Latino Mayors: Political Change in the Postindustrial City 

Join the Initiative on Cities, the Latin American Studies program, the Center for Latin American Studies, and African American Studies program on Thursday, November 14th for a book talk with Marion Orr, the co-editor of Latino Mayors: Political Change in the Postindustrial City.

As recently as the early 1960s, Latinos were almost totally excluded from city politics. This makes the rise of Latino mayors in the past three decades a remarkable American story—one that explains ethnic succession, changing urban demography, and political contexts. Latino Mayors features case studies of eleven Latino mayors in six American cities: San Antonio, Los Angeles, Denver, Hartford, Miami, and Providence.

The editors and contributors featured in the book analyze Latino mayors for their governing styles and policies. They describe how candidates shaped race, class, and economic issues—particularly in deracialized campaigns. Latino Mayors also addresses coalition politics, political incorporation, and how community groups operate, as well as the challenges these pioneers have faced in office.

Marion Orr is the Frederick Lippitt Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Political Science and Urban Studies at Brown University. He specializes in urban politics, race and ethnic politics, and African-American politics and is the author of several books, including Black Social Capital: The Politics of School Reform in Baltimore and The Color of School Reform: Race, Politics and the Challenge of Urban Education.