The application of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) to the homopolymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate and 2-(methyacryloyloxy) ethyl trimethylammonium chloride at the surface of a crosslinked polystyrene latex functionalized with alkyl bromide groups is reported. Polymerization was carried out using the surface groups of the dialyzed latex as initiators. The resulting hydrophobic core, hydrophilic shell latexes, were analyzed by FTIR, C-13-NMR spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering.