Heather Silber Mohamed, a political science professor at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, was awarded for the Best Book in Latino Politics for 2017 by the Latino Caucus of the American Political Science Association. The honor is given annually to a book that analyzes the political thought and practice of Latinos in the United States.
Dr. Silber Mohamed’s book – The New Americans? Immigration, Protest, and the Politics of Latino Identity (University Press of Kansas, 2017) – focuses on research of the 2006 immigration marches and how protest and immigration debate can influence Latinos’ sense of belonging in the United States. She stated, “For some Latinos, the protests in 2006 increased their sense of belonging in the U.S. These events contrast sharply with today’s political environment in which inflammatory rhetoric about immigrants and heightened deportations are increasingly forcing immigrants into the shadows.” The book provides an in-depth look at the historical experiences of the five largest Latino national origin groups currently in the United States: Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Salvadorans, and Dominicans.
Professor Silber Mohamed has six years of experience working for the United States Congress in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University in Massachusetts, a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.