Ch 10 Racial and Ethnic Inequality

3. Cuban Americans

• Immigration began to flourish after Castro's assumption of power in 1959. The first wave included many professionals; immigrants of more recent waves have been less likely to be skilled professionals. • Florida has been the largest center of Cuban immigrant populations.

Symbolic ethnicity:

An ethnic identity that emphasizes concerns such as ethnic food or political issues rather than deeper ties to one's ethnic heritage.

Stereotype:

An unreliable generalization about all members of a group that does not recognize individual differences within the group.

White privilege:

Rights or immunities granted to people as a particular benefit or favor simply because they are White.

Racism:

The belief that one race is supreme and all others are innately inferior.

Pluralism:

Mutual respect for one another's cultures among the various groups in a society, which allows minorities to express their cultures without experiencing prejudice. Example: A+B+C=A+B+C. • Pluralism is more of an ideal than a reality in the U.S. • Switzerland exemplifies the modern pluralistic state.

Genocide: Expulsion: - Secession:

The deliberate, systematic killing of an entire people or nation. The driving of people from their homes for the purpose of ethnic cleansing. Example: France expelling over 10,000 ethnic Roma who had immigrated from their home countries of Bulgaria and Romania - A variant of expulsion happens when the failure to resolve an ethnic or racial conflict results in the drawing of formal boundaries between the groups.

F. Jewish Americans

• About 2 percent of U.S. population is Jewish—the world's largest concentration of Jews. Many are white-collar professionals. • Anti-Semitism refers to a prejudice directed toward Jews. • Today, American Jews are almost as likely to marry a Gentile as a Jew.

Apartheid:

A former policy of the South African government, designed to maintain the separation of Blacks and other non-Whites from the dominant Whites.

Model, or ideal, minority:

A subordinate group whose members supposedly have succeeded economically, socially, and educationally despite past prejudice and discrimination, and without resorting to political and violent confrontations with Whites.

Amalgamation:

The process through which a majority group and a minority group combine to form a new group. With _______, majority and minority groups combine to form a new group. Example: A+B+C=D • The term melting pot is not an adequate description of the United States.

Ethnocentrism:

The tendency to assume that one's own culture and way of life represent the norm or are superior to all others.

E. Latinos (1-4)

• Latinos represent the largest minority in the U.S., with a population of more than 50 million. • The rise in the Latino population is due to high birthrates and immigration levels. • Language barriers contribute to educational problems and the low economic status of Hispanics.

Conflict Perspective - Exploitation theory:

A Marxist theory that views racial subordination in the United States as a manifestation of the class system inherent in capitalism. __________- suggests racial subordination keeps minorities in low-paying jobs, thereby supplying the capitalist ruling class with a pool of cheap labor. By forcing minorities to accept low wages, capitalists can restrict wages of all members of the proletariat. Example: clash over keeping Chinese immigrant labor out of the United States during the latter half of the nineteenth century

Racial group:

A group that is set apart from others because of physical differences that have taken on social significance. Examples: Whites, African Americans, and Asian Americans

Ethnic group:

A group that is set apart from others primarily because of its national origin or distinctive cultural patterns. Examples: Jewish Americans, Polish Americans The distinction between racial and ethnic minorities is not always clear-cut. • Stratification along racial lines is more resistant to change than stratification along ethnic lines.

Prejudice:

A negative attitude toward an entire category of people, often an ethnic or racial minority.

Black power:

A political philosophy, promoted by many younger Blacks in the 1960s, that supported the creation of Black-controlled political and economic institutions.

Race

A social differentiation based on physical traits. Example: Black, White, Asian Race continues to be a major issue in the U.S., but the "color line" has blurred significantly since 1900. • There appears to be a trend in the U.S. toward recognition of multiple identities. Examples: Tiger Woods, Mariah Carey, President Barack Obama • About 2.9 percent of people in the United States report they are of two or more races. Half of those classified as multiracial are under 18 years. • Many multiracial individuals, especially young adults, struggle against social pressure to choose a single identity.

Racial formation:

A sociohistorical process in which racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and destroyed. The social construction of race typically benefits those who have more power and privilege than others. • The largest racial minorities in the United States are African Americans (or Blacks), Native Americans (or American Indians), and Asian Americans (Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, and other Asian peoples).

Minority group:

A subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than the members of a dominant or majority group have over theirs. A numerical minority is a group that makes up less than half of some larger population. • A minority group in the sociological sense is a subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than members of the dominant or majority group have over theirs. • Sociologists have identified five basic properties of minorities groups: (1) members of a minority group experience unequal treatment; (2) minority group members share physical or cultural characteristics different from the dominant group; (3) minority group membership is ascribed (not voluntary); (4) minority members have a strong sense of group solidarity; and (5) minority members generally marry from within the same group.

Race and Ethnicity in the U.S. A B C ______ (1-6 sub groups) D E . ______ (1-4 sub groups) F G

A. African Americans B. Native Americans C. Asian Americans 1. Chinese Americans • to limit their numbers and restrict their rights. Example: Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) • Currently, over 3 million live in the U.S. Some have entered lucrative occupations, yet many immigrants struggle to survive under living and working conditions that belie the model-minority stereotype. 2. Asian Indians largest Asian-American group, numbering over 2.8 million, is Asian Indians. • Religious orthodoxy is often stronger among first-generation immigrants • Maintaining family traditions is a major challenge. 3. Filipino Americans • Filipino Americans 3rd largest A American group significant amount of money, called remittances, back to extended families. loyal to Catholic church. 4. Vietnamese Americans 5. Korean Americans 6. Japanese Americans. D. Latinos 1. Mexican Americans - largest latino 2. Puerto Ricans - 2nd largest latino segment 3. Cuban Americans 4. Central and South Americans E. Arab Americans F. Jewish Americans G. White Americans

Transnational:

An immigrant who sustains multiple social relationships that link his or her society of origin with the society of settlement.

