ANNUAL EDITIONS: Race and Ethnic Relations, Sixteenth Edition
Unit 1 Local Experiences of Racial and Ethnic Identity, Communities, and Diversity in AmericaNew! 1. Ethnic Goes Exurban, Tyler Cowen, The Washington Post, September 3, 2006
Tyler Cowen’s account opens a wide angle vista onto the migration of ethnic restaurants in Northern Virginia, and settlement patterns and practices related to ethnic food in the Washington metropolitan area. 2. It's Blarney Meets Chutzpah, over Red Wine and Green Beer, Jennifer Medina, The New York Times, March 17, 2003
The convergence on the same night of two religious holidays—Saint Patrick’s Day and Purim—brings together Catholics and Jews in New York City to celebrate. New! 3. A Shift in the Income Divide in Queens Puts Blacks Ahead of Whites, Sam Roberts, The New York Times, October 1, 2006
This neighborhood profile by Sam Roberts reveals income and housing settlement varieties of African Americans, and challenges stereotypical notions. 4. 'New Brooklyns' Replace White Suburbs, Rick Hampson, USA Today, May 19, 2003
Rick Hampson’s new metaphor found in his report on recent census data and the migration from cities to suburbs reveals the ongoing shift of urban ethnicities and the formation of new patterns of residential and migrant-group interaction as the metropolitization of America enters its fifth decade. 5. Parishes in Transition: Holding on While Letting Go, Jessica Trobaugh Temple and Erin Blasko, South Bend Tribune, May 8, 2003
These local accounts of Hispanic, Hungarian, and Polish communities reveal the transition experienced by ethnic Catholic parishes in an older industrial city of the Midwest. 6. In New York, Gospel Resounds in African Tongues, Daniel J. Wakin, The New York Times, April 18, 2004
Daniel Wakin’s account of a new African immigrant spirituality reveals the changing patterns of religion and cultural differentiation related to recent immigrant experiences within the larger demographic category of African-Americans. New! 7. In Brooklyn, an Evolving Ethnicity, Delizia Flaccavento, Ambassador, National Italian American Foundation, Summer 2006
This profile of the streets of Bensonhurst recounts efforts by the Federation of Italian-American Organizations toward the recultivation of neighborhood-based ethnicity that flourished in this original ethnic enclave. New! 8. Mélange Cities, Blair A. Ruble, The Wilson Quarterly, Summer 2006
Blair A. Ruble’s essay on the expansion of ethnically pluralistic cities documents the significant transformation of the Washington Metropolitan area. 9. Greektown's Rise No Myth, Antero Pietila, Baltimore Sun, June 22, 2004
Pietila’s report on recent efforts of the Greek-American experience in Baltimore, the formation of a new mechanism such as Community Development Corporation, and the struggle for resurgence of place and ethnic style are emblematic of positive urban initiatives at the crucial intersections of culture, commerce, and housing. Unit 2 Echoes from the Past and Pieces of Our Ambiguous Legacies10. The Slave History You Don't Know, Scott McLemee, The Chronicle of Higher Education, May 16, 2003
Scott McLemee’s account of research on the regional history of slavery reveals an ignored dimension of the American past. He underscores the relevance of the local and specific character of ethnic group circumstances and the influence of regional contexts on relationships of ethnic and racial groups. 11. Paying for Jefferson's Sins, Algis Valiunas, Commentary, November 2002
This historical account provides a view into the ambiguities, ambivalence, and contradictions in the minds of the American founders. This is especially true in relation to slavery and the new order they expected to bring forth with the Declaration of Independence and the republics they founded based on universal claims of all. New! 12. How the GOP Conquered the South, Michael Nelson, The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 21, 2005
Michael Nelson’s review of recent historical political scholarship on the transformation and rise of new political forces in the South includes personal and strategic switches that account for the rise of the Republican Party. Unit 3 Demography and Diversity13. Racial Restrictions in the Law of Citizenship, Ian F. Haney López, White By Law: The Legal Construction of Race, New York University Press, 1996
The article traces the legal history of naturalization in the development of the definitions and legal norms that affected American citizenship. New! 14. Ancestry 2000: Census 2000 Brief, Angela Brittingham and G. Patricia de la Cruz, U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau, June 2004
