Download Hero101807

Outline for presentation of work at very early stage, in
progress.
Latino Identities and American Politics:
A Framework and Preliminary Findings
from the Latino National Survey
Rodney E. Hero*
*Acknowledgements:
Data for this presentation comes from a large collaborative project,
the Latino National Survey.
Collaborators:
Luis R. Fraga, U. of Washington
John A. Garcia, U. of Arizona
Michael Jones-Correa, Cornell University
Valerie Martinez-Ebers, TCU
Gary M. Segura, U. of Washington
Funding support from: Ford, Hewlett, Carnegie, Russell Sage,
Kellogg, Joyce, NSF, Annie E. Casey, Irvine, Texas A&M
Growing literature on “multi-ethnic,” “multicultural” politics,
“beyond black/white paradigm.” But relatively modest
literature:
J. Hochschild
C. Kim
S. Clarke et. al
R. Hero
Percent Hispanic of U.S. Population,
1960-2030
Percent
25
22.5
19.3
20
16.4
15
13.2
9.7
10
6.9
5
4.8
3.6
0
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
2030
Source: Chapter 2. Multiple Origins, Uncertain Destinies. Adapted from Figure 2-2.
2
Latino National Survey:
• A “national” telephone survey of 8600 Latino
residents of the United States, seeking a broad
understanding of the nature of Latino political and
social life in America
• State-stratified samples that reach approximately 90%
coverage of the national Latino population
• Approximately 40 minutes (length and number of
questions depends on split-samples, etc)
• English and Spanish
Universe is all Latino adults, not citizens or voters
3
The survey creates stand-alone samples in 15 states and the DC Metro
area allowing us to speak to specific political contexts
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
DC-SMSA
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Iowa
Nevada
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Texas
Washington
400
400
1200
400
400
800
400
600
400
400
400
400
800
400
800
400
[Subsequent addition of 3 more states: CT, MA, RI]
4
Themes Explored
Demographics
Assimilation/Acculturation
Civic engagement
Education
Mobilization
Inter-ethnic group relations
Intra-ethnic group relations/Pan-ethnicity
Political Knowledge
Gender
Party affiliation
Others
5
Numerous Works and Ideas
Understandings of “American” or “Americanness,”
American Identity
from Political Science and from Sociology
Sociologists and assimilation:
SES, Spatial concentration, Language assimilation, and
intermarriage
Political Science research: Attitudes and Value patterns regarding
“citizenship,” (legitimate) membership within the polity.
a. R. Smith (1988, 1993, 1997) – “multiple traditions”
liberal,
civic republican,
ethnocultural (ascriptive hierarchy)
b. J. Citrin, et al. (1990) –
Interests (material) or ideas/ideals (symbolic)?
Ideas: liberal, ethnocultural
c. D. Schildkraut (2007) – partly an extension and modification
of Smith
Specifies various concepts, and related questions
Adds/includes measures of “civic republicanism” and
concept of “incorporationism” and notes certain “contested”
ideas
Most of these have been focused almost exclusively on views/
perspectives of non-Latinos, and limited in other ways as well.
6
Of the research that is focused on Hispanics/Latinos…
our contention is that too often previous analyses of
“Latino Politics” have assumed, incorrectly, essentially
a single continuum of “Latinoness” OR “Americaness.”
Latino ----------------------------------------------American
There are probably (at least) two (2) interrelated and
interconnected dimensions
(a) “Latinoness”/ “Hispanicity” AND
(b) “Americaness”
Latino Identity in the United States
Latino Identity in the
Latino Identity in the United States
Americanness
Low
High
Latinoness
High
Cultural
Nationalism
High
Cultural
Low
Pluralism
Particularism,
Particularism,
Low (e.g. alienation or
Latinoness social isolation)
Low
Americanness
Cultural
Nationalism
High
Cultural
Pluralism
Melting pot
Particularism,
(e.g. alienation or
social isolation)
Melting pot
7
Each quadrant and variations in between are complex
and have been thought of in different ways.
a. Melting pot, “classic assimilation”
b. “Cultural Pluralism”: Multiracial; Neoassimilation, “Incorporationism”
c. “Cultural Nationalism” (group “separatism,”
“retention”)
d. “Particularism,” Individualism, Isolation (or,
thought about somewhat
differently….“cosmopolitan”?)
Initial Questions:
What does evidence from LNS suggest regarding:
Is there the type of clustering among Latinos that
we posit?
(If so) what are the social/demographic and the
value/attitudinal and other correlates?
Then, from individual “correlates” to larger
“interpretations.”
