CIVILRIGHTS WINTER 2002 JOURNAL ALSO INSIDE: EQUATIONS: AN INTERVIEW WITH BOB MOSES FLYING HISTORY AS SENTIMENTAL EDUCATION WHILE WHERE ARE YOU REALLY FROM? ASIAN AMERICANS AND THE PERPETUAL FOREIGNER SYNDROME ARAB MANAGING THE DIVERSITY Lessons from the Racial REVOLUTION: BEST PRACTICES FOR 21ST CENTURY BUSINESS Profiling Controversy U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS CIVILRIGHTS WINTER 2002 JOURNAL The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan agency first established by Congress in 1957. It is directed to: • Investigate complaints alleging that citizens are being deprived of their right to Acting Chief vote by reason of their race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, Terri A. Dickerson or by reason of fraudulent practices; • Study and collect information relating to discrimination or a denial of equal Managing Editor protection of the laws under the Constitution because of race, color, religion, sex, David Aronson age, disability, or national origin, or in the administration of justice; Copy Editor • Appraise federal laws and policies with respect to discrimination or denial of equal Dawn Sweet protection of the laws because of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or in the administration of justice; Editorial Staff • Serve as a national clearinghouse for information in respect to discrimination or Monique Dennis-Elmore denial of equal protection of the laws because of race, color, religion, sex, age, Latrice Foshee disability, or national origin; Mireille Zieseniss • Submit reports, findings, and recommendations to the President and Congress; • Issue public service announcements to discourage discrimination or denial of equal Interns protection of the laws. Megan Gustafson Anastasia Ludden In furtherance of its fact-finding duties, the Commission may hold hearings and issue Travis McClain subpoenas for the production of documents and the attendance of witnesses. Meredith Taylor Since the Commission lacks enforcement powers that would enable it to apply specific remedies in individual cases, it refers the many complaints it receives to the appropriate Design federal, state, or local government agency, or private organization for action. Michelle Wandres The Commission is composed of eight part-time Commissioners, four appointed by the President and four by Congress. A full-time Staff Director oversees the day-to-day activities of the Commission, headquartered in Washington, DC. The Staff Director is U.S. Commission on appointed by the President with the concurrence of a majority of the Commission’s Civil Rights members. The Commission has 51 Advisory Committees—one for each state and the District of Mary Frances Berry Columbia. Each is composed of citizens familiar with local and state civil rights issues. Chairperson The members serve without compensation and assist the Commission with its fact- finding, investigative, and information-dissemination functions. Cruz Reynoso Each of the Commission’s six regional offices coordinates the Commission’s Vice Chairperson operations in its region and assists the State Advisory Committees in their activities. Regional offices are in Washington, DC, Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, Denver, and Los Jennifer C. Braceras Angeles. Christopher Edley, Jr. The Commission’s Robert S. Rankin Civil Rights Memorial Library is situated in Peter N. Kirsanow Commission headquarters, 624 Ninth St., NW, Washington, DC 20425. Elsie M. Meeks The Commission and its State Advisory Committees have produced hundreds of Russell G. Redenbaugh reports and studies on national, regional, and local civil rights matters. Copies of these Abigail Thernstrom publications are available free to the public, as is a “Catalog of Publications,” by request to the Publications Office, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 624 9th Street, NW, Room Les Jin 600, Washington, DC 20425. Many can be downloaded from the Commission’s Web site. Staff Director Articles and other material contained herein do not necessarily reflect the policy of the Commission, but are offered to stimulate thinking and discussion about various civil U.S. Commission on rights issues. Civil Rights 624 Ninth Street, NW Washington, DC 20425 (202) 376-8128 voice (202) 376-8116 TTY www.usccr.gov CIVILRIGHTS US COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL WINTER 2002 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 1 History as Sentimental Education 4 EQUATIONS: AN INTERVIEW WITH BOB MOSES 24 Legendary civil rights activist Bob Moses has HOLY GROUND turned his attention to a surprising new by Gloria Jahoda goal: teaching poor kids algebra. Andrew Jackson pushed countless Indians out of Florida and Alabama, down a 8 road that forever became known FLYING WHILE as the Trail of Tears. ARAB: LESSONS FROM THE RACIAL 31 PROFILING THE DESTRUCTION CONTROVERSY OF THE KINGDOM by David Harris OF KONGO Using Arab or by David Lopes Muslim background The Portugese encounter or appearance to with Kongo began in profile for potential terrorists will almost wonder and ended certainly fail—even as it damages our in tragedy. enforcement efforts. 