Abstract
With the unprecedented growth in the Hispanic population in recent decades, there is increasing interest among scholars and policy makers in how this will affect the U.S. racial order. Drawing on original research and theoretical writings using a variety of different methodologies, Being Brown in Dixie examines if and how the newly arriving Latino population has challenged or changed the complexities of race and ethnic relations within the New South. As the focus of racial struggles during the civil rights era, the American South is now the setting for understanding how Latinos are faring there and offers unique insights into the continued and changing significance of “race” in contemporary U.S. society.
The chapters in this edited text largely focus on three areas. Several authors present theoretical explanations of the reconceptualization of race, ethnicity, and racism in the South, with several chapters focusing on the changing dynamics of intergroup relations. The second area deals primarily with examining the institutional shifts and policy changes that have occurred across the region, including an examination of juvenile crime, housing practices, and public schools. The final focus looks at issues of Latino integration into the labor market and politics, including “racialized hiring practices,” the determinants of anti-immigration legislation, and communities that have proactively incorporated and welcomed the influx of Latino newcomers.
Overall, the strength of this volume is its ability to highlight how the arrival of Latinos has led to the growing complexity of discussing race and ethnic relations in the American South. Students and scholars in sociology, immigration, and race and ethnic studies will find this text very useful.