Includes bibliographical references (p. 215-235) and index.

Pathways to incorporation -- Latino politics before World War II -- The emergence of new voices -- Into the mainstream -- Voters, parties, and Latino political development -- Variations on power : Miami, San Antonio, and Los Angeles -- A surge of representation in the Salinas Valley -- Today's Latino elected officials -- Latino politics in the new millennium.

[This book] provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to Latino politics from the early 20th century to the present. The purpose of the book is twofold: to capture the transition of Latinos from disenfranchised outsiders to political leaders, and to observe the relationship between those leaders and their ethnic communities.