This report, with its tables and figures, presents troves of data regarding ethnic populations, the persistence of ancestral affinities, and self-identification and regional clustering of cultures in the United States. New! 15. Forces That Shape Ethnic Opinion in What Ethnic Americans Really Think, James J. Zogby, The Zogby Culture Polls, 2002
Chapter Five of this premier compendium of ethnic opinion tracks the influence of demographic factors that shape ethnic identity and political ideology. 16. Zooming in on Diversity, William H. Frey, American Demographics, July/August 2004
William H. Frey’s thoughtful analysis of demographic information distinguishes patterns in spatial mobility, the variation in magnetic or attractive effects for various ethnic and racial populations, and the consequent persistence of clusters of pluralism that constitute American diversity. New! 17. Intermarriage in the Second Generation: Choosing Between Newcomers and Natives, Gillian Stevens et al., Migration Information Source, October 1, 2006
This demographic analysis of intermarriage raises vexing questions concerning the intersection of primary social relations and the interaction of groups in the larger contexts of politics, economics, and culture. Unit 4 Immigration and the American Tradition18. New Americans Fresh Off the Presses, Daniel Akst, Carnegie Reporter, Spring 2003
Daniel Akst’s account of currents in the ethnic media, which are helping new immigrants to retain their links abroad and their simultaneous commitment to becoming U.S. citizens, expresses the emergence of contemporary ethnic group attitudes in an age of global interaction. Research on the ethnic media in this article invites the analyst to reconsider a range of communications and cultural issues that are also salient for politics and marketing. 19. The Diversity Visa Lottery—A Cycle of Unintended Consequences, in Anna O. Law, Journal of American Ethnic History, Summer 2002
Anna Law’s account of the immigration reforms dating from 1965 and the current public practice of awarding visas by country lottery reveals the curious logic and trajectory of cultural, economic, and democratic assumptions. New! 20. Immigration and America's Future: A New Chapter, Doris Meissner et al., Force on Immigration and America's Future, 2006
This executive summary of a report fashioned by serious analysts of immigration regarding passionately felt issues and the reform approaches to public policy proposes a timely framework for the public discourse and informed action that are required. New! 21. More Muslims Are Coming to U.S. after a Decline in Wake of 9/11, Andrea Elliott, The New York Times, September 10, 2006
In this article Andrea Elliot reports on the experiences of recent immigrants, and reveals patterns of decline and the resurgence of immigration from seven predominately Muslim countries. New! 22. A True Believer in Immigrants, Karin Brulliard, The Washington Post, September 20, 2006
This portrait of the ministry of Reverend Jose E. Hoyos examines his participation in pro-immigrant rallies in many cities that erupted in response to legislative action on immigration reform. New! 23. The Hotel Africa, G. Pascal Zachary, The Wilson Quarterly, Summer 2006
This account of the growing number of African immigrants and their ongoing relationships to their countries and regions of origin provides a window into new dimensions of American pluralism. Unit 5 Indigenous Ethnic GroupsNew! 24. Who Is a Native American?, Peter Ortiz, DiversityInc, December 2004/January 2005
Peter Ortiz’s answer to this question surely includes ethnic tradition, but also moves well beyond such matters to the wider range of concerns related to Native Americans’ participation in America. 25. Guiding Spirit: American Indian Museum Curators Look Beyond the Objects to the Power Within, Libby Copeland, The Washington Post, September 15, 2004
Libby Copeland documents the emergence of a movement in the relations between sovereign Native Americans and the United States. The opening of the National Museum of the American Indian marks the beginning of an epoch of cultural participation and access to significant artifacts, as well as serious study of the traditions of indigenous nations and peoples. 26. Playing Indian at Halftime, Cornel D. Pewewardy, The Clearing House, May/June 2004
Cornel D. Pewewardy’s review and assessment of the controversy over mascots, logos, and nicknames associated with Native Americans reveals the hidden injuries of misused symbols, the mission of cultural respect, and the tasks of fashioning remedies for stereotypes. Unit 6 African AmericansNew! 27. Who Is an African American?, Yoji Cole, DiversityInc, February 2005
