Christina E. Bejarano | Texas Woman's University (original) (raw)
Papers by Christina E. Bejarano
The Second-Wave feminists attempted to create a clear path for female political leaders. Caucasia... more The Second-Wave feminists attempted to create a clear path for female political leaders. Caucasian women clearly benefited most substantially from the movement, and African American women have made some progress, particularly at the state level. In this chapter, Christina E. Bejarano and Valerie Martinez-Ebers expose the perceived disparate impact among the Latina community in which visible female political leaders are extremely rare, and the vast majority of Latinos are unable to name even a single important Latina political leader. Bejarano and Martinez-Ebers contend that Second-Wave Feminism did, in fact, impact Latinas, but the efforts of Latinas in the movement have not been well documented or publicized by scholars or the media. Rather, their successes have been overshadowed by their male counterparts. Bejarano and Martinez-Ebers demonstrate how Latinas’ increased community participation provides them with stronger civic skills and stronger ties to their community/institutions...
Research on political representation demonstrates that the presence of historically underrepresen... more Research on political representation demonstrates that the presence of historically underrepresented groups in political office (descriptive representation) can have not only a substantive impact on policies and procedures but also a symbolic impact that changes the attitudes and even behavior of those groups. The dynamics of group identity and its significance for representation, however, are complicated. Individuals often hold multiple identities, and the meanings attached to those identities may vary in relation to each other and to the particular political context. In this article, we provide an intersectional analysis of two minoritized ethno-racial groups, African Americans and Latinos/as. Using data from the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey, we explore the extent to which shared identity matters for perceptions of representation. Our findings demonstrate that while shared identity does influence perceptions of representation, the impact varies in complicate...
ABSTRACT During the past decade, racial/ethnic minority women have made significant strides in U.... more ABSTRACT During the past decade, racial/ethnic minority women have made significant strides in U.S. politics, comprising large portions of their respective minority delegations both in Congress and in state legislatures. This trend has been particularly evident in the growing political presence of Latinas, yet scholars have offered no clear explanations for this electoral phenomenon—until now. In The Latina Advantage, Christina E. Bejarano draws on national public opinion datasets and a close examination of state legislative candidates in Texas and California to demonstrate the new power of the political intersection between race and gender. Underscoring the fact that racial/ethnic minority women form a greater share of minority representatives than do white women among white elected officials, Bejarano provides empirical evidence to substantiate previous theoretical predictions of the strategic advantage in the intersectionality of gender and ethnicity in Latinas. Her evidence indicates that two factors provide the basis for the advantage: increasingly qualified candidates and the softening of perceived racial threat, leading minority female candidates to encounter fewer disadvantages than their male counterparts. Overturning the findings of classic literature that reinforce stereotypes and describe minority female political candidates as being at a compounded electoral disadvantage, Bejarano brings a crucial new perspective to dialogues about the rapidly shifting face of America’s electorate.
Political Research Quarterly
Scholars of gender and race have long acknowledged the importance that descriptive representation... more Scholars of gender and race have long acknowledged the importance that descriptive representation plays for marginalized groups, if not substantively than symbolically. Yet, as candidate pools diversify to better reflect the population, it becomes less clear which among intersecting and overlapping identities will matter and how. Employing data from the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey, we explore the association between minority voters’ sense of linked fate and their beliefs about candidates who share (or do not share) their gender and racial identities. Using this timely and unique data, collected immediately after the 2016 election when race and gender were of particular salience, we examine whether shared racial and gender identity is associated with Black and Latina/o voters’ beliefs about how well different candidates will represent their interests. We conclude by discussing the implications of our research for the changing face of American political candida...
Page 1. GENDER AND ETHNICITY: THE POLITICAL INCORPORATION OF LATINA AND LATINO STATE LEGISLATORS ... more Page 1. GENDER AND ETHNICITY: THE POLITICAL INCORPORATION OF LATINA AND LATINO STATE LEGISLATORS Luis Ricardo Fraga Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study Stanford University fraga@stanford.edu Valerie ...
Abstract will be provided by author.
