Latino Political Interest Groups

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that soon Latinos will become America's largest minority and both political major parties court the Latino vote; major political interest groups supporting this ethnic group have a long and rich history,have had a profound effect on American society and have bettered the lives of Latinos. The author points out that, with approximately 115,000 members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), which is the largest and oldest Hispanic Interest Group in the United States, advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 600 LULAC councils nationwide. The paper also discusses the history and programs of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the National Council of La Raza, the Cuban American National Foundation and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

From the Paper:

"The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and promote the civil rights of the more than 29 million Latinos living in the United States. For example, the group fights for education rights, and files legal suits to fight racial injustice at all educational levels. The group also seeks to ensure that Latinos are not underrepresented in high-ranking positions in the U.S. workforce, and that they receive equal employment opportunities. Furthermore, MALDEF fights for immigrants rights, like healthcare and civil rights, and for political access by doing things like attempting to eliminate any obstacles that prevent Latinos from voting.
A case that MALDEF took on in Chicago is a perfect illustration. In 1990, the Census revealed that the Latino population in Chicago grew from 14 percent to 20 percent of the city's total population between 1980 and 1990. But when Chicago redistricted its 50 wards in 1992 to reflect census findings, the number of Latino-majority wards increased from four (8 percent) to only seven (14 percent). MALDEF argued that this redistricting diluted Latino voting strength and that the council should have drawn more Latino districts to fairly reflect the strength of Chicago's Latino population."

More papers on Latino Political Interest Groups:

• Analytical Essay # 67844 : "Political Interest Groups"
• Comparison Essay # 71448 : "Political Interest Groups"
• Research Paper # 133816 : "Interest Groups in Canada"

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