Latino Politics in the United States

Catalog description

Latines have often been described as the sleeping giant of United States politics. Although Latines make up nearly one in five people in the United States, the group has the lowest political participation rates of all the racial/ethnic groups in the United States. During this course, we will consider how Latines interact with United States politics. We begin by discussing Latine ethnicity and analyzing the extent to which Latines have politicized identities. We will examine historical and demographic trends, including immigration patterns and Latine social/labor movements, to see whether historical trends explain present behavior. We will also discuss topics related to Latine public opinion, voting patterns, and political representation. We will use what we learn during the course to discuss what role, if any, Latines will play in the future of United States politics.