8
Sense of “think[ing] of oneself as:”
American Pan-Ethnic National l origin
Very strong
Somewhat
Not very
Not at all
38%
26
18
15
63
25
6
3
63
22
8
5
9
Initial Evidence regarding the Argument:
Is there “clustering,” as hypothesized?
Latino-American
Self-Identification Categories*
LL
LM
1.1 .48
LH ML MM MH HL HM HH
.60
2.0
19.1
9.1 5.7 29.7 32.3
L=Low, H=High
(First letter refers to “Latinoness,” second to
“Americaness”)
*Data from Jones-Correa, 2007
10
Sense of American and Home-Country Identity
Across Generations
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
How strongly do you think of yourself as “American”?
Somewhat Strongly
Very Strongly
28.7
25.1
15.2
16.3
24.5
56.9
78.5
76.4
How strongly do you think of yourself as (Mexican, Cuban, etc)?
Somewhat Strongly
19.6
22.2
26.1
34.3
Very Strongly
67.6
64.3
45.1
40.5
11
Social Correlates and Expectations regarding Position
Gender
Generation
Language
Social networks
Age/time in U.S./proportion of life in U.S.
Nativity
SES –home owner v. renter
“Transnationalism”
Location – State (and/or local) context matter?
12
Preferences for Cultural
Assimilation and Distinctness
Generation
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Importance of Changing to Blend into Larger Society
Somewhat 26.2 33.3
34.7
37.5
Very
61.4 44.6
40.6
35.7
Importance of Maintaining Distinct Culture
Somewhat 16.2
18.3
20.3
26.1
Very
78.6
75.8
72.9
66.7
13
Latino’s perceptions of “what it means to be fully American in
eyes of most Americans”…?
Born in U.S.?
Very important
Somewhat
Not
44.2%
26.2
29.6
*
[24.2]
[27.1]
White?
Very important
Somewhat
Not
18.0%
19.0
63.1
[3.8]
[6.1]
Very important
Somewhat
Not
84.2%
11.7
4.2
[71]
[23]
Be Christian?
Very important
Somewhat
Not
39.2%
22.7
38.1
[19.3]
[15.6]
Speak English (well)? *
* [ ] national sample findings, from Schildkraut, 2007: 602.
14
Have thus far explored “self- identity” (as defined above)
through various indicators that can be summarized as:
generation/years in U.S., transnational ties, social networks
(friendship, working, etc. in US), kids in school, civic participation
(yes/no), and one SES factor (home ownership). (Jones-Correa,
2007).
Propose to examine the questions further, bringing in
beliefs/attitudes, and developing “broader” interpretations
(models).
1. “Social Structural” model – Questions about perceptions of
“norms” of factors associated with “…being fully American.”
Survey also asks whether one is born in U.S., one’s race, and
religious tradition. Consider these perceived norms in relation to
one’s own situation on the parallel dimensions.
2.. “Ethnic/cultural” model – One’s own language abilities,
importance of learning English, of maintaining Spanish, “blending
into mainstream”/“maintaining distinct culture,” “intra-group
commonalities, (Perceptions of “Latinos a ‘distinct’ race”?)
3. “Opportunity”/“liberal” model – Blame if “not getting ahead,”
perception of some having more “chance in life than others;”
“poor, Latinos “can get ahead in U.S. if work hard”? Came to US
for economic opportunity? All should have “same legal rights”?
4. SES Model – Income, Education, Occupation (employment)
[Social context (and social networks) -- states, communities, etc.?]
15
Consequences of Identity?:
Policy preferences
Immigration
Language policy
Education (standardized tests, school vouchers,
education financing,)
Redistributive (aid to the poor, etc.)
Most important issues facing the country, facing
Latinos
Party affiliation and party system, perception of parties
Political participation
Levels, and venues/forms of participation
Civic engagement (including “internal” or “external”
focus?)
Ideology
What might/should be expected relative to selfidentity?
(Latino ideological self-placement is complex)
Trust in Government, Efficacy, etc.
16
Early/tentative Conclusions and Suggested Directions:
• Preliminary findings challenge previous research
ƒ Empirical observations different
ƒ Theories need to be re-examined
• Dimensions of community/identity
ƒ How is it manifested?
ƒ Which factors or theories drive sense of identity?
• Implications for American politics
ƒ Effects of identities on the development of Latino
politics/effects of identity on more general
American politics
ƒ More/less, and kind(s) of American “pluralism”
ƒ Most broadly, “multi-ethnic” politics?
ƒ Inter-group relations
ƒ Party system
ƒ Policy orientations
Other issues: Over time change for Latinos; Latino v.
non-Latino patterns
17