Political Encyclopedia of U.S. States and Regions, 2009
Political Encyclopedia of U.S. States and Regions, 2009
Politics & Gender, 10(1), Mar 1, 2014
T he 2012 U.S. presidential election reminded both political parties and political researchers ab... more T he 2012 U.S. presidential election reminded both political parties and political researchers about the electoral impact of racial/ethnic minorities and women. In addition, the 2013 U.S. Congress included for the first time in history a majority Democratic delegation made up of women and minorities, while the Republican delegation continued "to be overwhelmingly white and male" (Homan 2012). President Obama won reelection in 2012 with the help of 75% support among Latinos (ImpreMedia/Latino Decisions 2012) and 55% support among women (CNN 2012). Overall, "Obama maintained wide advantages among young people, women, minorities, and both the less affluent and the well-educated" (Pew Research Center 2012). In contrast, Romney relied on mainly white non-Hispanic voters, who represented 89% of his base. These separate electoral strategies proved decisive in the 2012 election, with President Obama ultimately capturing 51% of the vote. The president of the National Council of La Raza, Janet Murguia, has categorized the Latino vote as "the new normal" since "the 2012 electorate, which includes millions of Hispanic voters, has become an American reality that should be embraced by all" (Murguía 2012). There is now growing interest in the increasing political relevance of Latino political participation. Even though Latino political participation in the I am grateful to the anonymous reviewers, as well as to Celeste Montoya and Jessica Vasquez for their helpful feedback. I also benefited from discussions at the 2013 WPSA and the 2011 New Research on Gender in Political Psychology conferences, where I presented earlier versions of this research. An extension of this article is included in my book, The Latino Gender Gap in U.S. Politics (Bejarano 2014).
Abstract will be provided by author.
Abstract will be provided by author.
ABSTRACT During the past decade, racial/ethnic minority women have made significant strides in U.... more ABSTRACT During the past decade, racial/ethnic minority women have made significant strides in U.S. politics, comprising large portions of their respective minority delegations both in Congress and in state legislatures. This trend has been particularly evident in the growing political presence of Latinas, yet scholars have offered no clear explanations for this electoral phenomenon—until now. In The Latina Advantage, Christina E. Bejarano draws on national public opinion datasets and a close examination of state legislative candidates in Texas and California to demonstrate the new power of the political intersection between race and gender. Underscoring the fact that racial/ethnic minority women form a greater share of minority representatives than do white women among white elected officials, Bejarano provides empirical evidence to substantiate previous theoretical predictions of the strategic advantage in the intersectionality of gender and ethnicity in Latinas. Her evidence indicates that two factors provide the basis for the advantage: increasingly qualified candidates and the softening of perceived racial threat, leading minority female candidates to encounter fewer disadvantages than their male counterparts. Overturning the findings of classic literature that reinforce stereotypes and describe minority female political candidates as being at a compounded electoral disadvantage, Bejarano brings a crucial new perspective to dialogues about the rapidly shifting face of America’s electorate.
ABSTRACT Many questions remain unanswered about the observable differences in voting behavior, pa... more ABSTRACT Many questions remain unanswered about the observable differences in voting behavior, partisanship, and cultural attitudes among men and women. Latino political participation in the United States is generally lower than the rest of the population, mainly due to their high proportion of youth and foreign born populations that are ineligible to vote. This dynamic is slowing changing, partly as a result of the rapidly growing Latino population in the United States. This book delves deeper into the complex gender differences for Latino political behavior. More specifically, it is a political analysis of the diverse U.S. Latino population and the interacting factors that can influence male and female differences in voting and policy attitudes. Christina E. Bejarano carefully unpacks more aspects of the gender category for Latinos, including analyzing the gender differences in Latino political behavior across national origin, foreign born status, and generational status. The Latino gender gap can have far-reaching political implications on electoral politics. As the Latino population highlights their growing political sway, the major political parties have and will strategically mobilize and court the Latino electorate, Latinas in particular.
Politics, Groups, and Identities
Intersectional linked fate and political representation Sarah Allen Gershon, Celeste Montoya, Chr... more Intersectional linked fate and political representation Sarah Allen Gershon, Celeste Montoya, Christina Bejarano and Nadia Brown d Political Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA; Political Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Political Science and African American Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
Abstract will be provided by author.
