Synopses & Reviews
This important new volume analyzes relations among America's minority groups, specifically the prospects of political coalitions among those usually unrelated groups: African Americans, Asian-Americans, Latinos, Jews, Arab-Americans, and Native Americans. At the end of the 20th century, the United States is faced with a situation where minority groups are no longer assimilating but rather are moving toward separate mini-societies, complete with separate languages, cultures, and economies. Even if society accepts the notion that cultural pluralism is consistent with democratic principles, the possibility of political hyperpluralism (endless and nonproductive conflicts among groups) is disturbing. This volume, therefore, attempts to address the concerns, examining the background of minority organizations, voting behavior issues, and coalitional possibilities. This volume will be of interest to scholars and students alike in American government and ethnic and minority politics.
Review
Rich's edited volume on the possibility of nondominant groups in the US forming effective political coalitions is one of the best on the topic. His reach is encyclopedic, including African, Asian, Latino, Jewish, Native, and Arab American groups creating what he calls a 'mosaic' competing with dominant political groups and with each other to become or remain powerful political actors in the US. He includes scholars well known for their skill in discussing coalition politics, including Paula McClain, Arati Rao, Rodolfo de la Garza, Lana Stein, and Mohannad T. Mehdi, to provide a wealth of perspectives. Tables are thoughtful and quite readable for those not well versed in quantitative behavioral science. The comparative nature of this approach to race and ethnicity includes musings on intra- and intergroup violent behavior--a sobering commentary. The reference materials at the conclusion of each chapter are well presented. Specialists and novices need to read this book because a multiple, interactive perspective on race and ethnic relations is a critical necessity in the current political scene.Choice
Synopsis
This important new volume analyzes relations among America's minority groups, specifically the prospects of political coalitions among those usually unrelated groups: African Americans, Asian-Americans, Latinos, Jews, Arab-Americans, and Native Americans.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction by Wilbur Rich
African Americans and the Coalitional Mood
Anatomy of the Black Political Class by Martin Kilson
Blacks and Coalition Politics by Jerry Watts
Black and Hispanic Competition in Urban Politics by Paula McClain
Asian Americans, Conflicts, and Political Self Korean-Black Conflicts in American Cities by Yong Hyo Cho and Pan Suk Kim
Beyond Redress: The Future of Japanese American Politics in the Mainland by Don T. Nakanishi
Bridges Across Continents: South Asians in the United States by Arati Rao
Chinese Americans as Urban Politicians by L. Ling-Chi Wang
Latinos and the Challenge of Politics
Cuban Americans and Miami Politics by Dario Moreno
Mexican Americans and Chicano Politics by Rodolfo de la Garza
More Than the Sum of Its Parts: The Building Blocks of a Pan-Ethnic Latino Identity by Louis DeSipio
Jews and American Politics
Jews and Liberal Politics by Lana Stein
The Impact of Demographic and Social Change on the Jewish Political Agenda in the 1990s by Terri Fine
Native Americans and the Challenge of Urban Life
Coalitions, Alliances, and Indigenous Resistance to Columbian Quincentenary by Glenn Morris
Native American Participation in Mainstream Politics by Walter Fleming
Arab Americans and Political Images
Arabs and Muslims in the American Society by M. T. Mehdi
The Arab Lobby by Ayad Al-Qazzaz
Index