Political Scientist to Lecture on Latino Identity and Electoral Politics

Photo Submitted

Professor Rodolfo O. de la Garza

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Rodolfo O. de la Garza will present a lecture entitled, "Creating Latino Ethnicity: Partisan and Policy Preferences in 2016 and Beyond," at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, in Memorial Hall, Suite 230, on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville. This lecture is free and open to the public.

De la Garza is the Eaton Professor of Administrative Law and Municipal Science in the Department of Political Science and professor in the School of International and Public Policy at Columbia University. A specialist in minority politics, immigration and immigrant incorporation, De la Garza has authored and coauthored eight books on Latino electoral behavior, a UNICEF monograph on international migration, and numerous expert witness reports regarding voting rights violations.

His publications include contributions to leading scholarly journals such as the American Journal of Political Science, the Latin American Research Review, the International Migration Review, and the Policy Studies Journal, as well as chapters to numerous edited volumes.  He served as vice president of the American Political Science Association from 1997-1998 and was awarded the Career Achievement Award by Committee on the Status of Latinos in the Profession, of the American Political Science Association in 1993.

"Creating Latino Ethnicity" is the Latin American and Latino Studies Program's featured lecture for the 2016 Hispanic Heritage Month. In this talk, De la Garza will present new research exploring the development of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity through the lens of their policy preferences and the importance of the Latina/o electorate to the 2016 presidential election.

Xavier Medina Vidal, the Diane D. Blair Professor of Latino Studies and assistant professor of Political Science at the University of Arkansas, notes that de la Garza's experience and expertise, developed over decades of observing and documenting the growth of Latino political influence in the U.S., are invaluable to those of us living in Arkansas. Medina Vidal observes, "Hispanics/Latinos in new immigrant destinations like Arkansas (and in the U.S. South more broadly) are confronting many of the same challenges and opportunities faced by other Latinas/os a generation or two ago." He continues, "We are meeting these challenges with open minds and with the help of the hard work of activists and scholars like de la Garza who have been instrumental in paving the way for Latina/o political power in the United States."

De la Garza's lecture is co-sponsored by the University of Arkansas Latin American and Latino Studies Program and the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society, with generous support from the Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, the Leagues of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 761, and the Latino Alumni Society. The African and African American Studies Program has graciously contributed the venue for this event.

The Latin American and Latino Studies Program is an interdisciplinary area and ethnic studies undergraduate program in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. The program provides in-depth exposure to the key geographic regions, historical trajectories, social modes, languages, and political, economic, and cultural systems of Latin America and the Latino United States. The program also sponsors a study abroad program, a high-profile lecture series, and cultural events throughout the year. Its curriculum draws from history, political science, anthropology, art history, sociology, English, economics, music, and language, literature and culture. Students may combine the LAST co-major (21 credit hours) or minor (15 credit hours) with a major in another field, enhancing their preparedness for employment with government or service agencies, corporations and enterprises dealing with Latin America and the Hispanic U.S., for teaching or international careers, or in preparation for other advanced degrees. More information about the LAST program may be found at last.uark.edu, or follow us on Facebook.

The Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society is a research center at the University of Arkansas, dedicated to the study of the American South from a variety of angles, revealing the undercurrents of politics, history, and culture that have shaped the region over time.