Which Birds of a Feather Flock Together? Assessing Attitudes About Descriptive Representation Among Latinos and Asian Americans

This study assesses preferences for descriptive representation among Latinos and Asian Americans. The findings are consistent across data sets, measurement strategies, and panethnic groups: Latinos and Asian Americans who do not think of themselves primarily as American, who think that their fate is tied to that of the group, and who are less acculturated are more likely than others to prefer coethnic representatives. The implications of these findings are discussed, with a focus on the conditions under which the nation’s rapidly diversifying population could promote competing views about political representation in the United States.