Ethnic interest groups in the United States
Encyclopedia
Ethnic interest groups in the United States are ethnic interest group
s within the United States
which seek to influence the foreign policy
and, to a lesser extent, the domestic policy
of the United States for the benefit of the foreign "ethnic kin
" or homeland
with whom the respective ethnic groups identity.
Many commentators when discussing the influence of ethnic interest groups tend to focus on new entrants to the competition for influence while accepting that the historic role that the Anglo-Saxon ethnic group had is no longer influencing, the foreign policy of the United States. According to the anglo authors as it usually is it was the United States' Anglo-Saxon's ethnic-ideological identity that, according to Paul McCartney, drove it to enter into the Spanish-American War
. Similarly, United States foreign policy in the mid-20th century was shaped in favor of South African apartheid
, according to Catherine Scott, as a result of the influence of people who identified with the Afrikaners based on a feeling of shared "whiteness."
writes that in the post-Cold War
international system, there is uncertainty and confusion in the United States as to what are its national interest
s. Contributing to this confusing is the rise of multiculturalism and its eroding of a singular "American identity." The lack of a coherent national identity makes its challenging for the state to articulate its true interests, thus it becomes less resistant to the influence exerted by ethnic interest groups whose ethnocentric goals, at best, may only align with broad "American interests" by chance.
writes in 2002 that there "has been a growing acceptance that ethnic identity groups have the right to mobilize politically for the purpose of influencing U.S. policies at home and abroad. This has resulted in a rise in the number and ethnic lobbies as well as their influence." Additional trends include an "increasing rejection of cultural assimilation and, in its place, growing support for expressions of ethnic diversity" as well as a decreasing tendency for Americans "to make charges of disloyalty against those who retain ties to their ethnic kin abroad and who advocate positions in line with the interests of their homeland." The proliferation of ethnic conflicts has also heightened the stakes for many ethnic groups causing concerted efforts to expand their influence on U.S. foreign policy as the "independence, survival, or general welfare of a group's ethnic kin or homeland is threatened."
Ethnic interest group
An ethnic interest group or ethnic lobby, according to Thomas Ambrosio, is an advocacy group established along cultural, ethnic, religious or racial lines by an ethnic group for the purposes of directly or indirectly influencing the foreign policy of their resident country in support of the...
s within the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
which seek to influence the foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
and, to a lesser extent, the domestic policy
Domestic policy
Domestic policy, also known as public policy, presents decisions, laws, and programs made by the government which are directly related to all issues and activity within the country....
of the United States for the benefit of the foreign "ethnic kin
Kin
-Places:* Kin, Okinawa, a town in Okinawa, Japan* Kin, Pakistan, a village along the Indus in Pakistan* Kin, Mogok, a village in Mogok Township, Burma * Kin, Ye, a village in Ye Township, Burma...
" or homeland
Homeland
A homeland is the concept of the place to which an ethnic group holds a long history and a deep cultural association with —the country in which a particular national identity began. As a common noun, it simply connotes the country of one's origin...
with whom the respective ethnic groups identity.
Historic development
"Being a country founded and populated by immigrants, the United States has always contained groups with significant affective and political ties to their national homeland and their ethnic kin throughout the world."Many commentators when discussing the influence of ethnic interest groups tend to focus on new entrants to the competition for influence while accepting that the historic role that the Anglo-Saxon ethnic group had is no longer influencing, the foreign policy of the United States. According to the anglo authors as it usually is it was the United States' Anglo-Saxon's ethnic-ideological identity that, according to Paul McCartney, drove it to enter into the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. Similarly, United States foreign policy in the mid-20th century was shaped in favor of South African apartheid
History of South Africa in the apartheid era
Apartheid was a system of racial segregation enforced by the National Party governments of South Africa between 1948 and 1994, under which the rights of the majority 'non-white' inhabitants of South Africa were curtailed and white supremacy and Afrikaner minority rule was maintained...
, according to Catherine Scott, as a result of the influence of people who identified with the Afrikaners based on a feeling of shared "whiteness."
World War I
In the United States, according to Alexander DeConde, the "World War quickened the ethnic consciousness of minority groups. They promptly created organizations to help the causes of their old European homelands that had become belligerents. Through whatever means possible, the ethnic activists among them sought to give direction to Washington on matters of policy that affected their overseas kin, making the United States a lobbying battleground between rival interest groups emotionally entangled in the war."Cold War
Ambrosio writes that "during the Cold War, the influence of ethnic identity groups was limited by the nature of both the international system and the U.S. foreign policy process." The ethnic identity groups had limited influence during this period because:- the Cold War foreign policy of the United States was formulated largely by elites concentrated in an executive branch (itself insulated from ethnic politicking because of their diminished role in presidential elections as compared to congress), and
- the general public, because of the high stakes involved, granted significant latitude and deference to the policy making elites.
