Carol Hardy-Fanta - Latino Politics in Massachusetts: Struggles, Strategies and Prospects

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Latino Politics in Massachusetts

Latino Politics in Massachusetts

Struggles, Strategies, and Prospects

EDITORS
CAROL HARDY-FANTA
JEFFREY N. GERSON

Published in 2002 by

Routledge
711 Third Avenue New York, NY 10017

Published in Great Britain by
Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

Copyright 2002 by Routledge

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording or in any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Latino politics in Massachusetts: struggles, strategies, and prospects / editors Carol Hardy-Fanta and Jeffrey Gerson.
p. cm. (Race and politics)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8153-3142-8
1. Hispanic AmericansMassachusettsPolitics and government. 2. MassachusettsPolitical and government3. Political participation Massachusetts. I. Hardy-Fanta, Carol, 1948 II. Gerson, Jeffrey, 1951. III. SeriesB F75.S75 L37 2001
323.11680744dc21
20001016009

To my mother, Sue M. Hardy, and in loving memory of my father, Eldon A. Hardy.

CHF

In loving memory a mi abuela, Olivia Lamberty Arlequin, and to, Francisco Alfonso Lamberty.

JNG

Table of Contents

Glenn Jacobs

Ramn Olivencia

William A. Lindeke

Carol Hardy-Fanta, with Rosalba Bassols-Martnez

Jeffrey N. Gerson

Jos E. Cruz

Juan A. Gmez

Carol Hardy-Fanta

Seth Racusen

Carol Hardy-Fanta, with Jaime Rodrguez

James Jennings

Ramona Hernndez and Glenn Jacobs

Jeffrey N. Gerson

MAPS

FIGURES

The Routledge series Race and Politics encompasses scholarly studies on the dynamics of American politics from a broad perspective. As political science moved from primarily an institutional approach to one which incorporated behavioral dimensions new questions were raised about the political implications of the post 1960s wave of immigrants, the role of naturalized American voters, the influence of the media on elections, and the changing nature of federalism. Two events, the Civil Rights Movement and increased non-European immigration were pivotal in spurring social science research on the political dimensions of race and ethnicity.

With new voters entering the political system questions on participation strategies for incorporation and political empowerment had to be revisited. The Hardy-Fanta and Gerson volume, Latino Politics in Massachusetts: Struggles, Strategies and Prospects expands Latino scholarship by looking these issues. As Latinos become the largest minority group in the U.S. displacing African Americans increased attention must be given to the political impact of changing demographics. Although Massachusetts does not have one of the highest concentrations of Latinos, it is becoming an increasingly diverse state. In order to understand the changes that are taking place in a New England context the authors present two approaches: one is an overview of efforts of political inclusion in Massachusetts cities and the second focuses on the building blocks of political empowerment such as creating coalitions, promoting Latino voter registration, and developing feasible civil rights strategies.

This study does not end with a simplistic prescription to merely increase Latino turnout. Rather as the articles illustrate attaining a piece of the pie entails multiple strategiesmobilizing behind a viable candidate, building coalitions across cultures, and developing young leaders, both male and female. Past electoral success in Springfield, Lawrence, and Boston offer a political succession model for other communities. Cultural and political struggles will continue, as Latinos at the local level attain greater electoral success by addressing the obstacles of unresponsive school systems, at-large systems of voting, and divisions within the diverse Latino community which have hindered more rapid progress.

Latino Politics in Massachusetts presents a fresh analytical look at the micro level. The impact of new political actors at the in local politics has been a neglected area of research. National and regional studies on Latinos so dominate political science that it is easy to forget that states can be laboratories for addressing issues that will become trends in national electoral politics. This volume is merely a harbinger of future studies of Latino politics from the state perspective.

The goal of this book is to offer a first look at the history of Latino politics in a state that, until recently, has not been considered of prime importance in the study of Latino political representation or influence. In tracing the path to writing this book, one moment stands out: when one of the authors called a national Latino political think-tank a few years ago to urge greater attention to Latino politics in this state, the organizations representative replied, Well, we dont care about Massachusetts. From that point on, this book had to be written. The reason is that Latino candidates, Latino community residents, and Latino communities as a collective whole do care. The book had to be written to document the struggles and strategies, the barriers and the successesthe prospects for a future of Latino political power in a small northeastern state like Massachusetts.

This book is also needed because Latinos living in Massachusetts are part of communities that are remarkably diverse. Although there is more diversity by country of origin in southwestern states such as California, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona than is commonly supposed and states such as New York, New Jersey, and Illinois have traditionally been home to Latinos from many countries, Massachusetts offers a look not only at multiethnic/racial Latino communities but also at emerging Latino politics in a diverse state.

The potential to swing national elections may be larger in the big Latino states, but as the saying made famous by Speaker Tip ONeill from Massachusetts goes: All politics is local. Millions of Latinos live outside of those big states and struggle year after year to assert their interests, mobilize their communities, run for office, and gain political power in their local communities. This book is, therefore, an effort to shed light on these struggles, to offer some of the strategies Latino communities have used in this state that might be useful for similar communities in other states, and to examine their prospects for political power.

This book could not have been written without the full participation of Latino activists, candidates, and residents in Latino communities around the state. Their willingness to share their experiences and their passion for politics made writing this book a responsibility as well as a great pleasure. Space is too limited here to recognize all the individuals and groups who deserve acknowledgment. Over the years, the following individuals have consented to be interviewed at length, and, in many cases, repeatedly. Even more important are the contributions to Latino political empowerment made within their communities over the past decades by Latinos and Latinas such as Jaime Rodrguez, Marta Rosa, Felix Arroyo, Carmen Pola, Nelson Merced, Jovita Fontanez, and Diosdado Lpezpathbreakers all in their own way. They have a passion for politics rooted in their homeland countries and local communities that has translated well to politics in Boston and the other Latino cities around the state.

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