ABSTRACT
Political relationships between communities of color in the urban United States are key factors in understanding and analyzing the contours and content of local politics and racial/ethnic conflict today. Due to demographic and social developments the story of racial and ethnic conflict in cities will reflect increasingly the particular political relationships between blacks, Latinos, Asians, and other non-European groups in the United States. There are many variables that influence the state of racial and ethnic relations in U.S. society as is shown in other chapters in this volume. These include structural changes in the economy such as changing occupational and employment patterns that may contribute to conflict between communities of color. There may be cultural issues and values that represent potential variables for explaining political conflict between these groups. Historical factors are relevant to understanding political relationships between communities of color. And certainly immigration and foreign policy are relevant to this question. Although these explanations have validity, this topic is often discussed in ways that overlook a history of both conflict and coalition building between these groups. But understanding how the latter takes place and develops can be helpful in a greater understanding of racial and ethnic political conflict between these groups.
