In this article, we compare the 1996 turnout among cohorts of naturalized and native-born Latino citizens, looking for between-group differences endogenous to recent anti-immigrant rhetoric and events in California. We argue that immigrants naturalizing in a politically charged environment represent a self-selected subsample of all voters, identifying individuals who feel strohgly about the political issues at hand, and who seek enfranchisement as an act of political expression. We suggest that newly naturalized citizens living in California made exactly these choices, which differentiate them from native-born citizens, longer-term naturalized citizens, and Latinos in other states. Using the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute's 1997 three-state survey of citizen attitudes, validated using original registrars-of-voters data, we estimate multivariate logit models of individual turnout of Latino citizens in each state for the 1996 national election. The data support our hypotheses. Newly naturalized Latinos in California behave differently from other Latino citizens of California, and the patterns of difference are not replicated in either Florida or Texas. Turnout was higher among those who naturalized in the politically hostile climate of California in the early 1990s. Our results suggest important political effects of wedge-issue politics that target Latino immigrants.

In this article, I present a summary of the findings of a randomized field experiment of 465,134 registered Latino voters, the largest such experiment on Latinos to date. The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials’s (NALEO’s) Voces del Pueblo voter mobilization effort in 2002 explored three alternative modes of communicating with voters: direct mail, robotic phone calls, and live phone calls from volunteers. Of the three, only live phone calls produced a statistically significant increase in voter turnout. The ineffectiveness of direct mail and robotic calls is consistent with results from other experimental campaigns. What remains unclear is the extent to which direct mail and robotic calls targeting low-propensity Latino voters would be more effective in presidential elections. For the present, it appears that the most effective way to mobilize low-propensity Latino voters is through phone banks staffed by volunteers.

In the spring of 2006, anti-immigrant legislation triggered historic immigrant rights protests in cities throughout the United States. In places like California, protest of immigrant-targeting legislation is not new. A hostile political context in California during the mid-1990s stimulated naturalization rates, voter registration, and turnout among Latinos therein. The spring 2006 immigrant rights protests provide a unique research opportunity to further examine the relationship between a contentious political climate and Latino immigrants' decision to naturalize. Earlier work highlights the role of Latino civic organizations in naturalizing and mobilizing co-ethnics to vote. This article considers an additional key variable: the ethnic media. Unpublished data from citizenship application workshops sponsored by a national Latino civic organization and a pilot survey of workshop participants were used to examine patterns of participation in the protests and use of Spanish-language media for political information among Latino naturalizers. Although this article examines an unfolding issue, it may hold implications for the future of Latino politics. A link between the recent immigrant protests and the decision to naturalize by Latino immigrants may suggest that a cohort of newly enfranchised Latinos will have high rates of participation.

Introduction The mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs) are a novel group of natural occurring peptides that have important signaling functions and biological activity. Both humanin and small-humanin-like peptide 2 (SHLP2) have been reported to act as insulin sensitizers and modulate metabolism. Objectives By using a metabolomic approach, this study explores how the plasma metabolite profile is regulated in response to humanin and SHLP2 treatment in a diet-induced obesity (DIO) mouse model. The results also shed light on the potential mechanism underlying MDPs’ insulin sensitization effects. Methods Plasma samples were obtained from DIO mice subjected to vehicle (water) treatment, or peptide treatment with either humanin analog S14G (HNG) or SHLP2 (n = 6 per group). Vehicle or peptides were given as intraperitoneal (IP) injections twice a day at dose of 2.5 mg/kg/injection for 3 days. Metabolites in plasma samples were comprehensively identified and quantified using UPLC-MS/MS. Results HNG and SHLP2 administration significantly altered the concentrations of amino acid and lipid metabolites in plasma. Among all the metabolic pathways, the glutathione and sphingolipid metabolism responded most strongly to the peptide treatment. Conclusions The present study indicates that humanin and SHLP2 can lower several markers associated with age-related metabolic disorders. With the previous understanding of the effects of humanin and SHLP2 on cardiovascular function, insulin sensitization, and anti-inflammation, this metabolomic discovery provides a more comprehensive molecular explanation of the mechanism of action for humanin and SHLP2 treatment. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11306-019-1549-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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