“New” Civil Rights Strategies for Latino Political Empowerment *

Latinos became the largest political “minority” group and gained a modicum of political representation in Massachusetts during the past decade. In contrast to 1983, when there was only one elected representative (Camayd-Freixas and Lopez 1983, 24), by 1994, Massachusetts had eight Latino elected officials and there are prospects for increased representation in several districts. ¹ These gains follow the national pattern in which Latino population growth precedes increased political representation. They have been achieved through the creation of Latino majority districts and “rainbow” districts in which Latinos and other minority groups, usually African Americans, have combined to form political majorities.