Critical Analysis

1. How many Hispanic members will be in the 118th Congress?

2. What is the big story this chart tells about the changing racial composition of congress?

3. What explains that change?

4. In the U.S., there are more Hispanics than African-Americans. Explain why there are more Congressional seats held by African Americans (60) than Hispanics (54).

5. Based on the visual below*, compare the racial composition of congress to that of the entire U.S.?

6. What is the best explanation for that comparison?

7. What is one consequence of that comparison?

8. Isabel Wilkerson writes that says that because American will soon be minority-majority (more non Caucasian-Americans, than Caucasian-Americans) that the U.S. will have to chose between Whiteness and Democracy. What do you think she mean by that claim?

9. Explain whether you agree with Wilkerson’s claim.

10. If Congress were minority-majority today, describe three policy changes that would result from this demographic makeup.

Learning Extension

This very detailed but surprisingly naughty Pew Research report has the details of the breakdown of the 118th Congress by race.

Action Extension

Examine the racial breakdown of your state and your state’s congressional delegation. Share the results in class or online.

Visual Extension*

The title of this class starter sounds like a song by Flatt and Scruggs.