Constructing Race and Ethnicity in America

What do we mean in the U.S. today when we use the terms “race” and “ethnicity”? What do we mean, and what do we understand, when we use the five standard race-ethnic categories: White, Black, Asian, Native American, and Hispanic? Most federal and state data collection agencies use these terms without explicit attention, and thereby create categories of American ethnicity for political purposes. Davora Yanow argues that “race” and “ethnicity” are socially constructed concepts, not objective, scientifically-grounded variables, and do not accurately represent the real world. She joins the growing critique of the unreflective use of “race” and “ethnicity” in American policymaking through an exploration of how these terms are used in everyday practices. Her book is filled with current examples and analyses from a wealth of social institutions: health care, education, criminal justice, and government at all levels. The questions she raises for society and public policy are endless. Yanow maintains that these issues must be addressed explicitly, publicly, and nationally if we are to make our policy and administrative institutions operate more effectively.

Author Biography

Dvora Yanow is professor and chair of the Department of Public Administration, California State University, Hayward. Her research focus is shaped by an overall interest in the communication of meaning in organizational and policy settings. Her publications include articles on organizational learning from an interpretive-cultural perspective, the role of built space in communicating meaning, and local knowledge in organizational and policy contexts. She is the author of How Does a Policy Mean? Interpreting Policy and Organizational Actions (1996) and Conducting Interpretive Policy Analysis (2000). Her articles have been published in such journals as Policy Sciences, Administration & Society, the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Organization, Organization Science, and the Journal of Management Inquiry. In her nonacademic life, she reads mysteries; practices the piano, violin, and doumbek; folk dances and sings; grows tomatoes and herbs; and walks a fourteen-minute mile.