Latina/Os and Party Politics in the California Campaign Against Bilingual Education: A Case Study in Argument from Transcendence

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This essay analyzes the campaign for California Proposition 227, a 1997 ballot initiative outlawing bilingual education, in the discourse of the movement's Republican organizer Ron Unz. Unlike previous Republican campaigns which were targeted exclusively at Latina/os, Proposition 227 had to appeal to both Latina/o and Anglo voters. As a result, the campaign used argument from transcendence and identification to resolve the difficult tensions in language policy and party politics and to portray Proposition 227 as a pro-Latino and pro-assimilation initiative. Analysis of this campaign enriches our understanding of argument from transcendence and complicates scholarship on Republican campaigns targeting Latina/o voters.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)115-134
Number of pages20
JournalArgumentation and Advocacy
Volume45
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2009
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Latina/os
  • Proposition 227
  • Republican party
  • identification
  • transcendence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Communication

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