Foregrounding problems of race, capital, and political economy, it particularly examines the connections between race and class, the relationship of slavery and national politics, and the distinctive intellectual framework that Americans have developed to discuss "race."

Offering a detailed account of civil rights legislation, an overview of immigration law and policy, and comprehensive overviews of debates about affirmative action, immigration, and the causes and solutionsto racialized urban poverty, this book emphasizes what is distinctive about the United States and offers a unique comparative framework for thinking about America's racial past.