Hope, Not Fear

For American racial and ethnic groups on the way up, gaining control of city hall is confirmation of emerging political clout. So it was a triumphal moment last week when Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins defeated three-term incumbent Edward I. Koch to win the Democratic Party mayoral primary in New York City. Since Democrats outnumber Republicans 5 to 1, Dinkins became an instant choice to prevail over the Republican challenger, former U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani, and become the first black chief executive of the nation's largest city.

Dinkins' chances for a November victory were bolstered by the fact that he won...