Will Latinos begin to flex political muscle?
STOCKTON - Latinos now make up the largest segment of Stockton's voting-age population, but their numbers have not necessarily translated as political clout - something advocates say is beginning to change as younger generations, born and raised in San Joaquin County, seek greater political influence.
According to census data released last week, Latinos make up 36 percent of the voting-age population in Stockton. That's the largest of any racial or ethnic group, and up from 29 percent a decade ago.
But according to analysis from the Pew Hispanic Center, Latinos represented 8 percent of all voters in last year's national election.
Locally, Latinos tend to be younger than the general population, with a median age of 24.8, versus 42.2 for white residents.
They also are likelier to be immigrants: 35 percent of Latinos in the county are foreign-born. (Asians, though, represent the group with the largest proportion of immigrants: 57 percent are foreign-born.) Most Latino immigrants are not naturalized.
Atul Kapoor, himself a naturalized citizen, born in India, runs an immigration-consulting business in north Stockton. For a fee, he and his associates help clients with green card and citizenship applications.
Most of his clients, who reach him by word of mouth, are Indian. But, he said, he wants to encourage more Latino clients to pursue citizenship.
"I became a citizen because I knew the good things," Kapoor said. "There is Social Security and federal grants, ... you can also vote."
Ines Ruiz-Huston oversees Latino outreach for University of the Pacific.
Latino students have long been active in the community through service and volunteering, she said.
Now, she said, more young Latinos also seem to be interested in mainstream political participation.
"I think it's transforming," Ruiz-Huston said.
Two students she has worked with have taken jobs on the staffs of state legislators. Another two, who moved to the Bay Area after graduating, are considering school board campaigns, she said.
Locally, things are changing as well.
"All of a sudden, here we have Sara Cazares. We have David Varela and Angel Jimenez," Ruiz-Huston said of the Stockton Unified trustees who, along with Trustees Jose Morales and Sal Ramirez, represent a solidly Latino majority. "Wow, there's a shift. There's movement. There's encouragement. There's support."
Meanwhile, in neighboring Lincoln Unified - with a 34.4 percent Latino student population - trustees drew criticism recently when they declined to appoint a Latino candidate to a vacant school board seat.
Latinos in recent years have been elected to the area's other major governing bodies - the San Joaquin Delta College board, the Stockton City Council, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors - but not in large numbers.
Obstacles remain, Ruiz-Huston said.
"Sometimes, with the older generation, they're kind of wary about us getting involved politically," she said. "There's some distrust."
A more significant challenge is money, she said. "Our community is not a very well-to-do community, but we're quickly coming up. ... How can we learn from other groups to have the monetary support to move toward these political opportunities? It's tough for us to ask people for money."
Monica Gonzalez, 25, is helping her parents apply for citizenship. While she was born in the United States, they are permanent residents here, born in Mexico.
It was voting that finally motivated her father to pursue naturalization, Gonzales said.
"Anything to do with politics, he wants to get involved," she said. "Especially with our last election. He was all into it. When I didn't vote, he was so upset with me. 'What are you doing? Every vote counts.' We started pushing him back. 'Why don't you get your citizenship?' "
Gonzalez said she has since registered to vote.