GOVERNMENTS ROLE IN THE UNDERREPRESENTATION OF LATINAS IN PUBLIC-EMPLOYMENT

The underrepresentation of Latinas (Hispanic women) in management posi tions in local government may be determined more by the failure of ele cted officials to rationally and equitably apply equal employment poli cies to Latinas than to demographic, availability, or educational fact ors. This research explores entrenched patterns of underrepresentation between Latinas and their non-Hispanic female counterparts through an analysis of triangulated data and trends from these sources relative to the representation of Latinas in management (decision-making) posit ions in the largest county government work force in the nation. Employ ment patterns for Latinas in management positions show that 25 years a fter Los Angeles County enacted comprehensive affirmative action and e qual employment policies, across both gender and ethnic or racial line s, Latinas remain the most underrepresented of any protected group in management. The few theories and hypotheses accounting for historic et hnic and gender labor force underrepresentation in public employment f ail to clarify and account for these patterns of sustained underutiliz ation. Government's failure to exercise its power and accept responsib ility for these results appears as the most obvious and consistent con tributor to employment discrimination of Latinas. County government of ficials must carefully weigh the ramifications of various legal option s available to Latina employees.