ABSTRACT
The United States is an increasingly multicultural, multiracial society; however, its societal diversity is not reflected in important spheres of influence and power in American society According to the US Census, there are 55.4 million Latinos in the US, constituting 17 percent of the national population. Despite the fact that Latinos and other people of color comprise the demographic future of the United States, as they are predicted to represent 56 percent of the population by 2060, they continue to be underrepresented in key professions and in political institutions. This chapter elaborates on why descriptive representation is one way to resist the current trends. It argues that increasing representation of diverse groups, especially during this period of increasing intolerance and bigotry in society, is critically important for the health of our nation. Latinos have a long history of racialization and exclusion in the US, which continues to the present.