The Second-Wave feminists attempted to create a clear path for female political leaders. Caucasia... more The Second-Wave feminists attempted to create a clear path for female political leaders. Caucasian women clearly benefited most substantially from the movement, and African American women have made some progress, particularly at the state level. In this chapter, Christina E. Bejarano and Valerie Martinez-Ebers expose the perceived disparate impact among the Latina community in which visible female political leaders are extremely rare, and the vast majority of Latinos are unable to name even a single important Latina political leader. Bejarano and Martinez-Ebers contend that Second-Wave Feminism did, in fact, impact Latinas, but the efforts of Latinas in the movement have not been well documented or publicized by scholars or the media. Rather, their successes have been overshadowed by their male counterparts. Bejarano and Martinez-Ebers demonstrate how Latinas’ increased community participation provides them with stronger civic skills and stronger ties to their community/institutions...
Research on political representation demonstrates that the presence of historically underrepresen... more Research on political representation demonstrates that the presence of historically underrepresented groups in political office (descriptive representation) can have not only a substantive impact on policies and procedures but also a symbolic impact that changes the attitudes and even behavior of those groups. The dynamics of group identity and its significance for representation, however, are complicated. Individuals often hold multiple identities, and the meanings attached to those identities may vary in relation to each other and to the particular political context. In this article, we provide an intersectional analysis of two minoritized ethno-racial groups, African Americans and Latinos/as. Using data from the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey, we explore the extent to which shared identity matters for perceptions of representation. Our findings demonstrate that while shared identity does influence perceptions of representation, the impact varies in complicate...
ABSTRACT During the past decade, racial/ethnic minority women have made significant strides in U.... more ABSTRACT During the past decade, racial/ethnic minority women have made significant strides in U.S. politics, comprising large portions of their respective minority delegations both in Congress and in state legislatures. This trend has been particularly evident in the growing political presence of Latinas, yet scholars have offered no clear explanations for this electoral phenomenon—until now. In The Latina Advantage, Christina E. Bejarano draws on national public opinion datasets and a close examination of state legislative candidates in Texas and California to demonstrate the new power of the political intersection between race and gender. Underscoring the fact that racial/ethnic minority women form a greater share of minority representatives than do white women among white elected officials, Bejarano provides empirical evidence to substantiate previous theoretical predictions of the strategic advantage in the intersectionality of gender and ethnicity in Latinas. Her evidence indicates that two factors provide the basis for the advantage: increasingly qualified candidates and the softening of perceived racial threat, leading minority female candidates to encounter fewer disadvantages than their male counterparts. Overturning the findings of classic literature that reinforce stereotypes and describe minority female political candidates as being at a compounded electoral disadvantage, Bejarano brings a crucial new perspective to dialogues about the rapidly shifting face of America’s electorate.
Political Research Quarterly
Scholars of gender and race have long acknowledged the importance that descriptive representation... more Scholars of gender and race have long acknowledged the importance that descriptive representation plays for marginalized groups, if not substantively than symbolically. Yet, as candidate pools diversify to better reflect the population, it becomes less clear which among intersecting and overlapping identities will matter and how. Employing data from the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey, we explore the association between minority voters’ sense of linked fate and their beliefs about candidates who share (or do not share) their gender and racial identities. Using this timely and unique data, collected immediately after the 2016 election when race and gender were of particular salience, we examine whether shared racial and gender identity is associated with Black and Latina/o voters’ beliefs about how well different candidates will represent their interests. We conclude by discussing the implications of our research for the changing face of American political candida...
Page 1. GENDER AND ETHNICITY: THE POLITICAL INCORPORATION OF LATINA AND LATINO STATE LEGISLATORS ... more Page 1. GENDER AND ETHNICITY: THE POLITICAL INCORPORATION OF LATINA AND LATINO STATE LEGISLATORS Luis Ricardo Fraga Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study Stanford University fraga@stanford.edu Valerie ...
Abstract will be provided by author.
