Q1: Chapter 7 of N.O.I. discusses the reality of the under-representation of minority groups within congress. The number of those elected into these positions of office do not accurately reflect the percentage of minority groups within the total population. In a country that boasts in ethnic diversity, how do you think that this under-representation of minority groups depicts the inner racial politics of the United States to the world? Does this public image deter or welcome more immigrants to this country? If the American government had equal representation within congress, do you still believe there would be a racial hierarchy between Whites and minority groups?
Q2: Chapter 6 of N.O.I. states that minority representation is not the only thing necessary for full incorporation in politics. A “dominant ethnoracial group” has the power to ignore the “minority communities interests” causing the minority group to not have a say. Does the dominant ethnoracial group do this intentionally so that they are able to maintain the established hierarchy? If this is a known issue, then why don’t minority groups or dominant groups try to change it so that there is full political representation?
Q3: In chapter 6 of NOI, the authors discussed how immigrants, documented and undocumented, have an impact on the legislative boundaries created by the government. Every ten years district lines are redrawn so that they are in proportion to that of the new population within counties. Do you think that this process is the government’s way of allowing minimal change to occur based on the influx of immigrants? Why not allow them to have representation in Congress as well if they are accounted in the census?
Q4: In chapter 6 of the book, pages 198-199, the author discusses how the U.S. society have created a “niche” for immigrants and within this niche there exists sub-niches such as documented immigrants, and undocumented immigrants. The author then goes to say that documented immigrants have far more rights compared to undocumented immigrants. If the U.S. speeds up the naturalisation process and gives the undocumented immigrants the right to vote and other privileges, will this move result in a significant effect on the level of political incorporation of minorities in American politics?
Q5: Both Chapter 7 and the documentary, Race 2012, discusses how the role of Barack Obama’s presidential victory in 2008 changed the view of American ethnoracial politics. In N.O.I., the authors state, “This election does provide a powerful demonstration that…the Unitd States has come a great distance from the not-so-long-ago days when such an outcome would have been uninmaginable” (266). However, both the book and the movie explicitly state that racial hierarch still exists even with a Black president in office.
The question here is even with the victory of a minority candidate becoming the leader of the United States, why has this still not eliminated race-based, political disproportions in this country? Do you believe that political leaders, such as Barack Obama, has not focused on finding a solution regarding race-based politics, even though he is African American himself? Why or why not?
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