Social discrimination and social justice Books

Book SynopsisThrough a sociological analysis of Hmong former refugees’ grassroots movements in the United States between the 1990s and 2000s, Immigrant Agency shows how Hmong, despite being one of America’s most economically impoverished ethnic groups, were able to make sustained claims on and have their interests represented in public policies. The author, Yang Sao Xiong argues that the key to understanding how immigrants incorporate themselves politically is to understand how they mobilize collective action and make choices in circumstances far from racially neutral. Immigrant groups, in response to political threats or opportunities or both, mobilize collective action and make strategic choices about how to position themselves vis-à-vis other minority groups, how to construct group identities, and how to deploy various tactics in order to engage with the U.S. political system and influence policy. In response to immigrants’ collective claims, the racial state engages in racialization which undermines immigrants’ political standing and perpetuates their marginalization.Trade Review"Immigrant Agency provides new insights about the Hmong American experience and puts race at the center of its analysis to understand the complex ways in which the state constrains political incorporation and how refugees themselves have engaged in political action to shape public policy. Xiong's well-crafted and informative book changes the way in which we understand refugee populations and their political incorporation in the U.S." -- Dina Okamoto * author of Redefining Race: Asian American Panethnicity and Shifting Ethnic Boundaries *"In Immigrant Agency, Xiong offers a thoughtful and rigorous analysis of immigrant collective action and political incorporation through the case of Hmong Americans. He sheds light on how a vulnerable group of refugees from Laos, in response to political threats or opportunities, strategically interacts with the state and other minority groups to effectively influence public policies. This is an important contribution to the fields of migration studies, ethnic politics and Asian American studies." -- Min Zhou * Distinguished Professor of Sociology & Asian American Studies, UCLA *"Immigrant Agency provides new insights about the Hmong American experience and puts race at the center of its analysis to understand the complex ways in which the state constrains political incorporation and how refugees themselves have engaged in political action to shape public policy. Xiong's well-crafted and informative book changes the way in which we understand refugee populations and their political incorporation in the U.S." -- Dina Okamoto * author of Redefining Race: Asian American Panethnicity and Shifting Ethnic Boundaries *"In Immigrant Agency, Xiong offers a thoughtful and rigorous analysis of immigrant collective action and political incorporation through the case of Hmong Americans. He sheds light on how a vulnerable group of refugees from Laos, in response to political threats or opportunities, strategically interacts with the state and other minority groups to effectively influence public policies. This is an important contribution to the fields of migration studies, ethnic politics and Asian American studies." -- Min Zhou * Distinguished Professor of Sociology & Asian American Studies, UCLA *Table of ContentsList of Tables and FiguresList of MapsList of Abbreviations1 Immigrant Agency2 History and Contexts of Exit3 Campaign for Justice4 Battle for Naturalization5 Movement for Inclusion6 Racialized Political Incorporation and Immigrant RightsAcknowledgmentsNotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisThe U.S. infant mortality rate is among the highest in the industrialized world, and Black babies are far more likely than white babies to die in their first year of life. Maternal mortality rates are also very high. Though the infant mortality rate overall has improved over the past century with public health interventions, racial disparities have not. Racism, poverty, lack of access to health care, and other causes of death have been identified, but not yet adequately addressed. The tragedy is twofold: it is undoubtedly tragic that babies die in their first year of life, and it is both tragic and unacceptable that most of these deaths are preventable. Despite the urgency of the problem, there has been little public discussion of infant loss. The question this book takes up is not why babies die; we already have many answers to this question. It is, rather, who cares that babies, mostly but not only Black and Native American babies, are dying before their first birthdays? More importantly, what are we willing to do about it? This book tracks social and cultural dimensions of infant death through 58 alphabetical entries, from Absence to ZIP Code. It centers women’s loss and grief, while also drawing attention to dimensions of infant death not often examined. It is simultaneously a sociological study of infant death, an archive of loss and grief, and a clarion call for social change.Trade Review“This is a moving, beautiful book. The composite effect is stunning, both an indictment of systemic racism and sexism, and a tender offering to those touched by baby loss... The text seamlessly weaves between the personal and the sociological, and is very accessible while also being nuanced and not sacrificing complexity.” -- Annie Menzel * Assistant professor of gender and women's studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison *“This book contains entries that are robust in their exploration of intersecting concerns around infant mortality. It is important, timely, and innovative.” -- Dána-Ain Davis * Author of Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth *Clio Talks: Babylost: An Interview with Monica Casper by Lauren Freidenfelds * Nursing Clio *“This is a moving, beautiful book. The composite effect is stunning, both an indictment of systemic racism and sexism, and a tender offering to those touched by baby loss... The text seamlessly weaves between the personal and the sociological, and is very accessible while also being nuanced and not sacrificing complexity.” -- Annie Menzel * Assistant professor of gender and women's studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison *“This book contains entries that are robust in their exploration of intersecting concerns around infant mortality. It is important, timely, and innovative.” -- Dána-Ain Davis * Author of Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth *Clio Talks: Babylost: An Interview with Monica Casper by Lauren Freidenfelds * Nursing Clio *Table of ContentsIntroductionAbsence Abuse Angel Babies AwarenessBabyland Black Infant Mortality Blame BreastfeedingChildren’s Rights CIA World Factbook Congressional Black Caucus CubaDads Deprivation Disability DoulasEmptiness Envy EpigeneticsFolic acid Fracking FrankensteinGrief GuiltHopeInfant Mortality Rate InfanticideJapanKangaroo CareLifeMaternal Mortality Medicaid Memphis Mother’s DayNeonatology NursesObstetric Violence OhioPlacenta Prematurity Prenatal CareQuietRacism Rainbow Baby Reproductive JusticeStillbirth SurvivalTahlequah TraumaUrgency VulnerabilityWashington, D.C. Weathering Women’s HealthXenophobia Y earning ZIP Code

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Book SynopsisThe U.S. infant mortality rate is among the highest in the industrialized world, and Black babies are far more likely than white babies to die in their first year of life. Maternal mortality rates are also very high. Though the infant mortality rate overall has improved over the past century with public health interventions, racial disparities have not. Racism, poverty, lack of access to health care, and other causes of death have been identified, but not yet adequately addressed. The tragedy is twofold: it is undoubtedly tragic that babies die in their first year of life, and it is both tragic and unacceptable that most of these deaths are preventable. Despite the urgency of the problem, there has been little public discussion of infant loss. The question this book takes up is not why babies die; we already have many answers to this question. It is, rather, who cares that babies, mostly but not only Black and Native American babies, are dying before their first birthdays? More importantly, what are we willing to do about it? This book tracks social and cultural dimensions of infant death through 58 alphabetical entries, from Absence to ZIP Code. It centers women’s loss and grief, while also drawing attention to dimensions of infant death not often examined. It is simultaneously a sociological study of infant death, an archive of loss and grief, and a clarion call for social change.Trade Review“This is a moving, beautiful book. The composite effect is stunning, both an indictment of systemic racism and sexism, and a tender offering to those touched by baby loss... The text seamlessly weaves between the personal and the sociological, and is very accessible while also being nuanced and not sacrificing complexity.” -- Annie Menzel * Assistant professor of gender and women's studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison *“This book contains entries that are robust in their exploration of intersecting concerns around infant mortality. It is important, timely, and innovative.” -- Dána-Ain Davis * Author of Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth *Clio Talks: Babylost: An Interview with Monica Casper by Lauren Freidenfelds * Nursing Clio *“This is a moving, beautiful book. The composite effect is stunning, both an indictment of systemic racism and sexism, and a tender offering to those touched by baby loss... The text seamlessly weaves between the personal and the sociological, and is very accessible while also being nuanced and not sacrificing complexity.” -- Annie Menzel * Assistant professor of gender and women's studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison *“This book contains entries that are robust in their exploration of intersecting concerns around infant mortality. It is important, timely, and innovative.” -- Dána-Ain Davis * Author of Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth *Clio Talks: Babylost: An Interview with Monica Casper by Lauren Freidenfelds * Nursing Clio *Table of ContentsIntroductionAbsence Abuse Angel Babies AwarenessBabyland Black Infant Mortality Blame BreastfeedingChildren’s Rights CIA World Factbook Congressional Black Caucus CubaDads Deprivation Disability DoulasEmptiness Envy EpigeneticsFolic acid Fracking FrankensteinGrief GuiltHopeInfant Mortality Rate InfanticideJapanKangaroo CareLifeMaternal Mortality Medicaid Memphis Mother’s DayNeonatology NursesObstetric Violence OhioPlacenta Prematurity Prenatal CareQuietRacism Rainbow Baby Reproductive JusticeStillbirth SurvivalTahlequah TraumaUrgency VulnerabilityWashington, D.C. Weathering Women’s HealthXenophobia Y earning ZIP Code

