Juntos Pero No Revueltos: Latino Political Participation in Context

This dissertation analyzes Latino political leadership in Waukegan, IL, a new immigrant destination. Using in-depth interviews, this work examines intra-group divisions among Latino political leaders in Waukegan and contextualizes the findings through a comparison with Latino politics in nearby Chicago. Works analyzing Latino political behavior often focus on varying countries of origin and socio-economic positions and can miss nuanced differences among Latinos and the ways their political context impacts their participation. This dissertation provides two models which deepen our understanding of Latino political leadership, and more specifically, the differences inherent within the broader category. The Latino Analytical Model groups individuals into porous categories according to their social and cultural capital, and considers the choice to become politically engaged, as well as any constraints on political participation. The Contextual Model begins to parse out the effects of local context and history on Latino political leadership. This dissertation is largely a work about Latino politics in Waukegan, but also provides a historical analysis of Latino politics in Chicago to illustrate the effect of space on leadership choices. Through these models, this work moves analysis of a Latino constituency away from a monolithic singular group, to one made up of various political and at times conflicting political interests.