identities in the new ethnic politics: the rise of “pan-ethnicity” political science 61 /...
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Identities in the New Ethnic Politics:
The Rise of “Pan-ethnicity”
Political Science 61 / Chicano/Latino Studies
64October 9, 2007
Today’s Topic
Pan-ethnicity: The Final Pillar of
Contemporary Minority Politics
Pan-Ethnicity Definition – an ethnic identity defined by
region, not country, of origin Examples—Asian American or Latino U.S. ethnicities traditionally understood in national
terms Intergroup cooperation among multiple
national-origin groups Political – building a political agenda or
movement around this regional identity and shared policy needs
General Rule 1:U.S. Ethnic Identities
Fluid Immigrants learn U.S. conceptions of their
identity 19th Century European immigrants immigrated with
sub-national/regional identities … and, became “national ethics” from newly forming countries
Institutions (church, politics, neighborhood) reinforced national identities
Meaning and racial conception of European national identities changed over time
Exception – African migrants to slavery had most national or regional roots taken from them and were always understood racially
General Rule 2: Ethnic Identities Diminish Over
2nd/3rd Generations Intermarriage quickly blurs “pure”
national origin categories Other identities blur ethnic distinctions
Religion Race Ideology Immigrant generation
In other words, local institutions see diminished ability to maintain identities
At Least Until Contemporary Era
Immigration from high sending countries slows/stops after 20-30 years Allows the 2nd/3rd generation to reshape
national origin identity to ethnic identity In current era, however, Mexican
immigration high since the 1950s Several other national-origin groups will
soon see a third generation
General Rule 3: Counting is Highly
Contested Census inconsistent in measuring race and
ethnicity Race and ethnicity are socially constructed, so no
consistent understanding of categories Generally behind mass practices Ethnic group leaders have sought to avoid
categorization as a racial group Today’s controversies (see Prewitt reading)
Latinos as “ethnic,” not racial category At mass level, many Latinos identify racially
Arab/Middle Eastern racial category Multi-racial self-identification
Contemporary Pan-Ethnicity is Substantively
Different Government has promoted
VRA an example Government collects data to measure pan-ethnicity,
so relative status can be measured Access to some state resources allocated by
race/ethnicity Ethnic leaders organize pan-ethnically Sustained immigration creates foundation for
more durable identities across generations Communications ensure that immigrants know
about U.S. ethnic categories before migration
U.S. Population by Race, 2000
WhiteBlackAsian AmericanNative AmericanMultiple Races
Hispanic and non-Hispanic Population,
2000
Hispanic
Non-HispanicWhiteNon-Hispaic Other
But, Pan-Ethnicity the Exception at the Mass
Level
Low affect across national origin populations within pan-ethnic groups Affect—To show a fondness for; to like to use or
practice; to choose (Webster's Dictionary)
Traditionally, little contact between Asian Americans or Latinos Latinos and Asian Americans increasingly living
around each other
Perception of “common” Latino or Asian American culture low by Latinos or Asian Americans
When Does a Pan-ethnic Identity Form?
Felix Padilla (“On the Nature of Latino Ethnicity”)
1. Latinos (or Asian Americans) come into contact with each other
2. Latinos (or Asian Americans) share experiences that exclude them from majority communities
3. Latinos (or Asian Americans) of different origins work together to address their common exclusion and form a new identity based on shared struggle
Padilla—Latino (or Asian American) identity is inherently political
Who is Likely to Adopt a Pan-ethnic Identity?
From Lien, Conway, and Wong (for Asian Americans) Indians (relative to Chinese) Asian Americans who perceive a shared Asian
culture Strong partisans U.S. citizens Involved in ethnic causes Older people Employed people Negative predictors – Asian Americans who
experienced discrimination, 1st generation, women
Pan-Ethnic Identification Among
Asian Americans
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Chinese Korean Vietnamese Japanese Filipino S. Asian
Share Identifying as Asian American
Source: Lien, Conway, and Wong
So, Why Does Pan-Ethnicity Matter?
Provides foundation for the allocation of state resources
Majority populations increasingly view minorities in pan-ethnic terms
Ethnic leaders organize pan-ethnically So, pan-ethnic identification will grow
among Latinos and Asian Americans And other pan-ethnic populations?
For Next Time
1) The first essay is due next Tuesday. Be prepared to discuss your thesis Thursday.
2) QUESTION FOR READING – As Reconstruction came to an end, African Americans in the South lost rights they had exercised.
Identify these rights and how they were taken away.