The summary and review of answers to this question begin with slavery and evolve into an ongoing political and social drama of exclusion and participatory contributions to American popular culture. New! 28. Cracking the Genomics Code, Sonya A. Donaldson, Black Enterprise, November 2006
Sonya Donaldson’s report on the “genetic turn” in ethnic identity reviews growing attention to scientific genealogy and attempts to establish identity in the location of common genetic markers. New! 29. Why I Gave Up on Hip-Hop, Lonnae O'Neal Parker, The Washington Post, October 15, 2006
Lonnae O’Neal Parker’s reflective essay and critique of offensive and vulgar music and styles invites attention to the core questions of toleration and limits of diversity in modern cultures. Unit 7 Hispanic/Latina/o AmericansNew! 30. The GOP's Brownout, Thomas B. Edsall, National Journal, September 2, 2006
In this article Thomas Edsall reveals the implications of the get-tough immigration legislation that emerged for the Republican leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives. 31. Inventing Hispanics: A Diverse Minority Resists Being Labeled, Amitai Etzioni, Brookings Review, Winter 2002
This article discloses the ramifications of Census Bureau categories and definitions as they relate to the classification of Hispanics as a homogenous group rather than as a variety of ethnic groups. 32. The Changing Face of Arlanadria, Krissah Williams, The Washington Post, June 7, 2004
Krissah Williams’ account of the cultural transformation of Northern Virginia reveals the stunning impact of immigration on states and areas of the nation that are growing and the particular impact of such changes on the South--especially Washington DC. New! 33. 15 Years on the Bottom Rung, Anthony DePalma, The New York Times, May 26, 2005
Anthony DePalma’s article examines the world of the illegal alien and the underclass, and invites attention to the possibilities of upward mobility and the conditions that define social and economic class in America. Unit 8 Asian AmericansNew! 34. To Be Asian in America, Angela Johnson Meadows, Diversity Inc, April 2005
The profiles of persons from Asian ethnicities arrayed in this collage of interviews by Angela Johnson Meadows present an interesting and perhaps representative set of events and experiences. New! 35. Lands of Opportunity: Chinese Immigration, Gady A. Epstein and Stephanie Desmon, The Baltimore Sun, November 5, 2006
This article reveals complex human motives and desires, and perhaps surprising pathways from a booming economy in China to America. New! 36. Incarceration, Redress, Reconsiderations: Reviewing the Story of the Japanese-Americans, Roger Daniels, The Immigration and Ethnic History Newsletter, November 2005
Roger Daniel’s review of the experiences endured by Japanese-Americans and the process of remedies developed to redress violations of civil rights are particularly relevant to understanding the stress and strains caused by fear. New! 37. Thirty Years Later: Reviewing the Vietnamese-American Experience, Hien Duc Do, The Immigration and Ethnic History Newsletter, May 2005
Hien Duc Do reviews the relationship of Vietnamese refugees and the processes of ethnic group formation within the context of American culture beginning in the 1970s, and identifies rarely documented dimensions of pluralism related to military actions of the United States. New! 38. Our Lady of La Vang Parish Turns 25, Meghan Walton, The Catholic Review, September 7, 2006
This account of an ethnic-american community and its formation of a school and parish within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baltimore reveals the persistence and bonds of tradition found in the efforts of Vietnamese Catholics in Maryland. Unit 9 Eastern European and Mediterranean EthnicsNew! 39. Miracle: American Polonia, Karol Wojtyla and the Election of Pope John Paul II, John Radzilowski, Polish American Studies, Spring 2006
John Radzilowski’s account of the influence of the election of the first Polish Pope on the hearts of Polish-Americans provides a glimpse into the processes and elements that constitute worlds of meaning in ethnic group solidarity. 40. Our Polish American Self Image: Responding to Its Detractors, Donald Pienkos, Zgoda, August 1, 2001
Donald Pienkos presents a profile of variety within an ethnic population and discusses ethnic identity and stereotypes related to Polish Americans. New! 41. ‘Bursting with Pride’ in Little Italy, Kelly Brewington, The Baltimore Sun, November 11, 2006
Kelly Brewington’s report on the election of Nancy Pelosi and the reactions in her old Baltimore “Little Italy” neighborhood, reveals the reality of local loyalty within the Italian-American tradition. New! 42. Where We Stand on Issues, James J. Zogby, What Ethnic Americans Really Think: The Zogby Culture Polls, Zogby International, 2001
