I. Hispanics, Chicanos, Latinos

A. Group Terminology
Diverse national origins and relations to the US
Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central and South America

Why the different names?
Consider the origins/meanings of each

Hispanic
An older term, stresses Spanish language commonality and connection with Spain; “hispana” culture, etc.; Eurocentric.

Chicano
Generally refers to Mexican Americans
Used to be pejorative, but in 1960s adopted by Latino activists - Chicano movement - stresses mixed heritage - Spanish and indigenous roots.

Latino/a
The more current term
Refers to Latin America, New World
The Catholic Connection

B.  Group Identity, Political Identity

Self-Identification: study of five SW states –
AZ CO NM TX CA
- 51 % preferred Mexican American
- 20% preferred Mexican
- 20% preferred "other Spanish"
-   5% each Mexicano, Chicano

Study in CO found that those who identify as Chicano or Latino were twice as likely to be involved with a Hispanic organization than those who identified as Hispanic or Mexican and 3 times more likely to be involved than those identified as Mexican Americans or Spanish Americans

Thus, more than just semantics
Self-identification connotes political identity, consciousness**

 
C. Demographics
1. growing rapidly
Latino popl. increased 53% between 1980 - 1990
       59% between 1990-2000
1990
22.3 million Latinos
9% of U.S. population

2000
35.3 mln Latinos
12.5% of US population

Slightly larger than US Black pop.
young, expanding pop.

2. Illegal population
estimates vary
each year - 1 million illegals are caught by INS

1993 = 1.3 million
67% from Mexico
6% EI Salvador
4% Honduras

Now believed to be between 2 and 4 million illegal aliens from all countries, not all Latinos**

 
3. socioeconomic status for Latinos overall
many come from less industrialized countries, seeking jobs tend to be less educated, less skilled, language barrier

American trends in economic change to service and technology sectors has hurt their job prospects, increased poverty

See stats in McClain and Stewart Table 2.2
Note significant differences among the different groups

 
II. Cultural differences from WASPs

A. language – Spanish, but note English fluency, bilingualism the norm

B. Religion - Catholic

C. Behavioral Norms, Values/Customs
1.skin color less important than social class - some relationship between lighter skin and higher status but not as rigid a distinction as in US - much greater variation, mixed heritage - Indigenous NA, African, European

2. dignidad - all people deserve respect, strong positive self image

3. less concerned about time, casual, negative att toward hurrying sign of respect not to look authority figures in the eye

4. closer personal distance in conversation

5. family life - machismo - daring, bravado male dominated household, provide for family, protect family honor; women expected to maintain family home, raise children, double standards with sexual relations

here also varies by group - more highly educ'd Cuban, C and S Amer women work outside the home at the same rate as white women, Mex and PR women much less often

6. strong family relations - family must approve marriages - marriages of families not just two people - often use both surnames - fathers first

III. Largest group
Mex. Americans – 20.6 million
A. mainly concentrated in CA TX AZ NM
- roughly 85% live in these states
 
Los Angeles second only to Mexico City - >2 million MexAms

B. why concentrated here?
partially reflects history - US won terr in Mex-Am War 1846-48 plus bought small part in 1853
but few Mexicans lived there at the time (sparsely pop'd)
once US acquired land - Mexs quickly overtaken by Anglos through legal maneuvering - became subordinate

C. second half 19th Century - once in US hands - needed more agricultural laborers
1882 - Chinese Exclusion Act, 1921, 1924 Immigration Acts cut off other sources of immigrant farm labor
easier for Mexicans to "immigrate" cross the border - 2000 mile border - Rio Grande - with Mexico, unpatroled

led to negative stereotype/name "wetback"
Mex workers welcomed in times of boom, econ expansion 1930s Depression - EXPULSION "repatriation;" govt sent trucks through Mex neighborhoods; rounded-up people without asking for documentation of citizenship, drove them to Mexico

Zoot Suit Riot of 1943 - in LA - group of sailors attacked - said by Mexicans - groups of military guys caravanned in 20 taxis through Mex neighborhoods beating savagely all Mexicans they found, Police also participated

1946 - 64 US govt sponsored program - bracero - workers brought in from Mexico to work seasonally - returned to Mexico after harvest - cheap way to exploit labor - did not have to worry about accommodating families, educating children, providing benefits like health insurance, retirement

Recession 1950s - Operation Wetback in CA TX and some big cities forcibly expelled 3.8 million between 1954-59 only 63,500 had a hearing, process

today illegal workers are often arranged passage by owners of businesses set up in illegal housing, terrible work conditions and hours, low pay

in spite of their hard work - stereotype of Mexicans as lazy D. Living conditions most live in cities

in LA and NM better integrated, range of incomes, middle class status

In other cities and one section of LA (east) ghetto life - barrios, underclass existence, segregated, live in ethnic enclaves, substandard housing, schools (say something about school sys in US)

 
IV. Puerto Ricans
A. 3 mln population - mainly in NY, NJ, and other large cities in North - Chicago, Boston

B. Racial/ethnic characteristics
true melting pot; indigenous tribes of Caribbean - Arawak and Caribe Spanish domination in 1493 - for 400 years Spanish heritage

