Dr. Patrizia Longo
GV 215
Office hours: TTH 8:30-9:30 a.m.
or by appointment
Department of Politics
Tel. 631-4140
plongo@stmarys-ca.edu
TTH 9:40-11:10 D117
POLITICS 110
Minority Politics
This course fulfills the college requirement for cultural diversity by
examining minority group politics. This course is 1.25 credits.
Course Texts
The following book is required for the course. Other readings are included in
two "Minority Politics in the United States" (1 and 2) readers to be
purchased from your professor during the first week of classes ($50).
Michael LeMay. 2000. The Perennial Struggle: Race, Ethnicity, and
Minority Group Politics in the United States. Prentice Hall.
The following books are recommended:
Paula D. McClain and Joseph Stewart, Jr. 2006. "Can We All Get
Along?" Racial and Ethnic Minorities in American Politics. Fourth edition.
Westview (available at the bookstore)
Ronald Takaki. 1993. A Different Mirror: A Multicultural History of
America. Boston: Back Bay Books.
DeSipio, Louis, and Rodolfo O. de la Garza. 1998. Making Americans,
Remaking America: Immigration and Immigrant Policy. Boulder, CO:
Westview Press.
Gordon H. Chang, ed. Asian Americans and Politics: Perspectives,
Experiences, Prospects. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001.
F. Chris Garcia, ed. Pursuing Power: Latinos and the Political System.
University of Notre Dame Press, 1997.
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David E. Wilkins. American Indian Politics and the American Political
System. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002.
Course Objectives
Minority groups have become the driving force in American elections and
policy making today. Thus, as citizens and students of politics, it is important
to have a thorough understanding of minority groups, the role they play in
the American political system, and the consequences of minority group
power. This course is designed to provide you with both a theoretical
understanding and empirical grounding in the politics of racial and ethnic
minority groups in America.
This course also helps you develop several of the goals of the baccalaureate
degree: an ability to inquire, think, analyze, write, read, speak, and listen; an
historical consciousness; intercultural experience; and an understanding of
human behavior and human institutions.
Course Description
From its first days, the United States has faced the dilemma of how to
incorporate populations different from the majority population. This
dilemma continues today and appears in discussions of such issues as
affirmative action, immigration and naturalization, language policy, and social
welfare policy. In this course, we will examine the major theories that
attempt to explain the roles of race and ethnicity in U.S. politics. We will
examine the phenomenon of ethnicity and race in the political development
of the United States. Finally, we will look at the political attitudes and
behaviors of ethnic and racial populations in order to measure their
contemporary political influence.
The course’s substantive focus is the politics and experiences of four
specific groups: African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian
Americans. This examination and analysis will not only enhance our
understanding of these groups' political roles, but will demonstrate that the
U.S. political system cannot be fully understood without understanding the
political dynamics of ethnicity and race.
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Course Requirements
This course is centered on your readings, community-based research, and
class discussions. Therefore, it is particularly important that you read the
assigned material on time, attend all classes, and participate in the
discussions and projects.
Students must complete the following:
Mid-Term Paper
The mid-term paper is based on the class readings and discussions for
the first half of the course. Your assignment is to write a 6-8 page paper
(typed, double-spaced, with 1” margins and numbered pages, and stapled).
The mid-term paper is due in class on Wednesday, October 10 by 9 a.m. in
my office (hand in a paper copy and send an electronic copy to the
professor).
Final Paper
The final paper is based on the class readings for the second half of
the course and your own community-based research. The paper (hard and
electronic copy) is due on Thursday, December 6.
Abstract: Provide a 200 word (not included in your total word limit)
abstract for your midterm and final papers.
Quick Quizzes
You will be given occasional quizzes to assess your mastery of the
readings.
Participation
Students are expected to engage fully in the class lectures,
discussions, and other projects. Attendance will be taken and factored into
your participation score. Similarly, the Minority Politics Collaborative Project
Presentations are a part of your participation grade. In addition, your
participation in the collaborative assignment will be evaluated by your fellow
group members and taken into consideration.
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Collaborative Community-Based Project
Each student will be assigned to an eight-person group responsible for
completing a specific project. The groups will present their findings to the
class on Thursday, Dec. 6. Each group will be allotted about 25 minutes for
their presentation.
