How does redistricting help ethnic minorities?

Answer 1

Let's back up just a step or so...

Redistricting doesn't necessarily help ethnic minorities. Perhaps a better way to ask the question is, "What is the purpose of redistricting?"

Redistricting is regularly used to adjust congressional districts to reflect shifts in population numbers. The US Constitution and most state constitutions require this. Redistricting in this sense doesn't help ethnic minorities or anyone else in particular.

But there is a type of redistricting that is designed to help ethnic minorities and other minority groups. It's called "gerrymandering." The word came from combining the last name of a 19th century governor -- "Gerry" -- with the word "salamander," which was used to describe the shape of a district that had been doctored to produce a certain result in an election. "Gerrymandering," the art of redistricting for a specific pre-determined outcome, has been around for centuries.

Skillful gerrymandering can produce voting districts that defy any logic that might be based on geography or other common factor -- but that unite a voting bloc that can be depended upon to vote a certain way. If gerrymandering is aimed toward helping an ethnic minority, for example, it would involve constructing a voting district that includes an overwhelming majority of voters of that ethnic persuasion, without much regard to any other factor. The resulting district, when looked at on a map, might resemble anything, even a salamander, and might include city blocks, or even selected parts of city blocks, that are completely isolated from the remainder of the district. But the district as a whole would be depended on to render a solid vote on a certain issue or candidate or party.

Gerrymandering, or "skillful redistricting," if you will, has been used for generations to enable minority populations -- primarily black -- in the US to be able to dependably and predictably send one of their own to office. It has been used to modify election results to favor minorities in spite of their locations, occupations, habits, etc.

As an example, three voting districts may have a 35% black population, but no clear black majority in any one district. In such cases, historically three whites would be elected to represent these districts. Once "gerrymandered," the districts would be redrawn, literally block by block, house by house, to engineer a different outcome. The resulting voting district would be offensive to any city or county engineer. But the next election would result in a solid vote for a black from the gerrymandered district.

Thus, gerrymandering, the political manipulation of a voting district, is an exercise in "outcome-based" politics.

Answer 2

Redistricting can help ethnic minorities by creating more districts where they have a stronger voting presence, increasing their representation in government. By drawing boundaries in a way that accounts for the population distribution, redistricting can enhance the political power of ethnic minority groups. This can lead to improved representation and better advocacy for their unique needs and concerns.