TWO: RACE, IMMIGRATION REFORM, AND HETEROPATRIARCHAL MASCULINITY: REFRAMING THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY

The discourse over the race, heteropatriarchal masculinity and immigration policy, like other "wedge" issues, evokes cultural, ethnic, racial, and policy disquietude. Race and immigration issues constitute centripetal forces in the American polity and recent presidential campaigns. Nevertheless, the presumed lack of agency for race in President Obama's deliberations and recent antagonism against undocumented immigrants of color, especially Latinos, have pushed the conversation over race and immigration beyond the binary analysis between Blacks and Whites. In this paper, I argue that the macroscopic nature and complexity of the concept of heteropatriarchal masculinity, microaggression, racial and immigration issues put President Obama in a double bind for any attempt for reforms- situations that produces limited options and exposure to penalties no matter what approaches the President takes in dealing with racial issues, immigration reform, and his masculinity in the recent United States political quagmire. Furthermore, the racial and heteropatriarchal hegemonic masculinity which shapes the policy making process asphyxiates the President's ability to effectively tackle racial and immigration issues and that tend to emasculate President Obama in his policy confrontations with lawmakers who are predominantly White heteropatriarchal hegemonic establishmentarians.