Coalition Prospects for African Americans and Latinos in Los Angeles : The Villaraigosa Experience

Significant pessimism surrounds Black-Latino coalition building because of street-level conflict and political competition. An evolutionary view of coalitions at elite and mass levels shows that these prospects can change. This paper explores the evolution of a Black-Latino coalition in Los Angeles from its roots in the 1990s through the election of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The focus is on voting behavior in differing neighborhoods of South Los Angeles with large African American populations, along with elite analysis of coalition linkages