The Racial Logic of Politics: Asian Americans and Party Competition

Extract

The Racial Logic of Politics: Asian Americans and Party Competition. By Thomas P. Kim. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. 2007. 208p. $69.50 cloth, $22.95 paper.

This is a welcome effort to extend the study of race to American political institutions. A major contribution is the exploration of the way that Asian American political prospects vary across institutions. Thomas Kim argues that the party system serves Asian Americans poorly but that their prospects are better in Congress. Given the systemic barriers in party politics, Asian Americans would be better served by building their own political base and agenda, but that goal is undermined by the misguided efforts of Asian American political elites, he believes.