_İSí Se Puede! Latino Candidates and the Mobilization of Latino Voters

Abstract

T raditional studies of political participation assume an electoral environment in which voters decide between two White candidates, and find Latino citizens less politically engaged. Given the growth in the number of Latino candidates for office over the past 20 years, this article tests whether ethnicity impacts Latino voting behavior. I argue that the presence of a Latino candidate mobilizes the Latino electorate, resulting in elevated voter turnout and strong support for the co-ethnic candidates. Although some research provides a theoretical basis for such a claim, this article brings together a comprehensive body of empirical evidence to suggest that ethnicity is salient for Latinos and provides a coherent theory that accounts for the empowering role of co-ethnic candidates. Analysis of recent mayoral elections in five major U.S. cities reveals that Latinos were consistently mobilized by co-ethnic candidates.

When Does Race Matter? Exploring White Responses to Minority Congressional Candidates

“…Previous studies of Asian and Latino candidates have focused on the effect of minority candidacies on minority voters. Masuoka (2006) and Baretto (2007) have found increased participation among Asians and Latinos when they are voting for co-ethnic candidates. Many of these studies are motivated by the fact that, especially among blacks and Latinos, most minority candidates have run in majority-minority districts.…”

Beyond opportunity structures: explaining migrant protest in Western Europe, 1975–2005

“…It assumes that migrants hold strong ethnic identities, and emphasizes the relevance of this identity for their political behavior (e.g. Barreto, 2007). Ethnicity theory relates to the fact that ethnicity is often a good predictor for variance in the political behavior of migrants, and migrants' political mobilization is often framed along ethnic lines.…”

The renewal and persistence of group identification in American politics

“…Barreto (2007) (2006) found that Spanish language campaign commercials had a positive and significant impact on Latino turnout, however English commercials had no effect at all. With regard to vote choice in 2000, Nuño (2007) 187 and using strong anti-immigrant rhetoric the result was Latinos flocking to the Democratic Party (Barreto and Woods 2007).…”