16. Racialized Metropolis: Theorizing Asian American and Latino Identities and Ethnicities in Southern California

Abstract

Traditional theoretical & scholarly uses of the terms 'race' & 'ethnicity' are rejected. After discussing the dominance of the white-black dichotomy within US racial discourse, the need to recognize that not all members of specific ethnic communities share the same historical experiences is stressed. Robert Miles's (1989) notion of racialization is then reviewed. Focus here is on the situation in Los Angeles, CA, where immigrant groups are continually involved in defining their own group identities. Consequently, Asian & Latino immigrants have attempted to create organizations that address their various needs. Multiple factors that encourage mainstream US society to racially discriminate or misrepresent Latino & Asian immigrants are discussed. It is subsequently contended that contemporary uses of race emphasize social issues, even though current social scientific research has demonstrated the shortcomings of viewing race as a viable social category. Recommendations for future research are offered, eg, performing comparative studies of groups that are traditionally racialized in the US.