Description
Book SynopsisFrancis-Fallon returns to the origins of the U.S. Spanish-speaking vote to understand the history and potential of this political bloc. He finds that individual voters affiliate more with their particular ethnic communities than with the pan-ethnic Latino identity created for them, complicating the notion of a broader Latino constituency.
Trade ReviewShows how Latinx voters helped change not only the Democratic and Republican parties but also the egalitarian and internationalist politics of the American left…Francis-Fallon’s story of how Latinx voters and organizers helped shape a nationwide agenda is also telling for the present moment. -- Ed Morales * The Nation *
[Has] a narrative brilliance that keeps the reader engaged through twists and turns by political leaders in South Texas, East Los Angeles, and East Harlem…Should be required reading for students of Mexican American history, state and national politicians, and anyone interested in understanding the significant role that Latinos have played, and continue to play, in Texas and national politics. -- Felipe Hinojosa * Southwestern Historical Quarterly *
Francis-Fallon’s history of Latinx political power examines the elusive idea of a unified vote, while detailing how activists, laborers, and officeholders have nevertheless influenced American politics for decades. * Commonweal *
Timely, well-researched, and important,
The Rise of the Latino Vote is the best book yet on the history of Latino politics. -- Geraldo Cadava, author of
Standing on Common GroundThe Rise of the Latino Vote presents a powerful and expansive narrative about the creation of Latino politics at the national level, a process that was piecemeal and always contested. Francis-Fallon has written an enormously impressive book that fills a yawning hole in historical scholarship on Latino politics. -- Lorrin Thomas, author of
Puerto Rican CitizenDeeply researched and powerfully written,
The Rise of the Latino Vote for the first time connects the first rumblings of Viva Kennedy in the Southwest to the organizing of Puerto Ricans in New York City and then to the Cuban-led Reagan Revolution, explaining as never before how America’s now largest, most diverse minority group came to be—and the influence it will continue to wield in the future. This masterful dive into the thorny history of Latino politics will be required reading for years to come. -- Max Krochmal, author of
Blue Texas
