As longtime readers know, my academic background was in political science. The course I taught more often than any other is Intro to American Government. It’s a fun class to teach—most of the time.

Acknowledgments; Introduction: Aliens, Incorporated; 1. Hollywood, 1930: JewishGangster Masquerade; 2. Los Angeles, 1943: Zoot SuitStyle, Immigrant Politics; 3 ...