Preface
About the Authors
Part I: Introduction
Chapter 1: Introduction: Race as an Uneven Road
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
