Race and racial diversity have historically been important social forces in the American political system. The especially unique experience of blacks has long been recognized, and the distinct situations of Latinos and other minorities has come to be acknowledged in much research. But some prominent empirical theories and analyses of American politics have given little attention to the significance of such groups or to the normative philosophical traditions that support the unequal status of these groups (King and Smith 2005). The “racial diversity interpretation,” in contrast, brings close theoretical attention to factors and issues explaining inegalitarianism, placing racial/ethnic diversity at the forefront of analysis. While not alone in this emphasis, it differs from other approaches in systematically stressing the general (not just regional) impacts of race, its importance in both relative and aggregate terms, and its relevance for a broad array of political dimensions. At the same time it has carefully considered other analytical traditions and approaches (Hero 1998).

The situations of various racial minority groups are, to be sure, each quite complex. For instance, the black/African American population has internal class differentiation (Hochschild 1995) and includes increasing numbers of immigrants from the West Indies. The group referred to as “Latinos” or “Hispanics” is a diverse one, differentiated by nationality (Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, etc.), time and circumstances of entry into the United States, and a host of other factors. Similarly, Asian groups have complex and varied historical experiences in the United States.