I know nothing about this topic, but a few articles have me wondering about the influence Latin American immigrants, especially Mexicans, might be having - and will have to a larger degree in the future - on community and labor organizing. Last week, I read this article in the Black Agenda report on the efforts to stop gentrification in Harlem and noticed the prominent roles being played by hispanic immigrants (as well as African Americans and Asian immigrants). That reminded me of this report, which noted the important role Mexican and Puerto Rican workers played - along with African Americans - in organizing the Smithfield North Carolina plant. The Mexican workers were tenacious in North Carolina, even amid ICE stings.

All of which has made me want to learn more about the possible impact immigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries may be having on organizing labor and community efforts. Anybody know anything? Read anything? Think anything?

I sense there's something potentially important here, but don't know enough to describe or confirm it.

I do remember from Clinton's work in California during the primary that the Mexican American community was generally much more organized than a lot of other communities. We also saw that in their ability to turn out large protests for immigration reform. I think relatively new immigrants* - legal and otherwise - are still much more dependent on networks for support and those networks can also be used to organize them.

* Certainly not all Mexican Americans are new to the U.S. Given that California used to be part of Mexico, many of them have been here for generations.