Explaining Cross-Border Political Activities among Latino Immigrants in the United States

This study examines the characteristics of those who participate in cross-border political activities and explains why they do so. Data from a survey of 1,202 Latino immigrants reveal that trans-state political activities originate in an instrumentally motivated adaptation strategy immigrants employ to protect and promote their material and symbolic goals. Specifically, those who have strong incentives to safeguard their economic interests in the home country are active in home country politics, as are those involved in trans-state cultural enterprises, since participation in cross-border cultural activities encourages immigrants to take political action in order to maintain and promote their long-standing values, beliefs, and cultural practices they acquired from the home country. Participation in cross-border political activities is thus primarily a manifestation of immigrants' desires to achieve their symbolic as well as material goals, rather than a reflection of their lack of assimilation to the host country. Related Articles Bayes, Jane H., and Laura Gonzalez. 2011. “Globalization, Transnationalism, and Intersecting Geographies of Power: The Case of the Consejo Consultivo del Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior (CC-IME): A Study in Progress.” Politics & Policy 39 (1): 11-44. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2010.00281.x/abstract Garcia-Acevedo, Maria R. 2008. “The [Re]construction of Diasporic Policies in Mexico in the Era of Globalization and Democracy: The Case of the Clubes de Oriundos.” Politics & Policy 36 (6): 1066-1092. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2008.00150.x/abstract Pearson-Merkowitz, Shanna. 2012. “Aqui No Hay Oportunidades: Latino Segregation and the Keys to Political Participation.” Politics & Policy 40 (2): 258-295. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00349.x/abstract Related Media Film: Globalization101.org. 2010. “Migration and Transnationalism.” Interview with the President of the Migration Policy Institute. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw8IARAEhi0 Carpenter, Charlie. 2012. “Transnational Politics in the Information Age.” Roundtable discussion at the International Studies Association Annual Conference. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSZqP6RGJX8 Berger, Joseph. 2009. “Salvadoran Immigrants Turn Attention Back Home.” New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/nyregion/westchester/15colwe.html?_r=0 Este estudio examina las caracteristicas de aquellos que participan en actividades politicas fronterizas y explicita las motivaciones de tal participacion. Una encuesta de 1,202 inmigrantes latinos revela que las actividades politicas fronterizas tienen su origen en una estrategia de adaptacion instrumentalmente motivada que los inmigrantes usan para proteger y promover sus metas materiales y simbolicas. Aquellos que tienen fuertes incentivos para salvaguardar sus intereses economicos en su pais de origen suelen ser activos en la politica domestica. Asumimos que tambien son politicamente activos aquellos involucrados en empresas culturales transestatales dada su motivacion de mantener y promover los valores, creencias y practicas culturales de su pais de origen. Consecuentemente, tambien asumimos que la participacion en actividades politicas fronterizas es primariamente una manifestacion de los deseos de los inmigrantes de lograr sus metas tanto simbolicas como materiales, en lugar de asumir que tal actividad sea reflejo su mera falta de asimilacion al pais huesped.