This collection of ethnic group opinions, based on the largest sample of ethnic group representatives ever systematically studied, asks the reader to reconsider the entire concept of race and ethnic group relations. 43. American Jewish History: A Chance to Reflect, Jonathan D. Sarna, The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 1, 2004
Sarna’s essay on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of Jewish life in America poses an archetypal account of ethnic group experiences. The article also challenges the current images and self-identity of ethnicities that are bound up with commemoratives which all too often are either celebrations of accomplishments or recollections of pain, suffering, and exclusion. New! 44. Young U.S. Muslims Strive for Harmony, Tara Bahrampour, The Washington Post, September 4, 2006
Tara Bahrampour’s account of the efforts to balance faith and country in the context of 9/11 and its aftermath reveal the stressful experiences of persons propelled by world events to redefine their religious and ethnic identities. New! 45. For ‘Borat’ Audience, First Come the Gasps, then the Laughs, Michael Sragow, The Baltimore Sun, November 11, 2006
This article frames a provocative event as art and life intersect in the turbulent context of ethnic humor and its potential for inciting rage, passion, and questions about the limits of toleration. Unit 10 Understanding Race and Ethnic Relations: Exploring ChallengesNew! 46. The Trouble with Tolerance, Stanley Fish, The Chronicle of Higher Education, November 10, 2006
This thoughtful and extensive review of Wendy Brown’s book, Regulating Aversion: Tolerance in the Age of Identity and Empire, addresses the central aspects of order and diversity, and explores the problems of theory and practice in terms that define the narrow pathway imposed by the imperatives of identity politics. 47. American Self-Interest and the Response to Genocide, Roger W. Smith, The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 30, 2004
Roger W. Smith’s provocative review of eight new books related to international phenomena such as ethnic cleansing, political violence, and systematic destruction of peoples and cultures presents new challenges for peacekeepers. 48. Ethnic, Religious Fissures Deepen in Iraqi Society, Rajiv Chandrasekaran and Anthony Shadid, The Washington Post, September 29, 2003
This article describes the ethnic and religious tensions that have developed between the Kurds and Arabs in a northern Iraqi village as well as the problems between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in central and southern Iraq that have unsettled many Iraqis who want their country to stay in one piece. 49. Never Underestimate the Power of Ethnicity in Iraq, Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld, The Washington Post, January 4, 2004
This account of ethnicity in Iraq, fashioned by Chua and Rubenfeld, explores essential issues about the foundations of social order in Iraq, but the realities addressed suggest implications that extend to the very core of our democratic assumptions. 50. Correlated Conflicts: The Independent Nature of Ethnic Strife, Jonathan Fox, Harvard International Review, Winter 2004
This article invites the reconsideration of the causes of civic conflict. This new model challenges earlier expectations and assumptions regarding the salience of ethnicity. 51. The Geometer of Race, Stephen Jay Gould, Discover, November 1994
This is an account of the origins of the eighteenth-century scientific climate of thought that contributed to the racial misunderstandings that plague us today. The article reveals an important feature of theory construction derived from insight into the history and philosophy of science. New! 52. Trading Left Jabs, Thomas B. Edsall, National Journal, October 21, 2006
Thomas B. Edsall’s account of ongoing ethnic gaffes that shaped the reelection campaign of Virginia’s Junior Senator George Allen reviews the potential power of ethnic symbols and the tremendous deficit that results from inattention and disrespect for identity in the public square. New! 53. Colorblind to the Reality of Race in America, Ian F. Haney López, The Chronicle of Higher Education, November 3, 2006
Ian F. Haney Lopez’s prescriptive essay on the need for continued attention to racial and ethnic inequalities and the implications of inattentive universalism raises a long-standing debate and dilemma in America’s search for justice in the context of diversity and the not-too-hidden, shared, and inherited injuries of ignorance and neglect.
