Reflections on Latino Advocacy and Welfare Reform in New Jersey

This article explores the political and social dimensions of Latino community-based advocacy, focusing on the actors effectiveness, the linkages between the advocacy organization and state policymakers, and negotiation and decision-making in matters related to community advocacy. The tension between advocacy and the brokering of services emerges as a central role dilemma for these identity-based nonprofits. This raises several issues, including the potential for cooptation of advocacy leadership, whose Latino agencies are almost completely dependent on state and local government for 75 percent of their revenues.