America is an immigrant society. Because of the contradiction of institutional racism, the prospects for assimilation into the society by
     immigrants of color have failed to materialize. Emerging as an important factor alongside racism to explain the lagging inclusion into the
     society by immigrants of color is globalization, both economic and cultural.
     Globalization is not a recent phenomenon. However, in the contemporary world it is viewed as recent due to its scale and scope. The
     social, cultural, and economic effects of globalization have been felt by people across the globe. The havoc it reeks has contributed to the
     outward flow of people from poor developing countries to more prosperous countries or territories in search of work. Although persons
     from core countries tend not to migrate out, they are nonetheless entrapped by their declining economic condition, the process of
     deindustrialization, and competition from the rising tide of newcomers (documented and undocumented) for what few non-service sector
     jobs are available. Rising xenophobia and stringent immigration laws that have resulted have triggered inter ethnic and racial conflict.
     This panel will explore the present condition of immigrants of color in the U.S. with particular attention directed to the nation’s largest
     urban constituency, New York City. It will argue that as a consequence of historic racism with the escalation of globalization that: (1) the
     material condition and quality of life for immigrants of color continues to decline vis a vis their white counterparts; (2) coping mechanism
     by these immigrants have altered compared to their pre-1965 counterparts; (3) while other immigrant groups are strengthening their
     political base, increasingly, immigrants of color are joining the ranks of the powerless. Finally, policy recommendations are considered in
     order to improve the powerless state of immigrants of color.