The Times podcast: The battle of 187's ripple effects

A man carries a child on his shoulders and stands beside a police officer.

July 23, 2021 5 AM PT

Listen to this episode of The Times:

Because of California Proposition 187, conservatives turned into liberals, apathetic people got motivated and Latinos in the state truly found their political voice. That happened in 1994. Now members of that generation are all over Capitol Hill.

Today, we speak with Los Angeles Times political reporter Sarah D. Wire about how Congress has changed, what has stayed the same, and whether Donald Trump’s presidency created a new moment that galvanizes Latinos and makes them jump into politics.

This is a brand-new coda of sorts for the L.A. Times-Futuro Studios 2019 podcast series “This Is California: The Battle of 187,” about the 1994 California ballot initiative that sought to make life miserable for undocumented immigrants but instead radicalized a generation of Latinos in the state.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guest: Los Angeles Times political reporter Sarah D. Wire

More reading:

California’s immigrant crackdown propelled Latinos to Washington. After Trump, could it happen again?

Prop. 187 flopped, but it taught the nation’s top immigration-control group how to win

Latino voters tired of being taken for granted by baffled Democratic campaigns

Listen to more episodes of The Times here