Emerging Latino civil society in new destinations

This paper will address the rapid emergence—and fracturing—of politically active immigrant coalitions in a “new destination” community outside of Chicago.  In suburban Waukegan, the largely- Mexican Latino population make up fifty-three percent of the population. Prior to 2007, the largely undocumented population was politically dormant. Though constituting a large part of the population, their political representation is limited to two Puerto Rican alderman.

This paper will explore how the political climate has been characterized by a sharp divide between the principally white, ‘old Waukegan’ and the principally Latino ‘new Waukegan.’  These two groups hold different perspectives on the meaning of citizenship and the rights afforded to those within/outside of these conceptualized notions of citizenship.  Within the political sphere, the city council has been dominated by the ‘old’, generating a negative reaction to the influx of immigrants from the local legislative body. This reaction materialized in the passing of harsh anti-immigrant legislations 287g and Secure Communities. Though 287g was removed by subsequent representatives, Secure Communities continues to be heavily enforced.

Approaching Waukegan as a site of emergent Latino civil society, this paper argues that this anti-immigrant political climate has generated a dynamic of coalition building and fracturing. The mobilization among local Latinos reacting to 287g marked the initial engagement of ‘New Waukegan‘.  Though the original coalitions splintered, new coalitions push to improve the quality of life of immigrants in the current “enforcement” climate. This paper will explore the internal divisions within the activist community. Though new coalitions share similarly non-traditional conceptualizations of citizenship and belonging, they prioritize different concerns such as class, classic civic participation, everyday subsistence and access, and legal status and vulnerability. Ultimately, this paper will inquire as to the implications of organizing within “new destination” areas and within a harsh-anti-immigrant climate.