An Examination of Social Justice and U.S Politics Among Mexican Americans: The Role of Education in Political Participation

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and behaviors of Mexican Americans toward social justice issues in a political context, as a function of educational attainment. Based on the premise set forth by Boakari (2006), we expected those with a higher level of educational attainment would reflect both perceptions and behaviors that represent a more socially aware and participative citizen within a political context. Results were significant for all analyses, indicating that participants with a higher level of educational attainment had perceptions and self-reported behaviors more congruent with social justice issues in a political context, compared to participants with a lower level of educational attainment. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of education in shaping the participation of Mexican Americans in issues related to social justice and U.S. politics