Post-Cold War
Historian Samuel P. HuntingtonSamuel P. Huntington
Samuel Phillips Huntington was an influential American political scientist who wrote highly-regarded books in a half-dozen sub-fields of political science, starting in 1957...
writes that in the post-Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
international system, there is uncertainty and confusion in the United States as to what are its national interest
National interest
The national interest, often referred to by the French expression raison d'État , is a country's goals and ambitions whether economic, military, or cultural. The concept is an important one in international relations where pursuit of the national interest is the foundation of the realist...
s. Contributing to this confusing is the rise of multiculturalism and its eroding of a singular "American identity." The lack of a coherent national identity makes its challenging for the state to articulate its true interests, thus it becomes less resistant to the influence exerted by ethnic interest groups whose ethnocentric goals, at best, may only align with broad "American interests" by chance.
Current trends
Political scientist Thomas AmbrosioThomas Ambrosio
Thomas Ambrosio is an associate professor of political science in the Criminal Justice and Political Science Department at North Dakota State University and director of NDSU's International Studies Major . He teaches courses in international relations, international law, and ethnic conflicts...
writes in 2002 that there "has been a growing acceptance that ethnic identity groups have the right to mobilize politically for the purpose of influencing U.S. policies at home and abroad. This has resulted in a rise in the number and ethnic lobbies as well as their influence." Additional trends include an "increasing rejection of cultural assimilation and, in its place, growing support for expressions of ethnic diversity" as well as a decreasing tendency for Americans "to make charges of disloyalty against those who retain ties to their ethnic kin abroad and who advocate positions in line with the interests of their homeland." The proliferation of ethnic conflicts has also heightened the stakes for many ethnic groups causing concerted efforts to expand their influence on U.S. foreign policy as the "independence, survival, or general welfare of a group's ethnic kin or homeland is threatened."
Conflicting interpretations
There are multiple perspectives as to the value of the influence of ethnic interest groups on the foreign policy of the United States, much like there are conflicting interpretations of the influence of ethnic interest groups in general, see Ethnic interest groups - Conflicting interpretations. Yossi Shain writes that in "many ways [...] the participation of ethnic diasporas in shaping U.S. foreign policy is a truly positive phenomena." A less positive assessment comes from Tony Smith, who writes that at "present, the negative consequences of ethnic involvement may way outweigh the undoubted benefits this activism at times confers on America in world affairs."Most recognized ethnic interest groups
The following ethnic interest groups as the most recognized in the United States:- Ancient Order of HiberniansAncient Order of HiberniansThe Ancient Order of Hibernians is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be Catholic and either Irish born or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New York City in 1836...
(Irish) - German-American Heritage Foundation of the USAGerman-American Heritage Foundation of the USAThe German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA is a national non-profit organization that promotes German language, culture, and heritage in the United States and works toward preserving the history of Americans of German ancestry in the building the United States...
(Germans) - National Italian American FoundationNational Italian American FoundationThe National Italian American Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational foundation that promotes Italian American culture and heritage...
(Italians) - Serbian Unity CongressSerbian Unity CongressThe Serbian Unity Congress is a non-profit Serbian diaspora international organization. It was incorporated in 1990 in response to the historic changes occurring in Yugoslavia. Its stated long term goal is to contribute to democratization and reconstruction of the Serbian territories...
(Serbs) - Albanian American Civic LeagueAlbanian American Civic LeagueAlbanian American Civic League is the only Albanian lobby in Washington, DC, representing the concerns and interests of the Albanian people. The Civic League was founded by former Congressman Joseph DioGuardi and a board of Albanian Americans in 1989...
(Albanians) - U.S. Azeris Network (Azerbaijanis)
- Sons of NorwaySons of NorwaySons of Norway is a fraternal organization representing people of Norwegian heritage in the United States and Canada. It describes its mission as "to promote and to preserve the heritage and culture of Norway, to celebrate our relationship with other Nordic Countries, and provide quality...
(Norwegians) - German American National CongressGerman American National CongressThe German American National Congress is a national German-American nonprofit organization in the United States. DANK was established to unite Americans of Germanic descent, while preserving their heritage and traditions on a local and national level...
