The growth of the Latino population is the most significant demographic
shift in the United States today. Yet growth alone cannot explain this population’s
increasing impact on the electorate; nor can a parsing of its subethnicities. In the most
significant analysis to date on the growing political activation of Latinos, Ricardo
Ramírez identifies when and where Latino participation in the political process has come
about as well as its many motivations. Using a state-centered approach, the author focuses on
the interaction between demographic factors and political contexts, from long-term trends in
party competition, to the resources and mobilization efforts of ethnic organizations and the
Spanish-language media, to the perception of political threat as a basis for
mobilization.

The picture that emerges is one of great temporal and geographic
variation. In it, Ramírez captures the transformation of Latinos’ civic and political
reality and the engines behind the evolution of this crucial
electorate.

Race, Ethnicity, and
Politics