Comparative Approaches to Changing Interethnic Relations in Cities

Abstract

An introductory chapter looks at the impact of changing demographics in the US on urban politics & ways contemporary immigrants become incorporated in the political system. The Census Bureau estimated the foreign-born population to be 28.4 million in 2000, a 43% jump over the 1990 figure. Most recent immigrants have come from Asia or Latin America & settled in large metropolitan areas, which are the focus of the case studies presented in this volume. The multidisciplinary contributions are organized along three themes. The first section, "New Actors in Cities," looks at mechanisms that constrain the political participation of immigrants; trends toward ethnic coalition building; & differences among/within nationality groups. The middle part, "Competition and Conflict," establishes a theoretical foundation for when conflict/competition might be expected to occur & the forms it is likely to take. The final section, "Cooperation and Coalition Building," explores the combination of leadership & shared interest needed for cooperation among urban ethnic/racial groups. A synopsis of each article is included. 1 Table, 2 Figures, 26 References. J. Lindroth