The requirement of community-based research with an organization helping
to promote social justice provides you with the opportunity to apply what you
learn in class through active participation and participatory research.
"You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give."
Principles of Community-Based Research



CBR is a collaborative enterprise between academic researchers
(professors and students) and community members.
CBR validates multiple sources of knowledge and promotes the use of
multiple methods of discovery and dissemination of the knowledge
produced.
CBR has as its goal social action and social change for the purpose of
achieving social justice.
The academic benefits of community-based learning include:
* taking an active role in your education
* enriching your understanding of the course material by integrating
theory with practice
* deepening your appreciation of issues through first-hand exposure to
real-life situations and examples
* sharpening your ability to think critically and to solve problems
* learning practical "on-the-job" skills
* working collaboratively with community leaders, community members,
and fellow students
* performing a genuine service to the community as you do in-depth
learning about real issues
* strengthening your values and acting upon them
* empowering you to effect change
* enriching your citizenship and leadership skills
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Ten Principles of Successful Community-Campus Partnership
Entering Partnerships
Community and Campus Partners
1. Share a worldview
2. Agree about goals and strategies
3. Have trust and mutual respect
Conducting Partnerships
Community and Campus Partners
4. Share power
5. Communicate clearly and listen carefully
6. Understand and empathize with each other
7. Remain flexible
Outcomes of Partnerships
Community and Campus Partners
8. Satisfy each other’s interests or needs
9. Have their organizational capacities enhanced
10. Adopt long-range social change perspectives
COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING IS LEARNING
THAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
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Grades
There are 500 total points possible in the course:
Mid-Term Paper
Final Paper
Collaborative Project
Quick Quizzes
Participation
100 points
150 points
150 points
50 points
50 points
All scores may be applied to the following percentage scale:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
93.3 - 100
90.0 - 93.2
86.7 - 89.9
83.3 - 86.6
80.0 - 83.2
76.7 - 79.9
73.3 - 76.6
70.0 - 73.2
66.7 - 69.9
63.3 - 66.6
60.0 - 63.2
59 or less
Final grades will be assigned according to the following point scale:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
466-500
450-465
433-449
419-432
400-415
383-399
366-382
350-365
333-349
316-332
300-315
299 or less
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Course Policies
1. Attendance: you are expected to attend the class regularly if you wish to do well
in the course.
2. Absences: You are allowed two absences, no questions asked. Beyond that,
however, absences will lower considerably your final grade in the class. Plan
accordingly.
3. "Make-up" exams will be allowed only in circumstances in which you had no control
(e.g., severe illness). The burden of proof of such circumstances rests on the
student. Papers turned in late will be penalized.
4. Rules of class etiquette: Entering the classroom after class begins, and leaving
before class ends, is highly disruptive and should be avoided except in cases of
emergency. If you carry a “beeper” or a “c-phone” into class, make sure that it is
turned off before class begins.
As this class deals with some controversial issues, it is vital to the success of the
class to maintain an atmosphere of mutual respect—personal attacks will not be
tolerated. We will approach all topics and issues as intellectuals and give all
perspectives due consideration. Therefore, there are some guidelines that I would
like us to follow: 1) during your discussion, please listen to others' opinions and
treat their opinions with respect; 2) everyone should not talk at once--only one at a
time; and 3) try to frame your opinions and/or questions in a manner that will not
intentionally offend others.
Remember that we can all benefit from experiencing different viewpoints.
Dialogue is distinct from Discussion or Debate
Dialogue
To inquire and learn
To unfold shared meaning
To integrate multiple perspectives
To uncover and examine assumptions
Discussion and Debate
To tell, sell and persuade
To gain agreement on one meaning
To evaluate and select the best
To justify or defend assumptions
5. Plagiarism: A plagiarized paper yields a failing grade on the paper, perhaps for
the semester, and needs to be reported. Plagiarism is dishonest work. It includes
not only the exact use of another’s words, word for word, line for line, but also a
close paraphrase or the use of the same words unacknowledged. In case of doubt,
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give a citation to the author you are using. No professor will ever lower the grade
because a student was influenced by an author. The citation mainly acknowledges
that influence. Aristotle was influenced by Plato, St. Thomas Aquinas by Aristotle,
St. Thomas More by Aquinas, the Founding Fathers by Montesquieu, and your
professor by writers too numerous to count. If you like the particular phrasing of
an author, yet do not think you can capture the essence of the idea in your own
words, set each gem inside quotation marks where it will be secure from accusation
of plagiarism.
