DEAN IS RIGHT

Re the hue and cry over Howard Dean's remark that the Republican Party is "pretty much a white, Christian party" that "all look the same."

In the current, 109th Congress, there are 43 African-Americans, all Democrats. Of the 29 Hispanics, 21 are (D) and six are (R). There are eight Asian-Americans, seven of whom are Dems and one who is a Republican. The single Native American is a Repug.

So out of 81 minority members of Congress, 10% are Republican. Yeah, they're awash in diversity over in the (R) bracket.

UPDATE: Finally found statistical information about the racial makeup and party affiliation of minority state legislators:

In the year 2003 (the most recent for which I could find hard data), 88.7% of state legislators were white, 11.3% minority (8.2% African American, 1.9% Latino, 1% Asian Pacific American, 0.9% Native American).

44% of all white state legislators were Democrats, and 94% of minority legislators were Dems (97.4% of African Americans, 85% of Latinos, 85% of Asian Pacific Americans, 86% of Native Americans).

55% of all white state legislators were Repugs, and 6% of minority legislators were Repugs (2.1% AA, 14.3% Latino, 15% APA, 14% NA).

There were, nationwide, 607 AA state legislators, 140 Latinos, 72 APAs, 36 NAs.

U.S. Census Bureau, 2000: U.S. population was 69.1% white, 30.9% minorities (12.3% AA, 12.5% Latino, 3.7% APA, 0.9% NA)

This data was taken from the study "Money and Diversity in State Legislatures, 2003" by Samantha Sanchez, 2005 (published by the Insitute on Money in State Politics" -- I found a reference to it on Red State.org