From Cape Horn to Alaska: Adjacent Effects of Local and International Migration from Latin America.

This research examines the impact of associational participation of migrants on their political integration in the US, by testing the social capital argument that participation in voluntary organizations is beneficial for political engagement. In the first part of the research I will identify the migration patterns within the Latin American countries and the effects that such patterns have on the initial construction of social capital. The migration to the United States of America implies certain changes in the structure of the social capital, initially affecting the family construction and extending further to broader networks of social reciprocity. By identifying the effects those changes might have at the level of the Latino community, I will discuss the potential and the interest of the latter in making a significant contribution to the American politics through civic engagement. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]