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

Third Edition

Other Titles in:
Minority Politics

July 2024 | 488 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 Third Edition of this groundbreaking text, authors ShawDeSipioPinderhughesFrasure, 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.

 
PART I: INTRODUCTION
 
1 Introduction: Race as an Uneven Road
Does Race 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
 
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

 
The Road after 1972

 
 
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

 
Conclusion: The Road to Black Politics up to 1965

 
The Road since 1965

 
 
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

 
The Road after 1975

 
 
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

 
 
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

 
The Road after 1965

 
 
PART III: POLICY AND SOCIAL ISSUES
 
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

 
 
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

 
 
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?

 
 
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

 
 
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 Twenty-First Century: Alternative Roads

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

 
 
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

 
Conclusion: The Political Value of Transnational Politics

 
 
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

 

Supplements

Instructor Resource Site
Online resources included with this text

The online resources for your text are available via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site, which offers access to all figures, tables, and maps found in this book.

For additional information, custom options, or to request a personalized walkthrough of these resources, please contact your sales representative.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Ch01_Introduction

Ch02_Native Americans


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ISBN: 9781071824566
£84.00