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Uneven Roads
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Uneven Roads
An Introduction to U.S. Racial and Ethnic Politics

Second Edition

Other Titles in:
Minority Politics

April 2018 | 512 pages | CQ Press

Uneven Roads helps students grasp how, when, and why race and ethnicity matter in U.S. politics. Using the metaphor of a road, with twists, turns, and dead ends, this incisive text takes students on a journey to understanding political racialization and the roots of modern interpretations of race and ethnicity. The book’s structure and narrative are designed to encourage comparison and reflection. Students critically analyze the history and context of U.S. racial and ethnic politics to build the skills needed to draw their own conclusions.

In the Second Edition of this groundbreaking text, authors Shaw, DeSipio, Pinderhughes, and Travis bring the historical narrative to life by addressing the most contemporary debates and challenges affecting U.S. racial and ethnic politics. Students will explore important issues regarding voting rights, political representation, education and criminal justice policies, and the immigrant experience. A revised final chapter on intersectionality encourages students to examine how groups go beyond the boundaries of race and ethnicity to come together on matters of class, gender, and sexuality.


 
Preface
 
About the Authors
 
Part I: Introduction
 
Chapter 1: Introduction: Race as an Uneven Road
Does Race Still Matter?

 
Defining Race, Ethnicity, and Racism

 
Racial Classification, Citizenship, and Group Status

 
The Uneven Road of Race: Our Framework

 
Conclusion: The Journey Ahead

 
 
Part II: Historical Foundations
 
Chapter 2: Native Americans: The Road from Majority to Minority, 1500s–1970s
Native Communities in North America

 
Rising Tensions: Native Americans and the New United States, 1776–1830s

 
U.S. Federal Policy Erodes Indian Rights, 1830s

 
The Civil War and Its Aftermath: Slaveholding and the Fourteenth Amendment

 
U.S. Federal Policy: Assimilation versus Culture and Sovereignty, 1870s–1950s

 
Termination of Federal Support of Tribes, 1945–1950s

 
Civil Rights and Self-Determination, 1960s–1970s

 
Conclusion: A Continuing Struggle for Equal Rights

 
 
Chapter 3: The African American Political Journey, 1500s–1965
Race, Slavery, and the Origins of African Americans, 1500s–1790s

 
The Early American Republic and Black Political Resistance, 1770s–1865

 
The Antebellum Black Community and Political Resistance

 
The Civil War and Its Aftermath, 1860–1877

 
Black Politics in the Jim Crow Era, 1880–1940

 
The Second Reconstruction: Postwar and Civil Rights Movement Era, 1950s–1960s

 
Civil Rights Demonstrations and Mass Protest in the South: The Second Major Protest Cycle, 1960–1964

 
Conclusion: The Road to Black Politics Up to 1965

 
 
Chapter 4: The Road toward Contemporary Latino Politics, 1500s–1970s
The Road’s Colonial Beginnings, 1493–1850

 
Destruction of Mexican American Politics, Late 1800s

 
The Rebirth of Mexican American Politics, 1900–1960

 
From Civic Activism to Political Engagement

 
Differing Paths: Puerto Ricans and Cubans, 1890s–1950s

 
Civil Rights and Ethnic Nationalism in Latino Communities, 1960s–1970s

 
Conclusion: Latinos as a Pan-Ethnic Group

 
 
Chapter 5: Different and Common Asian American Roads, 1800s–1960s
The Racialization of Asian Americans

 
European Imperialism and Asian Emigration

 
Immigration and Economics before the Anti-Asian Zenith, Up to the 1870s

 
Early Community Formation among Asian Americans

 
Race, Region, and the Anti-Asian Era, 1870s–1940s

 
Shifts and Declines in the Anti-Asian Era, 1940s–1960s

 
Asian American Political Empowerment in the Civil Rights Era

 
The Asian American Journey Since 1965: The Model Minority and Racial Threat Myth Today

 
Conclusion: The Uneven Roads of Asian American Opportunity

 
 
