America By the Numbers, with Maria Hinojosa

By 2044, America will have a majority non-white population. How will these changes affect our politics? With the recently completed 2016 election as a backdrop, Charlotte Mangin and Titi Yu's PBS-aired documentary, hosted by Maria Hinojosa, looks at the "new deciders"—five groups who include Arab-, African-, and Asian Americans, Hispanics, and millennials—conducting interviews while also following along as their respective political leaders seek votes and try to shape the future of their communities. Politics is often determined by local matters (that sometimes have national reverberations), such as police shootings, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the reaction to several states passing a transgender "bathroom bill." Not everyone agrees elections can solve these problems, and the documentary debates the relevance of protest versus political organizing. What is clear is that fewer ethnic or social groups identify as Republicans or Democrats, preferring to think of themselves as independents, or opting to not vote at all. Many new voters are attracted to the trend of "participatory budgeting," which entails voting on parts of budgets to determine options and priorities. But the barriers and conflicts facing these ascending groups can also be formidable. Many Arab Americans fled for the exits after 9/11, while for Hispanic evangelicals social concerns are often balanced against opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, and for Asian-American candidates serving California's fastest growing demographic, confusion results from seemingly interchangeable gender names. But some things haven't changed at all, including knocking on doors and building relationships. Experts are still studying the 2016 election results, but all agree that minorities need to have a voice in the country's future. A solid, thought-provoking documentary on the changing face of contemporary politics, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)