The annual Academic Colloquia Monthly Exchange Lecture Series features Agnes Scott faculty presentations on research works.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025: The Contours of Latine Interests

Enrique Quezada-Llanes, Assistant Professor of Political Science

Do Latines in the United States think of Latine interests in the same way? Recent elections in the United States have brought to attention the fact that a sizable portion of Latines have voted for the Republican presidential candidate despite assertions that voting for Democrats is beneficial to the group. Scholars of Latine politics have often described Latine interests in the context of a liberal immigration policy and Democratic politics in general. This way of describing Latine interests has led some to argue that Latines who vote for Republicans are voting against the group’s interest. In this project, we aim to uncover how Latines conceptualize group interests, whether there is a common understanding of Latine interests, or whether the understanding varies within this population. Using data from an original survey, we conduct a hierarchical cluster analysis to identify clusters of Latines who conceptualize Latine interests in different ways. We then investigate what demographic and ideological characteristics predict these different group conceptualizations. Two clusters emerge from this analysis. Although both clusters are in agreement that liberal policies are generally good for Latines, one cluster feels stronger about the benefits of these policies for Latines while the other cluster also believes that some conservative policies are beneficial for Latines, particularly increasing the number of border patrol agents on the US-Mexican border. We find that assignment to either one of these clusters is significantly correlated with demographic characteristics such as income and age but not with national origin or generational status. In addition, while the clusters differ in their levels of linked fate, they report similar level of cultural commonality and caring about how parties represent Latines.