Chapter 6: Whiteness and the Shifting Roads of Immigrant America, 1780s–1960s
Who Is White? Racial Considerations at the Time of the Founding

 
Large-Scale Immigration and Overcoming Ethnic Exclusion

 
White Identity at the Dawn of the Civil Rights Era

 
The State and White Advantage

 
Conclusion: Legacies of Racial Hierarchy and the Roots of Contemporary Politics

 
 
Part III: Policy and Social Issues
 
Chapter 7: Voting Rights in American Life
Minority Groups and Voting Rights

 
The Civil Rights Movement as a Foundation for Voting Expansion

 
Civil Rights and Voting Rights Legislation after 1965

 
Redistricting and Minority Representation

 
The Politics behind the 2006 Early Renewal of the Voting Rights Act

 
The Long-Term Stability of the Voting Rights Act

 
Conclusion: The Role of Race in Contemporary Voting Rights

 
 
Chapter 8: Group Identity, Ideology, and Activism
Why Group Identity, Ideology, and Activism Matter

 
Race, Ethnicity, and Public Opinion

 
Race, Ethnicity, and Political Ideology: The Political Impact of Racialization

 
Activist Pathways to Empowerment

 
The Legacy of Grassroots and Civil Rights Activism

 
Conclusion: Mobilizing for a Changed Future

 
 
Chapter 9: Political Behavior and Representation: Minorities’ Growing Voice
Why Is the Minority Vote Important?

 
Minority Civic Engagement: Patterns in Participation

 
Minority Ideology and Partisanship: Finding a Place in the U.S. Political System

 
Minority Electoral Participation: Unrealized Potential to Influence Politics

 
Representation: Electing a Voice for Minority Interests

 
Conclusion: Have Minorities Overcome Political Exclusion?

 
 
Chapter 10: Education and Criminal Justice Policies: Opportunity and Alienation
Race, Ethnicity, and Public Policy

 
Public Education: Opportunities and Detours

 
Race, Ethnicity, and Education Policy Outcomes

 
The Criminal Justice System: Barriers and Roadblocks

 
Race, Ethnicity, and Criminal Justice Policy Outcomes

 
Conclusion: Public Policy Destinations

 
 
Chapter 11: Immigration Policy: The Road to Settlement and Citizenship
Immigrant Status and Numbers

 
Immigration Policies before 1965

 
The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Amendments

 
U.S. Immigrant Incorporation Policies

 
Immigration Policy in the 21st Century: Alternative Roads

 
Minority Communities and Minority Coalitions in the Immigration Reform Debate

 
Conclusion: A Turning Point for U.S. Immigration Policy

 
 
Chapter 12: Diasporic Politics and Foreign Affairs
The Growing Ease of Transnational Activity

 
The Roots of Contemporary Transnational Engagement: Family and Community Ties

 
Transnational Activity: Beyond the Immigrant Generation

 
U.S. Foreign Policy and Minority Communities

 
Conclusion: The Political Value of Transnational Politics

 
 
Chapter 13: Beyond Race: Intersections of Race, Gender, Class, and Sexual Orientation
The Still Uneven Roads of Race, Racism, and Ethnicity

 
The Uneven Roads of Identity Politics

 
Intersecting Roads: Race, Gender, Class, and Sexual Orientation

 
Possible Responses to Uneven Roads

 
Conclusion: Prospects for the Future

 
 
Index

Uneven Roads gives a sincere, unromantic and yet nonjudgmental account of how legal and political institutions were established in ways that impacted the civil and legal status of millions of Americans. It engaged, enraged, and informed my students of the structural influences on the confusing issue of race in the United States.”

Melissa Buice
West Virginia Wesleyan College

“An ideal Race and Ethnic Politics textbook… Students will learn a lot, and faculty will find it easy to design their class assignments around the material.”

Terri Jett
Butler University

Uneven Roads is one of the few race and politics textbooks that provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the history surrounding major racial groups coupled with social and political issues related to race in the contemporary United States.”

Camille Burge
Villanova University

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