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Book SynopsisMaking Choices, Making Do is a comparative study of Black and white working-class women’s survival strategies during the Great Depression. Based on analysis of employment histories and Depression-era interviews of 1,340 women in Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and South Bend and letters from domestic workers, Lois Helmbold discovered that Black women lost work more rapidly and in greater proportions. The benefits that white women accrued because of structural racism meant they avoided the utter destitution that more commonly swallowed their Black peers. When let go from a job, a white woman was more successful in securing a less desirable job, while Black women, especially older Black women, were pushed out of the labor force entirely. Helmbold found that working-class women practiced the same strategies, but institutionalized racism in employment, housing, and relief assured that Black women worked harder, but fared worse. Making Choices, Making Do strives to fill the gap in the labor history of women, both Black and white. The book will challenge the limits of segregated histories and encourage more comparative analyses. Trade Review"Making Choices, Making Do is a remarkable study that recasts the 1930s working class through the lens of black and white women's experiences during the Great Depression. Analyzing how race, immigration, and gender shaped women's survival strategies, Helmbold opens up fresh interpretive possibilities and an intersectional, comparative, and feminist methodological approach to defining class." -- Keona Ervin * author of Gateway to Equality: Black Women and the Struggle for Economic Justice in St. Louis *"Deeply researched in remarkably rich sources, this fine study takes us into the lives of working class women—their budgets, jobs, struggles, interactions with authorities, worries, and dreams. Full of insights regarding gender, immigration, and family, the book especially succeeds in its careful comparisons of women’s lives across the color line dividing African American and white women, capturing both common oppression and critical differences." -- David Roediger * author of The Sinking Middle Class: A Political History *"No one knows the social history of working-class women better than Lois Helmbold, and no one has written with more insight and sensitivity. By uncovering the everyday lives and struggles of working women, she manages to recast the story of the Depression-era labor upheavals in completely new light. Making Choices, Making Do ought to be required reading." -- Robin D. G. Kelley * author of Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists During the Great Depression *"Making Choices, Making Do is a remarkable study that recasts the 1930s working class through the lens of black and white women's experiences during the Great Depression. Analyzing how race, immigration, and gender shaped women's survival strategies, Helmbold opens up fresh interpretive possibilities and an intersectional, comparative, and feminist methodological approach to defining class." -- Keona Ervin * author of Gateway to Equality: Black Women and the Struggle for Economic Justice in St. Louis *"Deeply researched in remarkably rich sources, this fine study takes us into the lives of working class women—their budgets, jobs, struggles, interactions with authorities, worries, and dreams. Full of insights regarding gender, immigration, and family, the book especially succeeds in its careful comparisons of women’s lives across the color line dividing African American and white women, capturing both common oppression and critical differences." -- David Roediger * author of The Sinking Middle Class: A Political History *"No one knows the social history of working-class women better than Lois Helmbold, and no one has written with more insight and sensitivity. By uncovering the everyday lives and struggles of working women, she manages to recast the story of the Depression-era labor upheavals in completely new light. Making Choices, Making Do ought to be required reading." -- Robin D. G. Kelley * author of Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists During the Great Depression *Table of ContentsPreface: My History and PositionalityAbbreviation in Text and NotesCitation ConventionsIntroduction1. Urban Working-Class Daily Lives and Work in the 1920s2. Job Deterioration and Unemployment: "You just can't depend on a steady job at all."3. Employment Strategies and their Consequences4. The Family Economy: Daily Survival and Management of Resources5. Interrupted Expectations: Loyalty and Conflict in the Family Economy6. Outside the Family Economy: “Most times I’d go to a friend.”7. Relief: "I never thought I would come to this. I am so willing and anxious to work."Conclusion: Working-Class Women’s Class and Race ConsciousnessAcknowledgementsAppendix 1: Interview SourcesAppendix 2: Women’s Bureau Social ScientistsAppendix 3: The CensusTablesEnd notes

