Description
Book SynopsisHistorically, Black Americans have easily found common ground on political, social, and economic goals. Yet, there are signs of increasing variety of opinion among Blacks in the United States, due in large part to the influx of Afro-Latino, Afro-Caribbean, and African immigrants to the United States. This book tells their story.
Trade Review"Black Mosaic addresses a significant, and often-neglected, subject in African American politics.The prose is engaging and accessible, the scholarship is first-rate, and the conclusions are illuminating.As our nation becomes increasingly diverse, this subject will only become more important over time." -- Vincent Hutchings,author of Public Opinion and Democratic Accountability
"Smiths exceptional book provides a solid theoretical as well as an empirical road map for scholars wishing to increase their understanding of how Black Americans, Blacks from the Americas, as well as African immigrants conceptualize and think about the meaning of blackness. Black Mosaic surely will become required reading for students and scholars in the field." -- Ronald E. Brown,Associate Professor of Political Science, Wayne State University
"This book is a welcome addition to scholarship on the politics of race and ethnicity in the United States. Candis Watts Smiths analysis reveals the complexity of Black racial identity within the context of greater ethnic diversity, and provides a robust and theoretically rich explanation for the boundaries of Black identity. Black Mosaic is a signal contribution and essential reading for scholars of American politics." -- Jane Junn,author of The Politics of Belonging: Race, Public Opinion, and Immigration
Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 1 Black on Black History 19 2 Diasporic Consciousness: Theorizing Black Pan-Ethnic Identity and Intraracial Politics 45 3 From Group Membership to Group Identification 69 4 Broadening Black Identity: Evidence in National Data 110 5 Politicizing Identities: Linking Identity to Politics 133 6 Perspectives on Intraracial Coalition and Conflict 175 Conclusion: My President Is Black? 197 Appendix A: Presentation of Survey Items and Variable Measures 206 Appendix B: Interview Respondent Characteristics 210 Appendix C: Semistructured Interview Guide 214 Notes 219 Bibliography 249 Index 267 About the Author 277
