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.

_________________________________________________________

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


Number Eight: Rio Grande/Río Bravo: Borderlands Culture and
Traditions


What people are saying about this book

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

". . . an important book for anyone interested in the fashioning of a
democratic world for the twenty-first century."—María Pilar
Aquino, University of San Diego