Author Description

Blacks and Latinos appear to be natural political allies. Their position as the two largest minority groups in the United States has merited a great deal of speculation as to their coalition prospects. In terms of just sheer numbers, the aggregate power the two groups could exercise has the potential to offer the political, social, and economic benefits both groups seek. Nevertheless, the reality of the political world has shown us that collaboration between the two groups is not inevitable. This book addresses two main questions: First, why has coalition formation among these two groups remained largely absent? And second, to what extent have negative attitudes and perceptions hindered coalition prospects?The author argues that there are three central, but not necessarily exhaustive, dimensions to Black/Latino coalition formation: (1) common political and social interests (2) shared perceptions of minority group status and beliefs about the sources of racial inequality and (3) minimal perceptions of group threat and overall favorable perceptions of each other.