"With depth and nuance, Garcia Bedolla explores how the dynamics of immigration have affected political socialization, attitudes, and practices, as well as levels of political participation among Latinos and Latinas in Los Angeles. In so doing, she has produced an important and insightful contribution to the study of Latina/o politics."--Edwina Barvosa-Carter, Assistant Professor of Social and Political Theory, Department of Chicana/o Studies, UC Santa Barbara
"Drawing upon an impressive number of in-depth interviews, Lisa García Bedolla intriguingly demonstrates how Latino perceptions of social stigma shape collective identities, social networks, and forms of political mobilization. Her respondents engage questions about political marginality and empowerment in complex and nuanced ways that strikingly reveal how class, gender, and generation constitute significant categories of difference among Latinos."--Michael Omi, co-author of Racial Formation in the United States
"Fluid Borders is an important book in the evolving literature on Latino politics and race and politics. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, García Bedolla details the attitudes and actions of two contrasting Latino communities in Los Angeles. Never losing sight of the visible class differences that exist between the two communities, García Bedolla also explores other significant factors such as collective identity, foreign-born status and political socialization in what is truly an insightful intersectional analysis. Through her lucid writing and interviews, García Bedolla provides the reader with depth and texture, greatly enhancing our understanding of Latino politics."--Cathy Cohen, author of The Boundaries of Blackness: AIDS and the Breakdown of Black Politics
"Fluid Borders is a rich and fascinating book, overturning many of the preconceptions social scientists have held about the relationship between economic and linguistic assimilation and political mobilization. It is sure to spark lively debate and further study of its key themes of immigration, class, identity and politics."--Michael Jones-Correa, author of Between Two Nations: The Political Predicament of Latinos in New York City
