Latino Youth Political Efficacy and Voter Mobilization
By Anuradha Sawkar
Executive Summary
LATINO YOUTH POLITICAL EFFICACY AND VOTER MOBILIZATION
Anuradha Sawkar, Whitman College
Executive Summary, November 27, 2006
I
individually cannot make a difference in political outcomes;
we...Latinos need to combine to change the political outcomes through
voting ~ Anonymous Walla Walla High School Student
Topic: My
report focuses on Latino youth voter registration and education. First,
what are the best strategies for mobilizing Latino-American youth
voters given their sense of political efficacy? Second, how extensive
have the efforts of voter mobilization organizations in Washington
State been to reach Latino-American youth?
Methods: Extensive
research of scholarly literature on Latino voting behavior and youth
electoral participation gave me four insights on Latino political
participation and youth efficacy.
• The Latino population is
characterized by its youthfulness—which makes effective mobilization
for its 14-25 age demographic crucial.
• Many Latino youth were
supportive of participatory behavior, but uncertain of how to
effectively participate in the electoral process.
• Early and extended exposure to civics courses and activities increased the probability of youth participation.
•
Latino youth could be efficiently mobilized through techniques similar
to those used on mainstream populations, such as door-to-door
canvassing.
My secondary research set out to test if these
insights held true for Washington, using two local case studies. First,
I conducted an extensive survey of Latino youth at Walla Walla High
School, in Walla Walla, Washington. Second, I questioned Russell
Kasselman, Voter Outreach and Education Coordinator of the Office of
the Secretary of State Sam Reed, on the mobilization efforts of the
Washington State Secretary.
Findings: Due to their age group
and status as a “marginalized” minority group, Latino youth experience
a double disenfranchisement in the electoral process. Also, while
strong efforts have been made to counter the general anti-participatory
trend of American youth in voting and politics, none have singularly
considered its overwhelmingly negative affects on the participation and
mobilization of Latino-Americans from the ages of 14-25. Mirroring this
trend, the Office of the Secretary of State is making inroads into
combating the low-turn out and disengagement of youth, especially
through its College Civics Program and provisions of grades 8-12 civics
curriculum, but more must be done to meet the specific needs of Latino
youth.
Recommendations: My recommendations stress the
importance of bilingual civics education to improve the efficacy and
perceptions of government in Latino high school students, making youth
civics and voter education programs more accessible to the Latino
student population, and raising and extending the length of civics
requirements at the high school level.
Community Partners:
Bill Erickson (Natural Resource Specialist with the Bonneville Power
Association and Walla Walla High School Club Latino Volunteer), Diana
Erickson (Walla Walla Public Schools Bilingual Education Coordinator),
and Russell Kasselman (Voter Outreach and Education Coordinator) were
pivotal to the writing of this report.