14 44 WHERE ARE YOU PEOPLE WITH REALLY FROM? ASIAN DISABILITIES: THE AMERICANS AND THE SLEEPING GIANT OF PERPETUAL FOREIGNER AMERICAN POLITICS SYNDROME by Jim Dickson by Frank H. Wu Despite laws requiring For Asian Americans, even accessibility, millions of seemingly innocent Americans are denied the questions can reveal how right to vote and to have precariously they are their votes counted. accepted. 40 DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF FELONS: THE MODERN-DAY VOTING RIGHTS CHALLENGE by Marc Mauer Nationwide, four 46 million Americans MANAGING THE DIVERSITY jailed or previously REVOLUTION: BEST PRACTICES FOR convicted of felonies 21ST CENTURY BUSINESS are forced to sit by David Aronson out elections: Are you ready? Here are 21st century Is it time to strategies for American companies to prepare reconsider? for the demographic revolution. BOOK REVIEWS 72 The Psychology of Legitimacy 77 The Future of Immigrant Children, Reviewed by Peter Glick and Susan T. Fiske and What it Means for the United States Two books reviewed by Vivian Louie 75 The Anatomy of Racial Inequality Reviewed by Christopher H. Foreman, Jr. 82 The Color of Opportunity: Pathways to Family, Welfare, and Work Reviewed by Roger Waldinger The Civil Rights Journal is published by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, as part of its clearinghouse responsibilities. Editorial inquiries and manuscript sub- missions should be directed to The Editor, Civil Rights Journal, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 624 Ninth St., NW, Washington, DC 20425. Articles and other material contained herein do not necessarily reflect USCCR policy but are offered to stimulate thinking and discussion about various civil rights issues. No permission is required to quote or reprint contents with the exception of those that are copyrighted by authors or from other publications. Use of funds for producing the Civil Rights Journal has been approved by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. 2 Civil Rights Journal / Winter 2002 E DITOR’ S N OTE he protection of civil liberties is a nec- and contradictory state laws, and focuses on essary prerequisite to the protection of the uncomfortable reality that incarceration Tcivil rights: without the freedom to rates differ by race, making those who have dissent, the possibility of redress rests on the been historically disenfranchised more magnanimity of the government rather likely to suffer the same fate today. Jim Dick- than on the authority of the governed. Civil son, by contrast, focuses on the practical dif- liberties provide the space in which and ficulties facing people with disabilities, and through which civil rights can be defended, calls for laws that provide better access to the most important of which is the freedom polling places. to discuss and to dissent. In other articles, Frank Wu examines the The articles and reviews in this issue of continuing prejudice faced by Asian Ameri- the Civil Rights Journal attempt to further the cans, David Lopes reflects on the history of discussion on a number of topics central to the Kingdom of Kongo, and Gloria Jahoda today’s policy debates. Chief among them is recounts the events that led to the dispos- the question of civil liberty in a time of war, session of Native Americans in the “Trail of particularly when one ethnic group is the Tears.” The book review section is rich, con- primary focus of public concern. In his arti- taining full-length reviews of several of the cle “Flying While Arab,” David Harris, a pro- most important works to be published over fessor of law at Toledo University, examines the last year or two in sociology, psychol- the evidence regarding the legal and practi- ogy, and political science. All of these arti- cal case for racial profiling. He finds the cles have in common a serious engagement practice not only morally objectionable but with the issues, a respect for the facts, and a likely to backfire, as the targeted group tac- readiness to confront, honestly and fairly, itly withdraws its full support for the system the arguments of opposing points of view. that renders it vulnerable. In that sense, they present a model of how Few people better represent the possibil- to conduct a debate in a democratic polity. ity of humane discussion than Bob Moses, If the business of America is business, as the civil rights activist who first gained Herbert Hoover first said, then one of the renown in the 1960s as leader of the Student best ways to ensure that all of its people Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. His have a chance to participate in the American characteristically modest and wise vision is dream is by making sure that all of its people exhibited in an interview in this issue. have the chance to participate fully in the Though overshadowed by the terrorist nation’s economic life. The article, “Manag- attack on the U.S. in September 2001, voting ing the Revolution: Best Practices for 21st issues remain a paramount concern for Century Business,” surveys the field and many.