(Germans) - Cuban-American National FoundationCuban-American National FoundationThe Cuban American National Foundation is a Cuban exile organization. Established in Florida in 1981 by Jorge Mas Canosa and Raul Masvidal, CANF is an organization with numerous members in the United States and other countries...
(Cubans) - TransAfrica (Africans)
- Assembly of Turkish Americans (Turks)
- United Macedonian DiasporaUnited Macedonian DiasporaThe United Macedonian Diaspora is an international membership organization founded in 2004 and based in Washington, D.C. addressing the interests and needs of Macedonian communities throughout the world...
(Macedonians) - National Association of Arab-AmericansNational Association of Arab-AmericansNational Association of Arab Americans, founded in 1972, was a political advocacy group for Arab-Americans residing in the United States. Its goals were "to strengthen U.S...
(Arabs) - American Israel Public Affairs CommitteeAmerican Israel Public Affairs CommitteeThe American Israel Public Affairs Committee is a lobbying group that advocates pro-Israel policies to the Congress and Executive Branch of the United States...
(Israelis) - Armenian Assembly of AmericaArmenian Assembly of AmericaThe Armenian Assembly of America aims to "strengthen U.S./Armenia and U.S. relations, promotes Armenia's democratic development and economic prosperity and seeks universal affirmation of the Armenian Genocide" via "research, education and advocacy."...
(Armenians) - Armenian National Committee of AmericaArmenian National Committee of AmericaThe Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively...
(Armenians) - American Hellenic Institute Public Affairs CommitteeAmerican Hellenic Institute Public Affairs CommitteeThe American Hellenic Institute Public Affairs Committee, or AHIPAC is an organization created by the American Hellenic Institute in 1975 to strengthen US-Greece and US-Cyprus relations, as well as relations within Hellenic-American community...
(Greeks) - National Association for the Advancement of Colored PeopleNational Association for the Advancement of Colored PeopleThe National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
(African Americans) - Institute of Caribbean Studies (Caribbeans)
- Japan Society of America (Japanese)
- Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (Mexicans)
- League of United Latin American CitizensLeague of United Latin American CitizensThe League of United Latin American Citizens was created to combat the discrimination that Hispanics face in the United States. Established February 17, 1929 in Corpus Christi, Texas, LULAC was a consolidation of smaller, like-minded civil rights groups already in existence...
(Hispanics/Latinos) - National Iranian American CouncilNational Iranian American CouncilThe National Iranian American Council is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization "dedicated to advancing the interests of the Iranian-American community." Trita Parsi is the organization's current president and founder.-Formation:...
(Iranians) - Anti-Defamation LeagueAnti-Defamation LeagueThe Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
(American Jews) - National Congress of American IndiansNational Congress of American IndiansThe National Congress of American Indians is a American Indian and Alaska Native indigenous rights organization. It was founded in 1944 in response to termination and assimilation policies that the U.S. government forced upon the tribal governments in contradiction of their treaty rights and...
(Native Americans) - English-Speaking UnionEnglish-Speaking UnionThe English-Speaking Union is an international educational charity which was founded by the journalist Evelyn Wrench in 1918. The ESU aims to "bring together and empower people of different languages and cultures," by building skills and confidence in communication, such that individuals realize...
(Anglo-Americans of British origin) - League of the SouthLeague of the SouthThe League of the South is a Southern nationalist organization, headquartered in Killen, Alabama, which states that its ultimate goal is "a free and independent Southern republic." The group defines the Southern United States as the states that made up the former Confederacy...
(Anglo-Americans of Southern USA origin)
See also
- Diaspora politics in the United StatesDiaspora politics in the United StatesDiaspora politics in the United States is the study of the political behavior of transnational ethnic diasporas, their relationship with their ethnic homelands and their host states, as well as their prominent role in ethnic conflicts. This article describes case studies and theories of political...
- Ethnic interest groupEthnic interest groupAn ethnic interest group or ethnic lobby, according to Thomas Ambrosio, is an advocacy group established along cultural, ethnic, religious or racial lines by an ethnic group for the purposes of directly or indirectly influencing the foreign policy of their resident country in support of the...
- Foreign policy interest groupForeign policy interest groupA foreign policy interest group, according to Thomas Ambrosio, is a domestic advocacy group which seeks to directly or indirectly influence their government's foreign policy.-Historic development:...
- Identity politicsIdentity politicsIdentity politics are political arguments that focus upon the self interest and perspectives of self-identified social interest groups and ways in which people's politics may be shaped by aspects of their identity through race, class, religion, sexual orientation or traditional dominance...
- List of ethnic interest groups in Canada