Christina Bejarano | Scholars Strategy Network

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About Christina

Bejarano is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and advisor on Latina electoral politics in the U.S. She studies the conditions under which racial/ethnic minorities and women successfully compete for U.S. electoral office. Her work also focuses on how racial/ethnic minorities and women can shape or influence the current electoral environment.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications

Contributions

The Rising Participation of Latinas in U.S. Politics and Public Office-Holding

Key Findings Brief, November 2017

In the News

Quoted by Christine Mai-Duc in "Half the Candidates in L.A.'s Congressional Race Are Women: Trump Was 'Wake Up Call'," Los Angeles Times, April 3, 2017.

Opinion: "Mixed Outcomes for Latinas in Election 2016," Christina E. Bejarano, Presidential Gender Watch, November 15, 2016.

Quoted by Mercedes Olivera in "Mercedes Olivera: Gender Gap Clear among Hispanic Voters," The Dallas Morning News, October 14, 2016.

Opinion: "Racial and Gender Reminders for Campaign Appeals," Christina E. Bejarano, Presidential Gender Watch, October 4, 2016.

Quoted by Juhie Bhatia in "Presidential Nominees Ignore Women of Color at Their Peril," Rolling Stone, August 26, 2016.

Opinion: "Calling Our Attention to Women of Color," Christina E. Bejarano, Presidential Gender Watch, August 21, 2016.

Quoted by Suzanne Gamboa in "Clinton Homes in on Latinas, a Growing Part of the Electorate," NBS News, November 23, 2015.

Quoted by Stephen A. Nuño in "Round Two: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the GOP Debate," NBC News, September 17, 2015.

Publications

"Intersectional Linked Fate and Political Representation" (with Sarah Allen Gershon, Celeste Montoya, and Nadia Brown). Politics, Groups, and Identitites 7, no. 3 (2019): 642-653.

Argues the importance of applying intersectional analysis to the study of linked fate. Brings the linked fate literature into conversation with the research on representation. Examines perceptions of “minority linked fate,” the idea that ethno-racial minorities might share a sense of commonality that extends beyond their particular ethno-racial group to other ethno-racial groups, and the race-gendered differences in perceptions of representation for candidates among respondents with low and high levels of minority linked fate. Suggests that minority linked fate may be related to perceptions of representation, but that there are important race-gendered characteristics necessitating further exploration and underscoring the need for diverse samples and intersectional analyses.

"Latino Gender and Generation Gaps in Political Ideology" Politics & Gender 10, no. 1 (2014): 62-88.

Discusses the study of the complex differences in voter gender and Latino political behavior and attitudes.

"New Expectations for Latina State Legislative Representation" in Distinct Identities: Minority Women in U.S. Politics, edited by Nadia Brown and Sarah Allen Gershon (Routledge Press, 2016).

Analyzes state-level characteristics to provide explanations for where we find Latina state level representation in 2014. Finds that Latina state representation does not fit neatly with the traditional models used to explain state variation for women, minority women, or Latino political representation.

"The Latino Gender Gap in U.S. Politics" (Routledge Press, 2014).

Discusses a study of the factors that create substantial gender differences i Latino political behavior and attitudes. Focuses on the 2004, 2008, and 2012 presidential elections. Compares the size and direction of Latino political gender gaps across generations and national origin.

"Tracking the Latino Gender Gap: Gender Attitudes across Sex, Borders, and Generations" (with Sylvia Manzano and Celeste Montoya). Politics & Gender 7, no. 4 (2011): 521-549.

Tests the ability of traditional gender and assimilation theories to account for Latino attitudes on gender equality issues. Finds that there is a distinction between the opinions of the most recent Latino immigrants and other generational cohorts.

"The Latina Advantage: Gender, Race, and Political Success" (University of Texas Press, 2013).

Discusses the study of the conditions under which Latinas successfully compete for U.S. electoral office. Argues intersecting identities provide fewer electoral disadvantages and allow minority women to more readily attain electoral support.

"What Goes around, Comes Round: Race, Blowback, and the Louisiana Elections of 2002 and 2003" (with Gary Segura). Political Research Quarterly 60, no. 2 (2007): 328-337.

Examines the intersectionality of race and gender in the Louisiana elections of 2002 and 2003, to demonstrate the role of party and race in predicting vote. Introduces a new twist on the theory of racial threat for racial/ethnic minority candidates, where whites may not be politically polarized in favor of Republican nominees who are non-white.