group identity and mobilization, political participation, institutions and representation, and assimilation. We conclude with some thoughts regarding how the evolution of American society and its Latino population will pose important questions for future generations of political scientists.

Meeting the National Needs for Minority Scholars and Scholarship: What Professional Associations Might Do

For a period of several years, a group of scholars has examined the status of minority scholars and scholarship in the United States. In 1987, an invitational conference on the status of minority faculty was sponsored by the Graduate School of the State University of New York at Stmnyhrook. Held at the Harrison Conference Center on Long Island, the participants included more than one hundred minority and nonminority faculty, administrators, and graduate students. For three days, the group discussed the causes, consequences, and remedies to the problem of declining minority participation in the scholarly enterprise. At the end of the conference, a small planning task force (which has met several times since the invitational conference) was established under the leadership of Dr. Myrna Adams, Associate Dean at the Stonybrook Graduate School, to develop policies and recommendations based on the conference findings. In addition, the task force developed strategies for the implementation of the recommendations. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the findings and recommendations of the task force. It focuses on the role of professional associations in the production of minority scholars and scholarship and support of the participation of minority scholars in academia, as well as on the shrinking pool of minorities in graduate programs.

A Demographic Profile of Latinos in the United States

Despite this tremendous growth and presence, Lati nos are often underserved or unable to access healthcare services. This, in large part, is a result of the concentrati on of Lati nos in job sectors that are low wage, high risk, and do not provide benefi ts, as well as a result of other factors, such as low socioeconomic status, language, and culture. Because Lati nos are the second largest group in the U.S., their health and well being is crucial to the current and future well being of the enti re U.S. populati on from a public health perspecti ve.

Do "Latinos" Exist?@@@Latino Voices: Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban Perspectives on American Politics.@@@Latinos and the U.S. Political System: Two-Tiered Pluralism.

Tables and Figures Preface Acknowledgments 1. Introduction 2. Theoretical Perspectives and Latino Politics 3. The History and Socioeconomic Status of Latino Groups 4. Political Participation 5. Latinos and the National Government 6. Latinos and State Politics 7. The Elections of Federico Pena 8. Latinos and Urban Politics 9. Latinos and Public Policies 10. The Study of Latino Politics: Questions and Issues 11. Latinos and the Political System: Two-Tiered Pluralism Notes References Index