Course Introduction &
Definition of Key Terms
Mexican Americans and Politics
Class 1
January 10, 2006
Introductions

Louis DeSipio



Christopher Stout, TA



[email protected]
Office hours Tuesdays, 11:15 – 1:00, SSPB 5283
[email protected]
Office hours Wednesdays, 12:30 – 2:30 SST 734
The Website -http://eee.uci.edu/06w/67130/
Course Objectives

How do Mexican Americans organize to make
demands on political institutions?



Is it accurate to speak of a Mexican American political
community?
What are the opportunities and barriers to Mexican
American participation?
How do institutions respond to these demands?


How have institutions changed over time?
Are there opportunities for political alliances with other
racial/ethnic groups?
Course Structure
1.
Foundations
Destruction and rebirth
Civil rights and contemporary Mexican American
empowerment
2.
Community and electoral mobilization
Community organization and influence
Barriers and resources to overcome barriers
3.
Public policy
Immigration and naturalization
Coalitional politics
Resources

Two books




David Gutierrez. 1995. Walls and Mirrors:
Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants and the
Politics of Ethnicity.
Louis DeSipio. 1996. Counting on the Latino
Vote: Latinos as a New Electorate.
Reading packet from Anteater Publishing
Most readings available on reserve
Evaluation
Essays – Due February 2, February 23, and
March 14
1.
Students must complete two of three essays assigned
Each worth 25 percent of final grade
Midterm Exam – March 2
2.

Worth 40 percent of final grade
Quiz on Reading Theses/Methods – March
16
3.

Worth 10 percent of final grade
Why Study Mexican
American Politics?
Politics

Demography





Numbers shape opportunities and expectations
Demography isn’t destiny (see essay #2)
Party competition, particularly Republican
competition
Concentration in a handful of states and
dispersion to new destinations
Local politics in many areas will depend on
Latino role
Political Science

Past exclusion and neglect


Mexican American contribution to Latino politics



What are the long-term political effects of denial of rights
(see essay #1)?
Is Latino politics a durable cohesive politics that will grow
in the 21st Century (see essay #3)?
Mexican American/Latino role in coalitional politics
Mexican Americans and national notions of equal
opportunity
Definitions
Mexican American

Identity based on national origin or ancestry




An immigrant from Mexico who arrived yesterday
A descendant of a Spanish migrant to New Mexico in
1650 who passed through Mexico
Should not assume a common political agenda or culture
among all Mexican Americans – cleavages
Distinct from a pan-ethnic identity


Latino/Hispanics – Individuals in the United States who
trace their ancestry or origin to the Spanish-speaking
nations of Latin America or the Caribbean
Mexican Americans may identify as Latino, or may not
Politics



The authoritative allocation of resources and values
Who gets what when, where, and how?
However you define politics:



At its core it creates winners and losers, and
There are predictable patterns based on individual and
group characteristics
For our purposes


Efforts by individuals and groups to shape the allocation
of resources
Elections are one example, but not the only one
Contemporary Examples

Demand making and community organizing



Electoral



SB 670 – California apologizes for 1930s repatriations
Mexican government efforts to organize émigrés
Bustamante candidacy for California Governor
Bill Richardson’s tentative 2008 presidential campaign
Policy



Driver’s licenses for unauthorized immigrants
Changing rules for naturalization
Border walls, guest workers, and/or a new legalization
For Next Time

Readings:



Gutierrez, introduction and Chapter 1
** Griswold del Castillo, Richard. The Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo: A Legacy of Conflict, chaps
3 and 5.
Questions to keep in mind:


What guarantees did the Treaty offer the former
Mexican subjects in the new U.S. Southwest?
Why did these guarantees become largely
meaningless?