A Land of Diversity
The excitement and political mobilization
of the 2008 election
• One important change from past
elections, especially on the Democratic
Party side, is the increased diversity of
those who participated.
• Compared to 2004, significantly higher
percentages of younger people, women,
and racial/ethnic minorities.
A Land of Diversity
• Supreme Court decisions and civil rights
legislation have ended de jure (created by
law) barriers to equality.
• Increasing numbers of minority individuals
are running competitive political
campaigns and being elected or appointed
to positions in local, state, and national
government.
• Opinion polls also reflect greater sensitivity
to racial, ethnic, and religious groups.
A Land of Diversity
• Although considerable progress has been
made in rectifying inequalities and
improving relations between minority and
majority groups, there is considerably
more progress that must occur if America
is to successfully address the challenges
and accommodate the needs of its
increasingly diverse, multicultural
population.
A Land of Diversity
• Growing Diversity (see handout)
• As per a U.S. Census Bureau report, May 2007,
racial ethnic minority population in the U.S. has
grown from 98.3 million in 2005 to 100.7 million
in 2006
• Minority Populations include:
•
•
•
•
•
African Americans or Blacks
AIANs
Asians
NHPIs
Hispanics or Latinos
A Land of Diversity
• U.S. population increased from 296.5
million in 2005 to 299.3 million in 2006.
A Land of Diversity
• The majority racial/ethnic group, nonHispanic whites, represent 66% of the total
but account for less than one-fifth (18%) of
the nation’s total population growth.
• Latinos, the largest minority group (14.8%)
are the fastest growing, accounting for
about 50% of the population increase.
A Land of Diversity
• There is growing religious diversity
• More than ¾ of adults identify as Christians but
there are dramatic differences in their professed
practices and some of their beliefs across the
three major types of Christians and among the
hundreds of various Christian denominations
and independent churches.
• About 16% of Americans self-identify as
“unaffiliated.”
• 5% belong to non-Christian religions
A Land of Diversity
• This growing diversity occurs
simultaneously as the U.S. becomes
increasingly integrated in the global
economy and more entangled in political
and cultural world affairs.
• Globalization
•
•
Technological advancements
Satellite communication
• Immigration in the U.S.
A Land of Diversity
Legal Immigration to the United States, 1820-2010
Source: Office of Immigration Statistics 2007 and estimates by the author for the period 2000-2010.
A Land of Diversity
Legal Immigrants Admitted to
the U.S. by Region of Last
Residence, 1820-2000
Source: Office of Immigration Statistics, 2006,
10-13.
The Foreign-Born Population
A Land of Diversity
Ten Languages Most Frequently Spoken at Home, Other Than English & Spanish
Source: Data for 2000 released in 2003 in Shin and Bruno 2003.
Five Shared Minority Group Traits
• Group membership is involuntary
• Possess distinguishing physical and/or
cultural traits
• Have a history of unequal treatment by
dominant society
• A strong sense of group solidarity and
consciousness
• Practice endogamy
A Land of Diversity
• Arguably the U.S. is a land of diverse
identities.
1. Why is “identity” so important?
2. What group do you most identify
with and for what reasons?
3. How does your “identity” influence
your relationships?
A Land of Diversity
•Geographic and National Identities
•Sectional Differences
•State and Local Identities
Birthplaces of Foreign-Born
Population in USA, 2003
60
40
20
0
Percentage
Latin
Asia
America
52.3 %
27.3 %
Europe
14.2 %
Africa
3.1 %
North
Oceania
America
2.5 %
0.6 %
Population
• The 2006 U.S. Bureau of Census estimates a
population of approximately 262 - 300 million.