Spaniards almost completely exterminated the native population (through labor, introducing disease) so began importing slaves from Africa, intermarrying was common, not forbidden by law, Spanish men often recognized their illegitimate offspring and freed them at baptism

also Spanish had long interacted with the Moors, intermarried so not culturally frowned upon, whites also enslaved by Moors and Saracens so color not strictly indicative of slave status

whites often served as god parents to black, mixed race children

 
C. Relations with US – “annexed” by US in 1898 - after Spanish American War attempt at forced Americanization
(Teddy Roosevelt - polyglot boarding house comment) imposed English language, appointed governors from the states to rule

Residents given citizenship in 1917 but mostly ignored, not developed

Collapse of sugar market in post WW II era
between 1946 – 1964
600,000 moved to mainland - second only to Irish immigration, potato famine mid 19th C for wave of single ethnic group migration

1945 Operation Bootstrap - tax breaks for development there - industry - esp. pharmaceuticals. many businesses pulled out in the 80s when tax breaks expired

Chronic high unemployment - twice US rate -
high in 1983 23% ;
1994 - 16%

D. Different civil status than MexAms
PR a Commonwealth of the US -
therefore they are US citizens: can be drafted, can vote for their congressional rep (nonvoting member of congress no senators) thus, not represented really do not pay national taxes unless they live on mainland US; no public asst. unless on mainland

E.  long standing push for statehood - usually dies over taxation issue, representation in Congress (would force reapportionment 435 members of House - would be entitled to 6 reps for its 3.5 million people - 25th largest state)

 
F. Because they can go to the mainland and back - many don't consider living on mainland permanently, becoming citizens of US proper;  many say this affects their community life too - too much turnover to establish solid community institutions, churches etc.

G. In US, PRs worse off than all other Latino Hispanic groups – 25.8% live in poverty - highest for all racial/ethnic groups

H. paradox with Mex Ams - PRs less likely to have arrived recently, better educated, speak better English but poorer why?

why? low skilled jobs in NE (closest to PR) have moved to other parts of the country

lack of community cohesion, constant in and out to PR ethic that women should not work

plus high proportion of single parent (mother) families rural tradition of out of wedlock births

 
V. Cubans
A. History
Cuba controlled by Spain until 1898 (Spanish American War)
US granted it "independence" but kept naval base at Guantanemo Bay (still has to this day)
1902 US Congress passed Platt Amendment reserving right to intervene in Cuba in order to protect US interests

B. Migration
stats not kept separately before 1950 - grouped as W. Indies 500,000 from that region from 1820-1950 little impact on US

C. Most significant immigration comes 1958-1963 - Castro's rise to power since 1960 650,000 Cubans to US (TOTAL pop >1 million)
PUSH PULL factors different

60s - bourgeoisie - displaced dispossessed of land by rev.
given refugee status, asylum as part of US attempt to discredit the regime much more highly educated than other immigrant groups

settled in cities - NY, Miami, also Northern NJ and suburban areas of FL quickly made economic progress

However, largest single influx of Cubans came in 1980
Marielitos - Mariel boatlift - urban working class, lower class, and several thousand criminals
 

VI.  Political Behavior of Latinos
A. in general political participation for all race and ethnic groups related to SES
why - civic skills, knowledge of process feelings of efficacy, importance; stake in system - something to defend; time

B.  what kind of participation:
range of time/money investments:  e.g., register to vote, vote, attending meeting, trying to influience someone's else's vote, membership in political club;  : attending political rally, working for party/candidate contributing money, contacting officials (letters, calls, in person), signing petition, community service for other org, belonging to political club, group (and participating in it regly)

C.  For Latino groups - distance between their partic and partic whites increases as the costs of participation increase
about the same for voting, public mtg .95,
influencing other's vote.78
member of pol club .75
other acts less than .70

If you control for SES
- Hisp less likely to regis and vote - except for Cubans in Miami area

D.  why less active?
confusion over laws, lang barriers, gerrymandering to dilute group power

 
E. Political ideology, party ID
see McClain and Stewart Table 3.4 and 3.8

F.  Representation in gov’t
only 1 % of all govt elected officials are Hisp/Latino
vast majority of these (state and natl level are D except for in FL)

No senators – last Montoya (D-NM defeated 1976)

19 Representatives – 16 Dems, 2 Republicans
2 Delegates (Guam, PR- both Dems)

Latinos= 4% of House; 3.5% of Congress
but 12.5% of population (thus, under-represented)
 
Used provisions of VRA 1965 to change boundaries on districts – increased to 19 members of House

State level - NM and FL have recently had Latino governors; many mayors in Miami, Tampa Bay. Denver 1 mayor
 

G. Political Issues

1960s - Brown Berets, Cesar Chavez and UFWU
equal opp groups - League of United Lat Am Citizens (LULAC) umb gr MexAmLegDef and Educ Fund (MALDEF) (NAACP) SW Voter Regis and Educ Project

language rights - English Plus (to combat official Eng movement)

official eng laws passed in 17 states - 13 by statute, 4 by intiative (CO, Al, CA, FL)

symbol of national unity - highly politicized, emotional issue

Immigration – see Interracial America debate