The last 30 years of U.S. political history have seen dramatic strides in the impact that minorities play in U.S. politics. This first volume of a two-volume set addresses the historical and contemporary impact of two of the largest minority groups in the United States. Divided into two sections, the encyclopedia addresses the political struggles of African Americans and Asian Americans. The work draws attention to those events, people, and ideas that have shaped, and will continue to shape, the political dialogue of a diverse country. The entries cover people, events, court cases, movements, and organizations that have shaped the political struggles of these 2 groups. Longer entries address some of the key issues that face minorities in U.S. politics today. These "issue entries," such as those on affirmative action, immigration, bilingual education, and political participation were written to give context to current politics and to show how these issues might be resolved. For example, the entry for education identifies Booker T. Washington, the Tuskegee Institute, and W.E.B. DuBois. The passage also discusses Brown v. Board of Education, de facto segregation, and separate but equal. Every entry has a bibliography that can serve as the next step for further research by the user of the volumes. In addition to bibliographies, entries are cross-referenced internally through the use of bold-faced type and "See also" listings at the end of the entry to offer other areas the reader may want to investigate. Appendixes include reprints of selected important documents and speeches; a directory of organizations that are directly or indirectly involved in politics is provided for each minority group; and a timeline. (BT)