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University of MontrealFall Term 2005
Department of Political ScienceOffice: Bureau 550-52,
3744, rue Jean-Brillant
Ron Schmidt, Fulbright-Enders Visiting Research ChairPhone: 514-434-6507
Center for International Studies (CERIUM)Email:
Political Science 6630: Seminar on Immigration and Ethno-Racial Politics in the U.S.
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Introduction:
This seminar will focus on the understanding of racial politics in the United States, and the impact of recent immigration on efforts by peoples of color to gain greater social and political equality in U.S. society. The course will focus particularly on three ethno-racial “blocs” important in U.S. politics – African Americans, Latinos (or Hispanics), and Asian Americans – with some discussion as well of the political situation of First peoples (American Indians). Throughout the course, students will be asked to contrast the experiences of the U.S. and Canada in relation to ethno-racial politics and immigration. The seminar will involve selected readings, discussions, lectures by the professor, and the writing of three brief analytical papers by the students.
The class will meet on Thursdays, in room C-4019.
Readings:
Required book: Gary Gerstle and John Mollenkopf, eds. 2001. E Pluribus Unum? Contemporary and Historical Perspectives on Immigrant Political Incorporation (New York: Russell Sage Foundation).
Recommended book: Ronald Schmidt, Sr. 2000. Language Policy and Identity Politics in the United States(Philadelphia: TempleUniversity Press).
Additional Readings: Additional required course readings will be posted on-line, on the Professor’s web-site. Click on required readings at the following url: To access on-line reading assignments, click on the assignment (hot-linked) on the on-line Course Syllabus.
Topical Outline and Schedule of Assignments:
Week 1 (September 1): Professor at APSA annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS: (1) Purchase the required book; find the course web-site; (2) read the reading assignments for next week; (3) Think about, and be prepared to discuss, the following questions: (a) How do you describe your own ethnic/racial identity?; (b) Where does this identity come from?
Week 2 (September 8):Course Introduction: What is “ethnicity”?; what is “nation”?; what is “race”? What are their political functions?
REQUIRED READING:
01. H. Winant, “Race and Race Theory,” (from Annual Review of Sociology, 2000. 26: 169-85 (on-line).
RECOMMENDED:
02. V. Hutchings & N. Valentino, “The Centrality of Race in American Politics,” (Annual Review of Political Science 2004. 7:383-408; on-line.
Week 3 (September 15): Historical background of U.S.ethno-racial diversity and migration.
REQUIRED READING:
03. R. Schmidt, “Ethnic and Racial Diversity in United StatesHistory: Origins and Patterns of Response,” (unpublished ms., 1991, on-line).
RECOMMENDED:
04. King & Smith, “Racial Orders and American PoliticalDevelopment,”APSR, 99;1 (Feb. 2005), pp. 75-92; on-line).
Week 4 (September 22):The New Immigration in U.S. – an overview.
REQUIRED READING:
05. Census Bureau: Foreign-Born Population, 2003:
06. Census Bureau Press Release, 2005.
Week 5 (September 29):(Professor in Ottawa.) Immigration, American Political Culture, and the AmericanState.
FIRST WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE
REQUIRED READING:
07. Gerstle and Mollenkopf, eds., E Pluribus Unum?, Intro., Ch. 3-4; 7-8.
Week 6 (October 6):Models of incorporation: Background In Politics & Political Science.
REQUIRED READING:
08. Stokely Carmichael, “What We Want,” New York Review of Books, 1966 (on-line).
09. Shelby Steele, “Thinking Beyond Race,” Wilson Quarterly, 1990 (on-line).
10. William Julius Wilson, “Race-Neutral Programs and the Democratic Coalition,” The American Prospect,” 1990 (on-line).
11. Samuel Huntington, “The Hispanic Challenge,” Foreign Policy, 2004 (on-line).
Week 7 (October 13):Models of Incorporation: Sociological Views
REQUIRED READING:
12. Min Zhao, “Segmented Assimilation: Issues, Controversies and Recent Research on the Second Generation,” International Migration Review, 1997 (on-line).
13. Alba & Nee, “Rethinking Assimilation Theory for a New Era of Immigration,” International Migration Review, 1997 (on-line)
14. Roger Waldinger, “Foreigners Transformed: International Migration and the Remaking of a Divided People,” eScholarship Repository, University of California, 2005 (on-line).
Week 8 (October 20):Models of Incorporation: Political Science, History and Law
REQUIRED READING:
15. Gerstle and Mollenkopf, eds., Ch. 1, 5-6.
16. Schmidt, et.al., “Understanding the Impact of Recent Immigration on U.S. Ethno-Racial Politics: Toward A Research Agenda for Political Science” (unpublished ms., on-line)
RECOMMENDED:
17. Jennifer Hochschild, “Pluralism, Identity Politics, and Coalitions: Toward Madisonian Constitutionalism,” Proceedings of APSA Annual Meeting, 2001 (on-line)
18. Rodney Hero, “Social Capital and Racial Inequality in America,” Perspectives on Politics, 2003 (on-line).
19. Ian F. Haney Lopez, “Race, Ethnicity and Nationhood. . . ,” La Raza Law Journal, 1998 (on-line).
Week 8 (October 27): Fall Vacation – no class.
Week 9 (November 3): Elections, Minority Empowerment & Immigration
SECOND WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE
REQUIRED READING:
20. Sidney Verba, et.al., “Race, Ethnicity and Political Resources: Participation in the United States,” British Journal of Political Science, 1993 (on-line)
21. Rodolfo O. de la Garza, “Latino Politics,” Annual Reviews, 2004 (on-line)
22. Pei-te Lien, et.al., “Asian Pacific-American Public Opinion and Political Participation,” PS Online, 2001 (on-line).
23. James Lai, et.al., “Asian Pacific-American Campaigns, Elections, and Elected Officials,” PS Online, 2001 (on-line).
24. Christine Sierra, et.al., “Latino Immigration and Citizenship,” PS Online, 2000 (on-line).
25. Gerstle and Mollenkopf, E Pluribus Unum, Ch. 2.
Week 10 (November 10): Governing Coalitions, Minority Empowerment & Immigration
REQUIRED READING:
26. Karen Kaufman, “Cracks in the Rainbow: Group Commonality as a Basis for Coalition Between Latinos and African-Americans,” Political Research Quarterly, 2003 (on-line).
27. Kim & Lee, “Interracial Politics: Asian Pacific-Americans and Other Communities of Color,” PS Online, 2001 (on-line)
28. Schmidt, et.al., “Draft: Immigrants and Governing Coalition Politics,” unpublished draft manuscript, 2005 (on-line).
Week 11 (November 17): Public Policy and Minority Empowerment
REQUIRED READING:
29. Schmidt, “The Quest for Racial Equality: A Public Policy Framework,” unpublished paper, 2002 (on-line).
30. Schmidt, Language Policy and Identity Politics in the U.S., Intro., Ch. 1-4.
Week 12 (November 24): Professor in U.S.(no class).
Week 13 (December 1):Public Policy and Minority Empowerment
REQUIRED READING:
31. Gerstle and Mollenkopf, E Pluribus Unum?, Ch. 9-10.
32. Schmidt, Language Policy and Identity Politics in the U.S., Ch. 5-8.
Week 14 (December 8): Exam week –THIRD WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE