POLICY ANALYSIS

Racial profiling was traditionally viewed as an issue that primarily affected African-Americans and Latino Americans. After September 11th the issue of racial profiling has expanded to more directly affect Central and South Asian Americans, Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, members of other communities perceived to originate from the Middle East and immigrants and Americans of foreign descent. These communities are joining with African-American and Latino communities to support national racial profiling legislation on a broader level, not just in traffic stops, but in regulation of all interaction with law enforcement including at airports. The national racial profiling legislation debate presents three important research questions: (1)Is racial profiling by law enforcement a pervasive problem in the United States? (2) What legislation, if any, is required to combat against racial profiling? (3) How can anecdotal evidence of racial profiling be strengthened to provide statistical proof