Political Protest, Ethnic Media, and Latino Naturalization

作者

1. Adrián Félix
   1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles

1. Carmen González
   1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles

1. Ricardo Ramírez
   1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles

資料來源

doi: 10.1177/0002764208324611  

American Behavioral Scientist December 2008 vol. 52 no. 4 618-634

摘要

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 Unpublished data from citizenship application workshops sponsored by a national Latino civic organization and a pilot survey of workshop participants were used to examine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. 

關鍵字

• migrant political incorporation
• naturalization
• Spanish-language media
• immigrant rights movement