Latinos and the Voting Rights Act The Search for Racial Purpose [Hardcover]

This book is a deep dive into the racism underlying passage of a discriminatory redistricting plan and a discriminatory voter identification law (SB14), both approved in Texas during the 2011 legislative session. Flores combines blow-by-blow accounts of the passage of those controversial measures, a legal investigation into the degree to which each violated the rights of Latinos and thus the Voting Rights Act, and the history of race relations in Texas, all framed by the Supreme Courts discussion of discriminatory purpose in Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp (1977). The book tells the rich and detailed story of racial animosity among Republican supporters of the two measures, as well as legislators use of 'racist shields' and their refusal to discuss how SB14 might unfairly restrict Latino participation. Flores speaks powerfully to the history of race relations in Texas, where Latinos 'find themselves being used as a buffer race between Anglos and African Americans,' and the inattention of courts to the many ways that the two minority communities differ. He briefly touches on the impact of Shelby County v. Holder (2012), and calls for a recommitment to the proposition that all citizens, including Latino citizens, should have an equal electoral voice. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections.This impressive and important volume explores some of the ways in which law has been used in recent times to disempower minority voters and distort democracy in the United States&. Flores provides an insiders view of this litigation and produces a richly detailed and nuanced narrative based on voluminous documentary evidence related to both cases&. Overall, this book shows the continuing relevance of race and racism in U.S. politics and policy and some ways in which racial prejudice may distort American democracy. It also outlines a promising methodology for scholars and legal activists alike to examine and, when relevaló