POLITICAL SCIENCE 307.001
Professor Christine Sierra
University of New Mexico

THE POLITICS OF ETHNIC GROUPS

Course Description

This course examines how race and ethnicity are woven into the fabric of American politics and society. The course seeks to provide students with a theoretical grounding in how to understand, analyze, and interpret race and ethnic politics in the U.S. Consequently, an overview of major theoretical approaches to the study of race and ethnic relations are incorporated into this course.

The substantive focus for the course involves the politics and experiences of specific groups: white European ethnics, Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, and Asian Americans. Because of time constraints, the course will not provide an in depth history and analysis of the politics of each of these specific groups. Rather, key aspects of these groups' experiences will be used to illustrate commonalities and differences among them. Their experiences will serve to illustrate theoretical concepts and themes generally applied to the study of race and ethnicity.

Course Requirements and Expectations

The instructor will teach this course as an upper division course. Students should expect a fair amount of reading each week and a high level of exchange and discussion in class with the professor. Students are expected to complete the required reading during the week for which it is assigned. Student participation in class discussion is encouraged, whereas class attendance is required for adequate performance. Frequent absences from class will lower your overall course grade.

Grading Procedures

Course grades will be based on the following:

1. Two analytical papers that will require students to analyze and synthesize the course material. Each paper will count 30% towards the course grade. The instructor will distribute 1 or 2 questions for students to address in their papers. The questions should assist students in framing their arguments and discussion of the course material. Papers must be at least 6-8 typewritten pages in length (double-spaced). Paper guidelines will be distributed in class. The first paper is due February 14. The second paper is due March 21.

2. A final exam (30% of course grade) will be given on Tuesday, May 9th from 5:30-7:30 pm. This exam will consist of objective questions. It will concentrate on material covered in the last part of the course.

3. Class participation and a class assignment will count 10% towards the course grade. The class assignment will require students to submit a 2-page summary of one reading assignment (designated with *). The assignment will be due on the day the reading is assigned for the class.

Required Texts

Steven P. Erie, Rainbow's End: Irish-Americans and the Dilemmas of Urban Machine Politics, 1840-1985. University of California Press, 1988.

Byran O. Jackson and Michael B. Preston, eds. Racial and Ethnic Politics in California. Institute of Governmental Studies, UC Berkeley, 1991.

Michael Omi & Howard Winant. Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990s. 2nd ed. Routledge, 1994.

Ronald Takaki, ed. From Different Shores: Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in America. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 1994.

The Latino Vote in 1992. NALEO Background Paper #19, Washington, D.C. 1992. On Reserve at Zimmerman Library.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Week 1: January 17
Introduction

Begin reading Erie, Rainbow's End

Omi & Winant, pp. 1-6.

Week 2: January 24
The Meaning of Race and Ethnicity in American Life

Omi & Winant, pp. 53-61.

*W. Jordan, "First Impressions: Libidinous Blacks," in Takaki, pp. 41-51.

Erie, Rainbow's End, Chs. 1, 2

Week 3: January 31

The Making of Immigrant America White Ethnic Politics

Erie, Rainbow's End, Chs. 3, 4

*J. Higham, "Strangers in the Land: Nativism and Nationalism," in Takaki, pp. 67- 71.

*E. Ewen, "Sweat Shops and Picket Lines: European Immigrant Women," in Takaki, pp. 199-208.

Week 4: February 7

White Ethnic Politics Race and Ethnic Relations: The Role of the State

Erie, Rainbow's End, Chs. 5, 6

*R. Takaki, "The Metaphysics of Civilization: Indians and the Age of Jackson," in Takaki, pp. 52-66.

Week 5: February 14

Machine Politics, An Assessment of Competing Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity: The Ethnicity Paradigm

Erie, Rainbow's End, Ch. 7

Omi & Winant, pp. 9-23.

*N. Glazer, "The Emergence of an American Ethnic Pattern" in Takaki, pp. 11-23.

*R. Takaki, "Reflections on Racial Patterns in America," in Takaki, pp. 24-35.

*M. Garcia, "Border Culture," in Takaki, pp. 72-81.

**FIRST PAPER DUE IN CLASS TODAY**

Week 6: February 21

Alternative Theoretical Perspectives: Class-Based Theory, Nation-Based Theory

Omi & Winant, pp. 24-50.

*T.H. Breen, "The `Giddy Multitude'" in Takaki, pp. 107-117.

*C. Rodriguez, "Puerto Ricans and the Political Economy of New York," in Takaki, pp. 118-123.

*L. Miranda King, "Puertorriquenas in the U.S.," in Takaki, pp. 209-213.

*T. Almaguer, "Racial Domination and Class Conflict in Capitalist Agriculture," in Takaki, pp. 128-138.

*R. Blauner, "Colonized and Immigrant Minorities," in Takaki, pp. 149-160.

*Jackson & Preston, Ch. 3 (S.Anderson)

Week 7: February 28

Alternative Theoretical Perspectives: Racial Formation Theory

Omi & Winant, Chs. 5, 6, 7 (pp. 77-136)

Week 8: March 7

The Politics of Gender, Race, and Ethnicity

Takaki, pp. 161-165.

*P. Marynick Palmer, "White Women/Black Women," in Takaki, pp. 167-174.

*A. Garcia, "The Development of Chicana Feminist Discourse," in Takaki, pp. 175-183.

*E. Ngan-Ling Chow, "The Feminist Movement: Where Are All the Asian American Women?" in Takaki, pp. 184-191.

*P. Gunn Allen, "Who Is Your Mother? Red Roots of White Feminism," in Takaki, pp. 192-198.

*B. Thorton Dill, "Race, Class, and Gender: Prospects for an All-Inclusive Sisterhood," in Takaki, pp. 214-223.

Week 9: March 14 Spring Break/No Class

Week 10: March 21

Racial and Ethnic Groups in the U.S.: A Contemporary Profile

**SECOND PAPER DUE IN CLASS TODAY**

Week 11: March 28

Political Behavior & Electoral Politics

Jackson & Preston, Ch. 1 (B.Cain); Ch. 10 (W. Middleton); Ch. 15 (J. Regalado); and Ch. 4 (H. Pachon).

Week 12: April 4

Electoral Politics: Voting Behavior

Jackson & Preston: Chs. 2 (D. Nakanishi); 5 (R.Sonenshein); 9 (B. Jackson)

Week 13: April 11

Voting Behavior, Cont'd.

NALEO, The Latino Vote in 1992 (on Reserve)

Jackson & Preston, Ch. 12 (Santillan & Subervi-Velez)

Week 14: April 18

Political Representation: Urban Politics

Jackson & Preston, Ch. 6 (F. Guerra); Ch. 7 (Berg & Holman); Ch. 13 (Henry & Munoz); Ch. 14 (Uhlaner)

Week 15: April 25

Politicking at the National Level

Omi & Winant, Conclusion & Epilogue, pp. 137-159.

Week 16: May 2

Ethnic Group Competition, Conflict, and Coalitions: Issues of Public Policy

*William Julius Wilson, "The Black Community," in Takaki, pp. 243-250.

*Charles Murray, "White Popular Wisdom: Losing Ground," in Takaki, pp. 251-256.

*Ronald Takaki, "A Dream Deferred: The Crisis of Losing Ground," in Takaki, pp. 257-260.

*D. Hayes-Bautista, et al., "The Burden of Support: Young Latinos in an Aging Society," in Takaki, 270-276.

Final Exam: Tuesday, May 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m.