dc.description.abstract | This purpose of this study is to document and evaluate descriptive Latino representation at the local level, over time, and as it relates to characteristics of the Latino population. This study has important implications, particularly within the context of the current immigration debate which places local law enforcement agencies, including sheriff departments and their deputies, at the center of many local immigrant policy responses. Utilizing election records and population statistics generated over the past fifty years, the election of county sheriffs with Hispanic surnames are analyzed for any correlation with the size of the Latino population while controlling for the effects of time within said county. Inferences are drawn based off of the results of logical regressions tests when compared to contemporary theoretical frameworks addressing shared group identity and descriptive representation. The results shed light on a statistically significant correlation between the concentration of Hispanic populations overtime and the election of Hispanic law enforcement officials in Texas localities. | en |