Latin American Canadians Rethink Their Political Spaces: Grass-Roots or Electoral Participation?

Abstract

Framed by the debate on the decline of party politics and the rise of grass-roots participation, this article explores the civic and political involvement of a group of Latin American immigrants in the city of Toronto. The data were drawn from 100 interviews and two focus groups, one composed of participants who, in Canada, participated at the grass-roots level, and another focused on interviewees who were engaged in political parties. Overall results indicate that, compared to Latin America, in Canada there was a decline in the levels of engagement in formal politics, particularly in political parties, and a slight increase in the levels of participation in grass-roots politics. Associated with grass-roots politics is the perception that it is possible to transform the social reality. Disappointment with the traditional forms of political representation accompanied by a sense of distrust of political parties dominated both focus groups. Limited command of English, low socio-economic status and lack of knowledge of the ‘dynamics of Canadian politics’ were identified as factors that reduced the opportunities for this community to become more politically active. Interestingly, these obstacles seem to be more prevalent in electoral than in grassroots politics.

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