The Presumed Alliance: The Unspoken Conflict Between Latinos and Blacks and What It Means for America - Couverture rigide

Vaca PhD, Nicolas C.

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0060522046 ISBN 13 : 9780060522049

Editeur : Rayo, 2004

Synopsis

“A hard and unnerving look at how changing demographics will forever alter our country’s dialogue on race.” — San Jose Mercury News

As Latino and African Americans increasingly live side by side in large urban centers, as well as in suburban clusters, the idealized concept of a "Rainbow Coalition" would suggest that these two disenfranchised groups are natural political allies. Indeed, as the number of Latinos has increased dramatically over the last ten years, competition over power and resources between these two groups has led to surprisingly antagonistic and uncooperative interactions. Many African Americans now view Latinos, because of their growth in numbers, as a threat to their social, economic, and political gains.

Nicolas C. Vaca debunks the myth of "The Great Union" and offers the hope he believes each community could learn from, in order to achieve a mutually agreed upon agenda. More than simply unveiling the problem, The Presumed Alliance offers optimistic solutions to the future relations between Latino and Black America.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

A graduate of Harvard Law School, Nicolas C. Vaca holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a practicing attorney in the Bay Area and has been a visiting scholar at University of California at Berkeley for the past two years. An award-winning journalist, Vaca is also a contributing writer to the prestigious journal California Lawyer. He lives in California.

À propos de la quatrième de couverture

As Latinos and African Americans increasingly live side by side in large urban centers as well as in suburban clusters, the idealized concept of a "rainbow coalition" would suggest that these two disenfranchised groups are natural political allies. Such a notion would be based on the presumption of a commonality between the two groups that serves as the glue for forming political and economic alliances on a mass level. However, contrary to this theoretical approach stands evidence that few formal or even informal coalitions exist between Latinos and African Americans.

Many political insiders are asking themselves in private how one might interpret the taboo yet very real subjectof the often-frayed relations between African Americans and Latinos. Many who do not address this divisive issue fear that to acknowledge such a rift would invite adversaries to cast tension as a political weakness.

Indeed, as the number of Latinos has increased dramatically over the last ten years, competition over power and resources has led to antagonism and a failure to cooperate. Many African Americans now view Latinos, because of their growing numbers, as a threat to their social, economic, and political gains. Conversely, Latinos do not view African Americans as an oppressed group in the same way other Americans do, and this often has negative results.

In The Presumed Alliance, Vaca examines the historical context as well as the contemporary manifestations of the conflicts between Latinos and African Americans in an engaging, informative manner. Using case studies from New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, D.C., Compton, and Houston, Vaca illustrates just how contentious the two groups have been toward each other, and what issues are at the root of such discord. With its discussions of language barriers, competition over affirmative action, and the overlooked contributions of Hispanics during the American Civil Rights movement, Vaca's narrative is both eye-opening and well informed.

By daring to raise a topic that may upset so many, Vaca believes the issues surrounding these sometimes strained relations also may be resolved, if only they are addressed. This thought-provoking topic invites all to stop and think about important questions, and offers a glimpse at the future makeup of the American political landscape.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Rayo
• Date d'édition: 2004
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0060522046
• ISBN 13: 9780060522049
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 256
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