Political Encyclopedia of U.S. States and Regions, 2009
Political Encyclopedia of U.S. States and Regions, 2009
Politics & Gender, 10(1), Mar 1, 2014
T he 2012 U.S. presidential election reminded both political parties and political researchers ab... more T he 2012 U.S. presidential election reminded both political parties and political researchers about the electoral impact of racial/ethnic minorities and women. In addition, the 2013 U.S. Congress included for the first time in history a majority Democratic delegation made up of women and minorities, while the Republican delegation continued "to be overwhelmingly white and male" (Homan 2012). President Obama won reelection in 2012 with the help of 75% support among Latinos (ImpreMedia/Latino Decisions 2012) and 55% support among women (CNN 2012). Overall, "Obama maintained wide advantages among young people, women, minorities, and both the less affluent and the well-educated" (Pew Research Center 2012). In contrast, Romney relied on mainly white non-Hispanic voters, who represented 89% of his base. These separate electoral strategies proved decisive in the 2012 election, with President Obama ultimately capturing 51% of the vote. The president of the National Council of La Raza, Janet Murguia, has categorized the Latino vote as "the new normal" since "the 2012 electorate, which includes millions of Hispanic voters, has become an American reality that should be embraced by all" (Murguía 2012). There is now growing interest in the increasing political relevance of Latino political participation. Even though Latino political participation in the I am grateful to the anonymous reviewers, as well as to Celeste Montoya and Jessica Vasquez for their helpful feedback. I also benefited from discussions at the 2013 WPSA and the 2011 New Research on Gender in Political Psychology conferences, where I presented earlier versions of this research. An extension of this article is included in my book, The Latino Gender Gap in U.S. Politics (Bejarano 2014).
Abstract will be provided by author.
Abstract will be provided by author.
ABSTRACT During the past decade, racial/ethnic minority women have made significant strides in U.... more ABSTRACT During the past decade, racial/ethnic minority women have made significant strides in U.S. politics, comprising large portions of their respective minority delegations both in Congress and in state legislatures. This trend has been particularly evident in the growing political presence of Latinas, yet scholars have offered no clear explanations for this electoral phenomenon—until now. In The Latina Advantage, Christina E. Bejarano draws on national public opinion datasets and a close examination of state legislative candidates in Texas and California to demonstrate the new power of the political intersection between race and gender. Underscoring the fact that racial/ethnic minority women form a greater share of minority representatives than do white women among white elected officials, Bejarano provides empirical evidence to substantiate previous theoretical predictions of the strategic advantage in the intersectionality of gender and ethnicity in Latinas. Her evidence indicates that two factors provide the basis for the advantage: increasingly qualified candidates and the softening of perceived racial threat, leading minority female candidates to encounter fewer disadvantages than their male counterparts. Overturning the findings of classic literature that reinforce stereotypes and describe minority female political candidates as being at a compounded electoral disadvantage, Bejarano brings a crucial new perspective to dialogues about the rapidly shifting face of America’s electorate.
ABSTRACT Many questions remain unanswered about the observable differences in voting behavior, pa... more ABSTRACT Many questions remain unanswered about the observable differences in voting behavior, partisanship, and cultural attitudes among men and women. Latino political participation in the United States is generally lower than the rest of the population, mainly due to their high proportion of youth and foreign born populations that are ineligible to vote. This dynamic is slowing changing, partly as a result of the rapidly growing Latino population in the United States. This book delves deeper into the complex gender differences for Latino political behavior. More specifically, it is a political analysis of the diverse U.S. Latino population and the interacting factors that can influence male and female differences in voting and policy attitudes. Christina E. Bejarano carefully unpacks more aspects of the gender category for Latinos, including analyzing the gender differences in Latino political behavior across national origin, foreign born status, and generational status. The Latino gender gap can have far-reaching political implications on electoral politics. As the Latino population highlights their growing political sway, the major political parties have and will strategically mobilize and court the Latino electorate, Latinas in particular.
Politics, Groups, and Identities
Intersectional linked fate and political representation Sarah Allen Gershon, Celeste Montoya, Chr... more Intersectional linked fate and political representation Sarah Allen Gershon, Celeste Montoya, Christina Bejarano and Nadia Brown d Political Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA; Political Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Political Science and African American Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
Abstract will be provided by author.