Identities in the New Ethnic Politics: The Rise of

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Identities in the New Ethnic Politics The Rise
of Pan-ethnicity

• Political Science 61 / Chicano/Latino Studies 64
• October 9, 2007

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Todays Topic

• Pan-ethnicity
• The Final Pillar of Contemporary Minority Politics

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Pan-Ethnicity

• Definition an ethnic identity defined by
  region, not country, of origin
• ExamplesAsian 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

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General Rule 1U.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

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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

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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

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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
• Todays 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

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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

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U.S. Population by Race, 2000
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Hispanic and non-Hispanic Population, 2000
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But, Pan-Ethnicity the Exception at the Mass Level

• Low affect across national origin populations
  within pan-ethnic groups
• AffectTo 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

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When Does a Pan-ethnic Identity Form?

• Felix Padilla (On the Nature of Latino
  Ethnicity)
• Latinos (or Asian Americans) come into contact
  with each other
• Latinos (or Asian Americans) share experiences
  that exclude them from majority communities
• Latinos (or Asian Americans) of different origins
  work together to address their common exclusion
  and form a new identity based on shared struggle
• PadillaLatino (or Asian American) identity is
  inherently political

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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

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Pan-Ethnic Identification Among Asian Americans
Source Lien, Conway, and Wong
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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?

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For Next Time

• The first essay is due next Tuesday. Be prepared
  to discuss your thesis Thursday.
• 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.