COMPARATIVE ETHNIC POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES: Beyond Black and White

The study of race in American politics has largely been confined to the examination of African-Americans and their relations with whites. Demographic changes in the American population necessitate that we broaden this perspective to include other nonwhite groups. In this essay, we examine the similarities and differences between African-Americans on the one hand and Latinos and Asian-Americans on the other. In particular, we identify factors that are likely to distinguish the political experiences of these groups, focusing particularly on the roles of immigration and group identity. We also examine the state of knowledge regarding circumstances under which intergroup competition and cooperation are likely to occur. We suggest that neither competition nor cooperation is inevitable; rather, the emergence of either will be contingent on the specific historical and demographic circumstances of the community and the choices and attitudes of both political elites and mass publics.