Assimilation, Gender and Political Participation: The Mexican American Case

Marcelo Bohrt-Seeghers, University of Texas at Austin

In this paper, I attempt to determine whether Mexican Americans have assimilated into mainstream America in terms political participation, and whether the assimilation experience is different for men than it is for women. Using data from the 2004 Current Population Survey [CPS] November Voter Supplement, I conduct a series of cross tabulations in order to uncover the patterns of assimilation of Mexican American men and women across generations and compared to non-Hispanic Whites and Blacks. I find persistent gaps between non-Hispanic Whites and Blacks and Mexican Americans, which do not favor the latter. I also find that men and women present different patterns of assimilation. Finally, I notice that the assimilation process is influenced both by individual level factors, such as education, and context.