Preserving Privilege: California Politics, Propositions, and People of Color

(Hardback)

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Gibbs and Bankhead examine the history and current situation in California as it struggles to deal with the ethnic and racial change that will make it the first American state to have a non-white majority in the first decade of the 21st century. From shock and denial, to bargaining to change the outcome, they analyze the impact in California and what this may mean for the rest of the country. They begin by tracing the major historical, social, economic and political events of the past 50 years that laid the foundation for the impetus of such ethnically and racially divisive initiatives as the efforts to strengthen anti-crime measures, remove illegal immigrants, limit affirmative action measures, and eliminate bilingual education. Each of these ballot propositions is examined, detailing the pro and con arguments of their advocates and opponents, their major financial contributors, campaign strategies, ethnic voting patterns, implications of implementation, and their impact on people of color. Gibbs and Bankhead then look at parallels from a national and international perspective. They conclude with a discussion of the values that should guide public policy debates in a multiethnic, multicultural society, and they propose specific policy alternatives to address the issues of crime prevention and control, illegal immigration, affirmative action, and bilingual education. A thoughtful analysis that will be of value to concerned citizens as well as policy makers, scholars, and students of contemporary American issues.

Reviews

Preserving Privilege is a brilliantly researched and written book. It is intelligent, insightful, timely, and rich in detail...it is accessible to the lay reader and has much to offer teachers and students in varied disciplines, including sociology, social welfare, political science, history, ethnic studies, education, cross cultural studies, and psychology. Most importantly, Preserving Privilege offers California and the rest of the nation a sense of vision and direction.-Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare
Preserving Privilege is an interesting and informative account that expresses outrage at the pandering to wedge politics, political opportunism and racism reflected in current political disourse and practice in California and the nation. What it lacks in theoretical sophistication is redeemed in its rightful condemnation of the wedge politics that most progressive abhor.-Journal of American Ethnic History
"Preserving Privilege is an interesting and informative account that expresses outrage at the pandering to wedge politics, political opportunism and racism reflected in current political disourse and practice in California and the nation. What it lacks in theoretical sophistication is redeemed in its rightful condemnation of the wedge politics that most progressive abhor."-Journal of American Ethnic History
"Preserving Privilege is a brilliantly researched and written book. It is intelligent, insightful, timely, and rich in detail...it is accessible to the lay reader and has much to offer teachers and students in varied disciplines, including sociology, social welfare, political science, history, ethnic studies, education, cross cultural studies, and psychology. Most importantly, Preserving Privilege offers California and the rest of the nation a sense of vision and direction."-Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare

Author Bio

JEWELLE TAYLOR GIBBS is the Zellerbach Family Fund Professor of Social Policy, Community Change, and Practice, Emerita, at the School of Social Work, University of California at Berkeley. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist. Gibbs is editor of Young, Black and Male in America: An Endangered Species (Auburn House, 1988), author of Race and Justice: Rodney King and O. J. Simpson in a House Divided (1996), and co-author of Children of Color: Psychological Interventions with Culturally Diverse Youth (1998). TEIAHSHA BANKHEAD is a doctoral candidate at the School of Social Welfare at the University of California at Berkeley.