WASHINGTON — In findings that have important implications for political recruitment efforts, a study released Thursday shows that 81% of naturalized Latino immigrants have registered to vote but many have not aligned themselves with either the Democratic or Republican party.
The study, conducted for the National Assn. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, found that about 25% of naturalized Latino immigrants have not embraced either party, and that 62% of legal immigrants who are eligible for citizenship have no party preference.
The registration level among foreign-born Latino citizens eclipses that of all American citizens, 70% of whom are registered to vote, reflecting a high level of interest on the part of immigrants in participating in the political process here.
The registration finding defies conventional wisdom that Latinos generally are uninterested in American politics, said Harry Pachon, executive director of NALEO and a Kenan professor of politics at Pitzer College in Claremont.
The survey was based on 1,636 interviews with naturalized citizens and permanent legal residents from eight states, including California. Nearly half of the participants were born in Mexico, while more than a fourth immigrated from Cuba. The rest were from 15 other Latin American nations.
Among naturalized immigrants from Mexico, 42% identified themselves as Democrats and 16% as Republicans. That contrasts sharply with naturalized Cubans, 63% of whom are affiliated with the Republican Party and only 9% with the Democratic Party.
Among naturalized immigrants from other nations, 34% called themselves Democrats and 28% Republicans. In the U.S. population at large, 35% identify themselves as Democrats and 27% as Republicans.
Key Constituency
The large numbers of nonaligned immigrants, combined with Census Bureau statistics showing that 81% of registered Latinos voted in the 1988 presidential election, indicate that Latino citizens are an increasingly important constituency for the major parties.
"We found that voting is a leading reason for becoming a U.S. citizen, so these unaffiliated citizens represent an untapped well for the parties to court," said Rep. Edward R. Roybal (D-Los Angeles), president of the association's educational fund.
Pachon said almost 5 million non-naturalized Latinos legally reside in the country. And by late 1993, that pool will increase by nearly 2 million under the terms of the nation's alien amnesty law.
