American History, Race and the Struggle for Equality

Powerfully synthesizing major currents in the field, this book addresses the issue of inequality across American politics and society, using race as a lens for the exploration of major themes in American history. It considers the concept of race as a social construction, against the background of the historical struggles for "fairness" in a society based on the framework of democracy, whose principle is that majority's consent be necessary for the fulfillment of "justice." Foregrounding problems of race, capital, and political economy, it particularly examines the connections between race and class, the relationship of slavery and national politics, and the distinctive intellectual framework that Americans have developed to discuss "race." Offering a detailed account of civil rights legislation, an overview of immigration law and policy, and comprehensive overviews of debates about affirmative action, immigration, and the causes and solutionsto racialized urban poverty, this book emphasizes what is distinctive about the United States and offers a unique comparative framework for thinking about America's racial past.

Professor Masaki Kawashima is Director of the Center for American Studies (CAS), Editor of Nanzan Review of American Studies (NRAS), and Professor of American History at the Department of British and American Studies, Nanzan University, Japan. Professor Kawashima obtained his Litt.D. at Kyoto University, Japan, and has been researching and publishing on American history for over 30 years.

INTRODUCTION: The Invention of "Race" in the Modern World System.- PART I: Exploring the Past.- Slavery and the Early Development of America.- From the Abolition to Jim Crow.- The Attainment of Equality under the Law.- PART II: Post Movement Days to the Present.- From the War on Poverty to the Quota System.- New Immigrants and the "Underclass".- "Reverse Discrimination" and "Color-Blind" Racism.- PART III: From an Unceasing Struggle with the Past Toward a Fairer Future.- A Retreat from the Street to the Courthouse and Prison?.- Toward a New Affirmative Action in a More Diversified Society.- CONCLUSION: In Search of a New Coalition for the Future.