The Racial Middle: Latinos and Asian Americans Blurring Boundaries, Complicating "Race".

Demographic predictions about the growth of the Latino and Asian American populations in the United States have prompted both "whitening" and "browning" theories of how this growth will alter (or not) US race relations. Such theories often expect Latinos and Asian Americans to either become like whites or else like blacks, without much attention to how these middle groups might affect more unique changes to the racial landscape. Using data from 50 in-depth interviews with Latinos and Asian Americans, I focus on (1) how their racial identities are perceived by others and how they feel about other ethnic groups; (2) the types of discrimination and prejudice they encounter; (3) the ways they employ and innovate racist ideology; and (4) their antiracist outlooks. Defying simplistic predictions, Latinos and Asian Americans' relatively greater connection to a global community than either blacks or whites becomes relevant in explaining some of these unique experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]