Welcome and Introduction to the Course

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Welcome and Introduction to the Course

• Political Science 61A Chicano/Latino Studies 64
• Lecture 1
• Tuesday, June 27, 2006

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Todays Agenda

• Introductions
• Syllabus
• Discussion Why Minority Politics?
• Catching up with the Past Historical Overview

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Why Minority Politics?

• The problem with the twentieth century is the
  problem of the color line (Dubois)
• Race and ethnicity have created major social and
  political cleavages throughout US History
• Racial and ethnic minorities are slowly becoming
  a larger share of the total population
• Yet, race has not been the center of scholarly
  attention until very recently

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Race as a Political CleavageSeeing the World
Through Different Lenses

• Minorities tend to have different political
  worldviews than whites
• Minority groups also have different worldviews
  from one another
• But Why?
• Case in point Hurricane Katrina

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Just your best guess, do you think one reason the
federal government was slow in rescuing these
people was because many of them were black, or
was that not a reason?
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Who do you think deserves the most blame for the
fact that many New Orleans residents were trapped
in the city after it flooded?
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Changing DemographicsGrowing Minority
Populations

• Minorities as a larger share of the national
  population
• As a larger voice, are minorities heard?
• How are the public policy issues on the national
  agenda reframed so that they better apply to
  these growing communities?

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Minority Population Growth 1995 to 2050
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Changing DemographicsA Nation of Immigrants

• Immigration growth also changes the political
  landscape
• What are the public policy issues particular to
  new immigrant groups?
• Raises the importance of citizenship

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Immigration Growth1950-2010
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Where are Todays Immigrants From?
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Course Themes

• How can we explain the role of race and ethnicity
  in politics?
• What theoretical tools help us explain the racial
  divide?
• What are the political solutions for minority
  political incorporation?
• How can minorities make sure their voices are
  heard in government?
• Diverse experiences, Diverse politics
• Focus on four major racial and ethnic groups
  Asian Americans, Blacks, Latinos and Native
  Americans

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Understanding History

• History provides a foundation
• How do the historical trajectories compare across
  the four major minority groups?
• We will start from the Civil Rights Era
• Starting point of contemporary minority politics
• But, what do we actually know about this era?

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What do you know?

• What was decided in the Plessy v. Ferguson case?
• When did the Civil Rights movement occur?
• Which minority groups were involved in the Civil
  Rights movement?
• Name a protest strategy used by Blacks during the
  movement
• What does the Civil Rights Act do?
• What President signed the Civil Rights Act?

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Video Viewing

• Eyes on the Prize Series Episode 3
• Aint Scared of Your Jails
• What role did college students play in the Civil
  Rights movement?
• Do you think students today do the same for their
  political beliefs?