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Identity, Perceptions of Discrimination and Political Engagement: The Causes and Consequences of Reactive Identity Among Latinos
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8/19/04
Identity, perceptions of discrimination, and political engagement:
The causes and consequences of reactive ethnicity among Latinos
Deborah Schildkraut
Department of Political Science
Tufts University
deborah.## email not listed ##
ABSTRACT: This paper examines the causes and consequences of reactive ethnicity among Latino citizens in the United States. In particular, it examines the links among (1) perceptions of discrimination against oneself and/or one’s group, (2) whether one self-identifies in national (i.e., American), national origin (i.e., Mexican, Dominican, etc.), or pan-ethnic (i.e., Latino or Hispanic) terms, and (3) levels of political engagement. Reactive ethnicity occurs when real and/or perceived discriminatory treatment leads people away from thinking of themselves as Americans and instead strengthens their ethnic and/or national origin identifications. To date, however, empirical investigations of reactive ethnicity have relied primarily on regional data, have failed to distinguish adequately between discrimination against one’s ethnic group and against oneself personally, and have failed to distinguish adequately between those who identify in pan-ethnic terms and those who identify in national origin terms. Moreover, few studies have examined the consequences of reactive ethnicity with respect to political engagement. I address these limitations using data from the 2002 survey of Latinos by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Pew Hispanic Center. The results show that perceptions of discrimination against one’s group affect self-identification more than perceptions of discrimination against oneself. They also show that perceptions of discrimination against oneself (and to a lesser extent against one’s group) promote behavioral and attitudinal alienation from the political process, but that behavioral alienation can be mitigated when combined with attachments to Latinos or to one’s country of origin. Reactive ethnicity, in other words, can counteract the political alienation that results from the perception of discrimination.
Prepared for delivery at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association,
September 2 - September 5, 2004. Copyright by the American Political Science Association.
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| | Authors: Schildkraut, Deborah. |
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8/19/04
Identity, perceptions of discrimination, and political engagement:
The causes and consequences of reactive ethnicity among Latinos
Deborah Schildkraut
Department of Political Science
Tufts University
deborah.## email not listed ##
ABSTRACT:
This paper examines the causes and consequences of reactive ethnicity among Latino citizens in
the United States. In particular, it examines the links among (1) perceptions of discrimination
against oneself and/or one’s group, (2) whether one self-identifies in national (i.e., American),
national origin (i.e., Mexican, Dominican, etc.), or pan-ethnic (i.e., Latino or Hispanic) terms,
and (3) levels of political engagement. Reactive ethnicity occurs when real and/or perceived
discriminatory treatment leads people away from thinking of themselves as Americans and
instead strengthens their ethnic and/or national origin identifications. To date, however,
empirical investigations of reactive ethnicity have relied primarily on regional data, have failed
to distinguish adequately between discrimination against one’s ethnic group and against oneself
personally, and have failed to distinguish adequately between those who identify in pan-ethnic
terms and those who identify in national origin terms. Moreover, few studies have examined the
consequences of reactive ethnicity with respect to political engagement. I address these
limitations using data from the 2002 survey of Latinos by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the
Pew Hispanic Center. The results show that perceptions of discrimination against one’s group
affect self-identification more than perceptions of discrimination against oneself. They also show
that perceptions of discrimination against oneself (and to a lesser extent against one’s group)
promote behavioral and attitudinal alienation from the political process, but that behavioral
alienation can be mitigated when combined with attachments to Latinos or to one’s country of
origin. Reactive ethnicity, in other words, can counteract the political alienation that results from
the perception of discrimination.
Prepared for delivery at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association,
September 2 - September 5, 2004. Copyright by the American Political Science Association.
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