1. Gender and Race/Ethnic Participation Political Science 61 / Chicano/Latino Studies 64 November 15, 2007

2. First, Though Making this all a bit more tangible: minority influence in the 2008 elections Note that these are anticipation more than analysis

3. Early Thoughts About Minority Politics in 2008 What’s new? Barack Obama and Bill Richardson Centrality of immigration to early politicking Near unity of restrictionist positions articulated by leading Republicans Public records of Democrats in support of “comprehensive” reform What could be new (and important)? Newly naturalized citizens mobilized by immigration debate/2006 marches Shift in primary calendar (if race goes beyond Iowa and New Hampshire)

4. Patterns that Reduce the Salience of Minority Votes Race will come down to a few states (usually not minority states) Latinos important – Florida, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona Blacks important – Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Virginia States with largest minority populations not competitive High costs of race suggest “air war” model Investment in get-out-the-vote / mobilization will only appear in most competitive states Candidates will invest in turning out routine voters

5. Other Opportunities Lots of turn-over in the House and Senate Will open two congressional seats in New Mexico that could elect Latinos Parties will invest extensively in state legislative races Preparing for post-2010 Census redistricting More opportunities for new minority officeholders than at national level Could serve as an incentive to investment in mobilization

6. Today’s Class Gender and Race/Ethnic Participation

7. General Patterns We’ve Seen (Not Gender Specific) 1. Consistent participation differences between Whites, Blacks, and Latinos 2. Latinos and Asian Americans less likely to engage in electoral politics Non-U.S. citizenship explains some of the gap 3. Lower levels of political socialization in Latino and Asian American households Lower rates of socialization among Latinas Civic skills used in church activity

8. Does Gender Add to the Story? 1. Naturalization 2. Participation

9. Women and Naturalization Women more likely than comparably situated men to naturalize Women recognize more quickly than men that life to be spent in U.S. Less nostalgic about life in country of origin Why? Immigration generally expands opportunities for women from traditional societies Naturalization seen as resource to protect children Women’s job experiences more likely to provide skills needed in naturalization application process

10. Participation

11. Skills Developed in Activities, by Race/Ethnicity & Gender

12. Mean Number Political Acts, By Race/Ethnicity & Gender From 0-4)

13. Skills and Political Acts Just Tell Part of the Story In presidential elections, women register and vote at higher rates than men Part of the “gender gap” What other characteristics drive political engagement? Efficacy (sense that you can have influence) Interest (degree to which you are aware) Information (confidence that you understand) Group consciousness (connection to others) Representation (desire to have one’s voice reflected in politics)

14. Voter Turnout, by Gender, 2004 WhiteLatinoBlackAsian American Men64.1%44.8%55.8%42.0% Women66.7%49.4%63.4%46.2% Note: Voter turnout among U.S. citizen adults

15. Is There a “Women’s” Sphere in Race/Ethnic Politics? Maybe Schools/family issues generate a separate sphere that can be politicized Mothers of East Los Angeles Parent associations are a form of civic engagement that can be politicized White women may be more engaged in non- political and charity work Latinas give more time to charity

16. What Differentiates Participation—Black Women? Relative to White men Resources Church Experience of race/ethnic bias Disadvantages Education Job skills Income

17. What Differentiates Participation—Latinas? Resources (relative to White men) Experience of race/ethnic bias Disadvantages Political socialization Education Skills learned in school Skills learned on job Income Skills learned through organizations Skills developed in churches

18. Issues that Drive Participation, By Race/Ethnicity & Gender Latinas 1. Education 2. Basic human needs 3. Crime/drugs Black women 1. Crime/drugs 2. Education 3. Basic human needs White women 1. Education 2. Abortion 3. Taxes Latino men 1. Crime/drugs 2. Basic human needs 3. Education Black men 1. Crime/drugs 2. Basic human needs 3. Education White men 1. Taxes 2. Education 3. Economic issues

19. Gender and Race, Do They Come into Conflict? Black Females Black Males White Females White Males Black Female v. Black Male 78%60%67%61% Black Female v. White Male 85%81%68%62% Black Female v. White Female 82%84%63%53% Mean Support for Black Female Candidate Source: Philpot and Walton 2007

20. In Sum, Gender shapes participation, but inconsistently across race/ethnic groups Issues have mobilized white women in electoral politics Black women connected through organizations, but also through a sense of Black consciousness Latinas focused on a more targeted agenda Overall, gap between Latinas and Latinos (or Latinas and white men) the largest

21. Assignment & Question for Next Time Assignment – Bring a thesis statement for Essay 2 to class Question – Please note that the focus of this chapter is wealth (the sum all things an individual or family has that have a monetary value) not income What accounts for the wealth differences between whites and blacks?