Can We All Get Along?: Racial And Ethnic Minorities In American Politics (Dilemmas in American Politics)

In a nation built by immigrants and bedevilled by the history and legacy of slavery, issues of liberty, equality and community continue to challenge Americans. In considering the Los Angeles riots, the patterns of ethnic representation in Congress, or examples of discrimination in schools, it can be seen that "getting along" is intimately connected with "who gets what, when, and how" - the traditional definition of politics. This book combines traditional elements of political-science analysis - history, constitutional theory, institutions, political behaviour and policy actors - with a detailed survey of the political status of four major groups: African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and American Indians. The authors identify similarities and differences in these groups' political action and experience, and point the way toward coalition, competition and consensus-building in the face of continuing conflict. Two dilemmas shape the book: how the American nation reconciles a commitment to equality with persistent inequality and discrimination, and what can be done about it from the perspective of ethnic and racial minorities as well as within the dominant culture.