February 3, 1997

UCSC hosts panel discussion on Latinos and the 1996 elections

By Jennifer McNulty

From the upset victory of Democrat Loretta Sanchez over incumbent Republican Congressman Robert Dornan in Orange County to the passage of Proposition 209, Latinos had a lot at stake in the 1996 elections. The Chicano/Latino Research Center at UC Santa Cruz is hosting a panel discussion entitled "Lessons from the 1996 Elections for Latino Politics," on Friday, February 14, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Baobab Lounge at Merrill College on the UCSC campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Panelists are Monica Lozano, editor and publisher of La Opinion, the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the United States; David Ayon, researcher with the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University; and Luis Fraga, associate professor of political science at Stanford University. Pedro Castillo, associate professor of history at UCSC, and Anna Sampaio, lecturer in politics at UCSC, will participate in the discussion, which will be moderated by Jonathan Fox, associate professor of Latin American and Latino studies at UCSC.

"Latino voter registration and turnout rose dramatically at the state and national level, particularly in California," says Fox. "This diverse group of political observers will analyze what this increasing Latino participation means for state and national politics."

In addition to Proposition 209 and the Orange County race, panelists will discuss the role of Latinos in the second Clinton administration.

The discussion is cosponsored by UCSC's Chicano/Latino Research Center, the politics department, the history department, Casa Latina, Latin American and Latino studies, and Merrill College. For more information, call (408) 459-3789.

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