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Book SynopsisBetween Care and Criminality examines social welfare’s encounter with migration and marriage in a period of intensified border control in Melbourne, Australia. It offers an in-depth ethnographic account of the effort to prevent forced marriage in the aftermath of a 2013 law that criminalized the practice. Disproportionately targeted toward Muslim migrant communities, prevention efforts were tasked with making the family relations and marital practices of migrants objects of policy knowledge in the name of care and community empowerment. Through tracing the everyday ways that direct service providers, police, and advocates learned to identify imminent marriages and at-risk individuals, this book reveals how the domain of social welfare becomes the new frontier where the settler colonial state judges good citizenship. In doing so, it invites social welfare to reflect on how migrant conceptions of familial care, personhood, and mutual obligation become structured by the violence of displacement, borders, and conditional citizenship.Trade Review"This exquisitely nuanced ethnography takes anti-carceral feminism to new heights! In tracing how 'coercive violence' amongst migrant families in Australia comes to be defined and policed, Zeweri demonstrates how Muslim women are still being used to justify anti-immigrant policies, whether they are framed as victim or threat. Most importantly, she shows that intimate forms of violence cannot be understood outside the violence of war, displacement and detention." -- Miriam Ticktin * author of Casualties of Care: Immigration and the Politics of Humanitarianism in France *"Between Care and Criminality offers unique insights into how social policies are lived on the ground by frontline workers, community leaders, and the young people who they target. The book resists the static portrayals of forced marriage in providing empirical examples of families who negotiate tensions surrounding marriage decisions within the context of family dynamics." -- Reva Jaffe-Walter * author of Coercive Concern: Nationalism, Liberalism, and the Schooling of Muslim Youth *"Between Care and Community, a well-documented, well researched analysis of forced marriage prevention policy, both informs and unsettles. Helena Zeweri makes a real contribution to studies on the anthropology of marriage and biopolitics of intimacy, and poses important questions concerning first generation migrant women and notions of family, culture, and the domestic." -- Frances Julia Riemer * author of Working at the Margins: Moving Off Welfare in America *Table of ContentsSeries Foreword by Péter Berta Introduction: An Emergent Regime of Truth Chapter 1: A Genealogy of Forced Marriage Prevention Chapter 2: The Threat of Suffering: Configuring Victimhood in Forced Marriage Scenario Planning Chapter 3: Reluctant Disclosure: Epistemic Doubt and Ethical Dilemmas in Prevention Work Chapter 4: Phantom Figures: The Erasures of Biopolitical Narratives Chapter 5: Beyond Criminality: Narratives of Familial Duress in Times of Displacement Conclusion: Reflections on the Coercive State Acknowledgements Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisLOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FINALIST • NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMINEE • A “powerful and devastating” (The Washington Post) call to free those buried alive by America’s legal system, and an inspiring true story about unwavering belief in humanity—from a gifted young lawyer and important new voice in the movement to transform the system.“An essential book for our time . . . Brittany K. Barnett is a star.”—Van Jones, CEO of REFORM Alliance, CNN Host, and New York Times bestselling author Brittany K. Barnett was only a law student when she came across the case that would change her life forever—that of Sharanda Jones, single mother, business owner, and, like Brittany, Black daughter of the rural South. A victim of America’s devastating war on drugs, Sharanda had been torn away from her young daughter and was serving a life sentence without parole—for a first-time drug offense. In Sharanda, Brittany saw haunting echoes of her own life, as the daughter of a formerly incarcerated mother. As she studied this case, a system came into focus in which widespread racial injustice forms the core of America’s addiction to incarceration. Moved by Sharanda’s plight, Brittany set to work to gain her freedom. This had never been the plan. Bright and ambitious, Brittany was a successful accountant on her way to a high-powered future in corporate law. But Sharanda’s case opened the door to a harrowing journey through the criminal justice system. By day she moved billion-dollar deals, and by night she worked pro bono to free clients in near hopeless legal battles. Ultimately, her path transformed her understanding of injustice in the courts, of genius languishing behind bars, and the very definition of freedom itself.Brittany’s riveting memoir is at once a coming-of-age story and a powerful evocation of what it takes to bring hope and justice to a system built to resist them both.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY KIRKUS REVIEWS

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Book SynopsisThe recourse of anti-Islamic respectively anti-Muslim attitudes serves to be a starting point for many political movements and demagogues to generate attention as well as affirmation, as the sociological developments especially since the year of 2015 evidently demonstrate. Notwithstanding that this phenomenon is by no means entirely new, since anti-Islamic and anti-Muslim sentiments can be traced back into the past in a variety of ways. For all these reasons it is essential to approach these sentiments and tendencies in a multiperspective and interdisciplinary manner. Some of the possible perspectives and analyses concerning anti-Islamic attitudes and anti-Muslim racism shall therefore be introduced and propounded in this anthology.

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