1. Overview / Maria Luisa Chávez -- Labels, definitions, similarities, and differences -- Demographic profile of U.S. Latinos : population size and composition -- Education -- Economic and labor force characteristics -- Latinas and economic and labor force characteristics -- The historical context of three Latino groups in the United States -- Other smaller Latino groups -- Models of Latino political participation -- Conclusion -- References -- 2. Protest politics / Lisa Magana, Armando Xavier Mejia -- Latino protest politics : critical questions and periodization -- Waves of Latino protest politics -- The Puerto Rican struggle for civil rights in the 1960s and beyond -- The Chicano movement for civil rights of the 1960s and 1970s -- Cesar Chavez and the struggle of the United Farm Workers -- Contemporary protest politics -- Future considerations for protest politics -- References -- 3. Interest groups and social movements / Sharon Ann Navarro -- Communities of interest -- Linking politics to movements -- Mexican Americans : the movement toward inclusiveness -- Cuban Americans : national politics -- Puerto Ricans : core groups -- Other Latino groups -- Conclusion -- References -- 4. Electoral politics / John A. Garcia, Gabriel Sanchez -- The components of this chapter -- Political participation in the United States -- Latinos and political participation -- Key determinants of Latino political participation -- The electoral arena and Latinos -- Salient policy issues and Latinos -- Latino political participation and associated factors -- Conclusion -- References -- 5. Latinos in office / José E. Cruz -- Latino office-holding -- The context for Latino office-holding -- National office-holding -- State office-holding -- Local office-holding -- Increased access to office since 1965 -- The content of representation -- Latina office-holders -- The path to political office -- References -- Documents -- Key people, laws, and terms -- Resources -- Chronology -- Appendix.