• More than any other nation in history, the U. S. is
a nation of immigrants. Over 50 million people
have moved from other parts of the world to the
U. S.
• Three Historic Immigrant waves:
• First, Western Europe and Scandinavia (18401860)
• Second, Asia and Eastern Europe (1870-1920)
• Third, Latin America and Asia (1965- Present)
• 700,000 to one million legal immigrants continue to
arrive in America today + An estimated 7 million illegal
immigrants live in the United Sates
Where We Live
Who We Are
•Race and Ethnicity
•African Americans
•Hispanics (Latinos)
•Asian Americans
•Native Americans
•The Ties of Ethnicity
Where We Live
Who We Are
The most distinct geographical region in
the U.S. is the
a. Midwest
b. Southwest
c. South
d. West
A Land of Diversity
Only one of these cities does not have a
majority black population?
a. Phoenix
b. Baltimore
c. Richmond
d. New Orleans
A Land of Diversity
Most Asian Americans live in all but one
of the following states?
a. Washington
b. California
c. Hawaii
d. Michigan
A Land of Diversity
The fastest growing ethnic group in the
U.S. is?
a. Asian
b. Native American
c. African American
d. Hispanics
Percent change in Resident Population 19902004
Who We Are (continue)
•Family Structure
•Religion
•Wealth and Income
•Occupation
•Social Class – most Americans believe their middle
class
•Age
•Education
Percentage of the Population by Race and Origin
1990
2000
White
83.9% 82.2%
African American
12.2
12.8
American Indian
0.8
0.9
Asian/Pacific Island 3.0
4.1
Hispanic
8.9
11.8
2025
2050
78.5% 74.9%
13.9
14.7
1.0
1.1
6.5
9.3
18.2
24.3
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2001
Government Printing Office), pp.16-17.
Note: Percentages do not equal 100 because Hispanics can be of any race. Figures for 2025
And 2050 are projections.
Wealth Distribution in the United States by Race
Religious
Groups in
America.
Source: The Gallup Organization, at www. gallup.com/poll/focus/sr040302.asp.
Median Family Income 1980-2003
One Way of
Looking at it
Percentage of Americans Living in
Poverty, by Age, 1959-2000
Occupational Groups 2006
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of the United States
Percent of Population over Age 65
Distribution of Education in the United States
Unity in a Land of Diversity
American unity is strengthened by all
but one of the following
a. The American dream
b. Work ethic
c. Foreign investment
d. Economic opportunity
Social Movements & Interest Groups
•Social Movements – a large body of people who are
interested in a common issue, idea, or concern that is of
continuing significance and who are willing to take
action.
• Interest groups sometimes begin as movements.
How do they differ?
• Interest groups usually work within the framework of
government and employ tactics such as lobbying to
achieve their goals.
• Movements seek to change attitudes or institutions, not
just policies. Movements tend to see their cause as
morally right.
Types of Interest Groups
•Economic Interest Groups
• Business
• Trade and Other Associations
• Labor
• Professional Associations
• Ideological or Single-Issue Interest Groups
•Public Interest Groups
•Foreign Policy Interest Groups
•Government & Government Employee Interest Groups
•Other Interest Groups
Major Racial & Ethnic Interest Groups
African-Americans
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
National Urban League
Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
Latinos
Hispanas Organized for Political Equality
Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
National Council of La Raza
Asian Americans
Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
Native Americans
American Indian Movement
National Congress of American Indians
National Indian Council on Aging
Native American Rights Fund
Arab Americans
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Arab American Institute
Jewish Americans
American Jewish Committee
American Jewish Congress
Anti-Defamation League
B'nai B'rith International
National Council of Jewish Women
Muslim Americans
Council on American Islamic Relations
Muslim Public Affairs Council
Multiethnic Groups
Association of MultiEthnic Americans, Inc.
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Project RACE
Lobbying Activities
•Lobbyists are persons
employed by and acting for an
organized interest group or
corporation to try to influence
policy decisions and positions
in the executive and legislative
branches.
•Lobbyists engage in activities
aimed at influencing public
officials, especially legislators
and the policies they enact.
Lobbyists primarily provide
money for campaigns.
The Iron
Triangle
Congress
members
Interest
groups
Bureaucratic
leaders and
experts