Academic Honor Code—Pledge:
“As a student member of an academic community based in mutual trust and
responsibility, I pledge: to do my own work at all times, without giving or receiving
inappropriate aid; to avoid behaviors that unfairly impede the academic progress of
other members of my community; and to take reasonable and responsible action in
order to uphold my community’s academic integrity.”
This course operates under the premises of the academic honor code, including the
expectation that you will work to uphold high standards of integrity. I am available
to discuss issues of academic integrity and any questions you might have about the
relationship between the policy and this course. To understand the academic honor
code in full, please see the most recent Student Handbook.
SMC Students with Disabilities Policy:
Students with disabilities:



Have the right to self-identify
Must register with the Office for Academic Support and Achievement
Will provide the appropriate notice from ASAP for accommodations which
specifically involve the faculty.
Students with disabilities receive services from the Office for Academic Support
and Achievement (ASAP), located in Siena Hall (Phone Extension 4358).
*******************************************************************
“If you are here to help me, then you are wasting your time.
But if you come because your liberation is bound up in mine,
then let us begin.” (McNicoll, 1999)
*******************************************************************
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SYLLABUS (readings from the Readers are marked with *)
Tuesday, August 28
Course Introduction
Thursday, August 30
The Lessons of American Citizenship
Readings: * Rogers Smith, “Introduction” and “The Hidden Lessons of
American Citizenship Laws”; Ronald Takaki, “A Different Mirror.”
Tuesday, Sept. 4
Race and Gender in American Citizenship
Readings: *E. Nakano Glenn, Unequal Freedom (chapters 2, 3, 7)
Thursday, Sept. 6
The Social Construction of Race
Readings: * Elizabeth Martinez, “Seeing More Than Black and White”;
Howard Winant, “Contesting the Meaning of Race in the Post-Civil Rights Period” (in
Highey, ed. New Tribalisms).
Tuesday, Sept. 11
The Role of “Whiteness” in U.S. National Identity
Readings: * George Lipsitz, “The Possessive investment in Whiteness” and
“Law and Order: Civil Rights Laws and White Privilege”; Peggy McIntosh, “White
Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”.
Thursday, Sept. 13
Conceptualization and History of Race and Ethnicity
Readings: Lemay, Ch. 1; *Ian F. Haney Lopez, “Chance, Context, and Choice in
the Social Construction of Race,” from Delgado & Stefancic, eds., The Latino/a
Condition: A Critical Reader (New York: NYU Press, 1998).
Tuesday, Sept. 18
Race and Sexual Politics
Readings: *From Patricia Hill Collins, Black Sexual Politics: “The Past is Ever
Present”; Dates and Mascaro, “African Americans in Film and Television”; Grillo and
Wildman, “Obscuring the Importance of Race”
Thursday, Sept. 20
Race and Sexual Politics (cont.)
Readings: *From Michael Eric Dyson, Race Rules: pp. 1-46, 196-224.
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Tuesday, Sept. 25
Theories of Race Relations: Assimilation and Accommodation
Readings: LeMay, Ch. 2 and 3; *Martin Luther King, Jr., "The Ethical
Demands for Integration" (1962), from James M. Washington, ed., A Testament of
Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. (San
Francisco: Harper, 1986).
Thursday, Sept. 27 Theories of Race Relations: Assimilation and Accommodation
(cont.)
Readings: LeMay, Ch. 4; *Shelby Steele, "Race-Holding," from The Content
of Our Character, 1990; *Linda Chavez, "Introduction" and "Toward a New Politics
of Hispanic Assimilation," from Out of the Barrio, 1991.
Tuesday, Oct. 2
Theories of Race Relations: Separation or Integration?
Readings: LeMay, Ch. 5 and 6; *C. Matthew Snipp, “The First Americans:
American Indians” (in READER #1)
Thursday, Oct. 4
Theories of Race Relations: Separation or Integration? (cont.)
Readings: *Kwame Ture and Charles V. Hamilton, "Black Power: Its Need and
Substance," from Black Power: The Politics of Liberation in America (New York:
Vintage Books, 1992 [1967]); *Martin Luther King, “Black Power Defined” (1967),
from James M. Washington, ed., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and
Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. (San Francisco: Harper, 1986); *Malcolm X,
"The Ballot or the Bullet."
