Mestizo Democracy (Rio Grande/Rio Bravo: Borderlands Culture and Traditions, 8) - Hardcover

Burke (author)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1585442089 ISBN 13: 9781585442089

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press, 2002

Synopsis

It can come as no surprise that the ethnic makeup of the American population is rapidly changing. In this volume, John Francis Burke offers a "mestizo" theory of democracy and traces its implications for public policy. Mestizo, meaning "mixture," is a term from the Mexican socio-political experience. It represents a blend of indigenous, African, and Spanish genes and cultures in Latin America. This mixture is not a "melting pot" experience; rather, the influences of the different cultures remain identifiable but influence each other in dynamic ways. Burke analyzes democratic theory and multiculturalism to develop a model for cultivating a community that can deal effectively with its cultural diversity. He applies this model to official language(s), voting and participation, equal employment opportunity, housing, and free trade. Burke concludes that in the United States we are becoming mestizo whether we know it or not and whether we like it or not. By embracing this, we can forge a future together that will be greater than the sum of its parts.

About this title

Review:

"Burke's contribution to political philosophy is certain to raise the level of rhetoric in the field for years to come."

About the Author:

JOHN FRANCIS BURKE is an associate professor of political science and chair of the department at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.

About this edition

• Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1585442089
• ISBN 13: 9781585442089
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 277