More than 53 million Latinos
now constitute the largest, fastest-growing, and most diverse minority group in
the United States, and the nation's political future may well be shaped by
Latinos' continuing political incorporation. In the 2012 election, Latinos
proved to be a critical voting bloc in both Presidential and Congressional
races; this demographic will only become more important in future American
elections. Using new evidence from the largest-ever scientific survey addressed
exclusively to Latino/Hispanic respondents, Latino
Politics en Ciencia Política explores political diversity within the Latino
community, considering how intra-community differences influence political
behavior and policy preferences.

The editors and contributors, all noted scholars of race
and politics, examine key issues of Latino politics in the contemporary United
States: Latino/a identities (latinidad),
transnationalism, acculturation, political community, and racial consciousness.
The book contextualizes today's research within the history of Latino political
studies, from the field's beginnings to the present, explaining how systematic
analysis of Latino political behavior has over time become integral to the
study of political science. Latino
Politics en Ciencia Política is thus an ideal text for learning both the
state of the field today, and key dimensions of Latino political attitudes.