Tuesday, Oct. 9
Minority Group Social Movements
Readings: LeMay, Ch. 8; *Mario Barrera, "In Search of Aztlan," from Beyond
Aztlan: Ethnic Autonomy in Comparative Perspective (New York: Praeger, 1988).
Thursday, Oct. 11
Electoral Politics
Readings: *From Bowler and Segura, eds. Diversity in Democracy :
Introduction; A. Pantoja, “More Alike Than Different”
Tuesday, Oct. 16
Electoral Politics (cont.)
Readings: *From Bowler and Segura, eds. Diversity in Democracy : Nicholson
and Segura, “Issue Agendas and the Politics of Latino Partisan Identification”;
Johnson and Gordon, “The Racial Composition of Social Networks…”
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Thursday, Oct. 18
Electoral Politics (cont.)
Readings: *From Bowler and Segura, eds. Diversity in Democracy : Tate and
Harsh, “A Portrait of the People”; Fraga, “Racial and Ethnic Politics in a
Multicultural Society”
Tuesday, Oct. 23
Gender, “Race,” and Empowerment
Readings: * Jael Silliman, “Policing the National Body: Sex, Race and
Criminalization” (from Silliman and Bhattacharjee, eds., Policing the National Body.
Boston: South End Press, 2002. In READER #1); M.B. Zinn and B.T. Dill, “Theorizing
Difference from Multiracial Feminism” and Patricia Hill Collins, “What’s in a Name?
Womanism, Black Feminism, and Beyond” (from Torres, Miron & Inda, eds., Race,
Identity & Citizenship: A Reader. NY: Blackwell, 1999).
Thursday, Oct. 25
Gender, “Race,” and Empowerment (cont.)
Readings: *Mary Pardo, “Mexican American Women Grassroots Activists:
Mothers of East Los Angeles” and *Carol Hardy-Fanta, “Latina Women and Politics
in Boston: Somos La Vida, La Fuerza, La Mujer, from F. Chris Garcia, ed., Pursuing
Power: Latinos and the Political System (Notre Dame: U. of Notre Dame Press,
1997).
Tuesday, Oct. 30
Intersections of Gender, Race, and Class
Readings: *Elizabeth m. Almquist, “The Experiences of Minority Women in
the United States” (1995). *Wendy Smooth, “Intersectionality in American Politics”
in Politics & Gender 2(3), 2006.
Thursday, Nov. 1
Political Economy of Empowerment
Readings: *William Julius Wilson, “Introduction,” from When Work
Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor (NY: Knopf, 1996). *Edna Bonacich,
“The Site of Class,” from Torres, Miron & Inda, eds., Race, Identity & Citizenship:
A Reader (NY: Blackwell, 1999).
Tuesday, Nov. 6
Political Strategies of Minority Empowerment
Readings: * Bernard Grofman & Lisa Handley, “Voting Rights in the 1990s: An
Overview,” from B. Grofman, ed., Race and Redistricting in the 1990s (NY:
Agathon, 1998). *Bruce Cain, “Voting rights and Democratic Theory” and Lani
Guinier, “Commentary on Voting Rights and Democratic Theory,” from Bernard
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Grofman and Chandler Davidson, eds., Controversies in Minority Voting
(Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution, 1992).
Thursday, Nov. 8
Relevant Policy Issues
Readings: LeMay, Ch. 9; *V. Roscigno, “Race and the Reproduction of
Educational Advantage” *Derrick Bell,”White Superiority in America,” “Brown v.
Board of Education and the Interest-Convergence Dilemma” and “The Role of
Fortuity in Racial Policy-Making” (from The Derrick Bell Reader ed. By Delgado and
Stefancic)
Tuesday, Nov. 13
Relevant Policy Issues (cont.)
Readings: *Derrick Bell,”White Superiority in America,” “Brown v. Board of
Education and the Interest-Convergence Dilemma” and “The Role of Fortuity in
Racial Policy-Making” (from The Derrick Bell Reader ed. By Delgado and Stefancic)
The rest of the classes in the semester will be used to work on your communitybased research project and to work on your own final and the group presentation.
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