The Role of White Identity in Shaping Latino Political and Policy Preferences

• In Event: Immigrant Political Participation and Incorporation

Abstract

A growing literature on white identity politics has found that self-identification as white is an important predictor for outgroup attitudes, political preferences and political behavior. While most studies exclusively focus on Americans of European heritage, we investigate whether and to what degree self-identification as white is politically meaningful among Latinos. This is grounded in different streams of research that suggest this to be the case as Latinos in the US are not a homogeneous group; rather they can be classified in terms of level of acculturation and race (skin color). For example, theories of acculturation based on white ethnics suggest that Latinos, to the extent that they were able to, sought to assimilate into whiteness by adopting Anglos’ social and political attitudes. In addition, historians have also documented efforts by Mexican Americans to seek recognition as white during the Jim Crow era in an attempt to overcome segregation. Using nationally-representative data from the ANES 2012 wave and experimental data from an online survey (fielded in 2019), we find that white Latinos who not only self-categorize but also strongly identify as such, show similar ideological leanings, vote choice, and preferences toward immigration as non-Latino whites. The results challenge assertions that “demographics are destiny” and suggest that white identity politics may potentially also resonate among Americans of Latino heritage.

Authors

• Melanie Kolbe, The Graduate School of International and Development Studies

• Alexandra Filindra, University of Illinois at Chicago