Interactionist Perspective - Contact hypothesis:

An interactionist perspective stating that in cooperative circumstances, interracial contact between people of equal status will reduce prejudice. The trend in U.S. society is toward increasing contact between those from dominant and subordinate groups. • Another possible way to eliminate or reduce stereotyping and prejudice is the establishment of interracial coalitions that would be built on equal roles for all members.

Glass ceiling:

An invisible barrier that blocks the promotion of a qualified individual in a work environment because of the individual's gender, race, or ethnicity.

Anti-Semitism:

Anti-Jewish prejudice.

Labeling Perspective - racial profiling:

Any arbitrary action initiated by an authority based on race, ethnicity, or national origin rather than on a person's behavior. It fits both the conflict perspective and labeling theory. • Authorities continue to rely on racial profiling, even though research has proved it ineffective. There are growing demands to end the practice.

Affirmative action:

Positive efforts to recruit minority group members or women for jobs, promotions, and educational opportunities.

Discrimination:

The denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or other arbitrary reasons.

Institutional discrimination:

The denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups that results from the normal operations of a society.

Remittances:

The monies that immigrants return to their families of origin. Also called migradollars.

Segregation:

The physical separation of two groups of people in terms of residence, workplace, and social events; often imposed on a minority group by a dominant group. Example: apartheid, in which the Republic of South Africa severely restricted the movement of Blacks and other non-Whites by means of a wide-ranging system of segregation • Residential segregation is still the norm in the United States. Over the last 40 years, Black-White segregation has declined only modestly. The rates of Hispanic-White and Asian-White segregation, although they are lower, have also not changed significantly in the last 30 years.

Assimilation:

The process through which a person forsakes his or her cultural tradition to become part of a different culture. Examples: A+B+C=A; and name- changing to hide a religious or ethnic heritage

2. Asian Indians in the U.S.

The second largest Asian-American group, numbering over 2.8 million, is Asian Indians. • Religious orthodoxy is often stronger among first-generation immigrants to the United States than it is in India, perhaps due to a sense of being threatened. • Maintaining family traditions is a major challenge.

Color-blind racism:

The use of the principle of race neutrality to defend a racially unequal status quo.

G. White Ethnics

• 49 million claim at least partial German ancestry, 36 million of Irish ancestry, 17 million of Italian ancestry, and 10 million of Polish ancestry. • Many identify only sporadically with their heritage; symbolic ethnicity refers to an emphasis on concerns such as ethnic food or political issues rather than on deeper ties to one's ethnic heritage. • In times of high unemployment or inflation, white ethnics often experience competition that can easily generate intense intergroup conflict and conflict with other ethnic groups.

6. Japanese Americans in the U.S.

• About 763,000 Japanese Americans live in the U.S. The first generation Issei were largely males seeking employment opportunities. • The attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 had severe repercussions. Detention of Japanese Americans in "evacuation" camps caused them severe financial and emotional hardship. • In 1988, the Civil Liberties Act required reparations and apologies from the federal government for interned Japanese Americans.

Global Immigration C. Initiating Policy

• An increased public perception that the U.S. has lost control of its borders has led to increased pressure for immigration control. • The legal consequences of hiring illegal aliens have increased, leading to protests by illegal immigrants, legal immigrants, and other citizens on both sides of the issue. • A 2010 Arizona law empowered police to detain without authorization people whom they reasonably suspect of being illegal immigrants and to verify their immigration status. Opponents charged that the new law would lead to racial profiling, but the Supreme Court has upheld it. • The European Union is struggling with immigration policy. • The terrorist attacks of 2001 caused increased government scrutiny of immigrants as they attempt to travel to many nations.

D. Arab Americans in the U.S.

• Arab Americans include immigrants and their descendents from 22 countries in North Africa and the Middle East. The Arabic language is the most unifying force among this population. • There is an estimated population of nearly 4 million Arab Americans. • The Arab American population is concentrated in certain areas of the U.S., particularly a few major metropolitan areas. • For years, especially after 9/11, Arab Americans have been subject to profiling and surveillance by law enforcement. • Most Arab Americans are not Muslims.

C. Asian Americans in the U.S. (1-6)

• Asian Americans, a diverse group, are one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. population (up 43 percent between 2000 and 2010). • Asian Americans are often held up as a model or ideal minority group, though this does not necessarily reflect their experience. • Southeast Asians living in the U.S. have the highest rate of welfare dependency of any racial or ethnic group. • Asian Americans work in the same occupations as Whites but still experience the "glass ceiling."

1. Chinese Americans

• Chinese were encouraged to immigrate to the U.S. from about 1850 to 1880. Thousands were lured by job opportunities created by the discovery of gold; but as competition for jobs grew, they became targets of bitter efforts to limit their numbers and restrict their rights. Example: Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) • Currently, over 3 million live in the U.S. Some have entered lucrative occupations, yet many immigrants struggle to survive under living and working conditions that belie the model-minority stereotype.

3. Filipino Americans in the U.S.

• Filipino Americans are the third-largest Asian American group in the United States, with nearly 2.6 million people. • Immigration began with U.S. possession of the Philippine Islands in 1899. • A significant percentage of Filipino immigrants are well-educated health care professionals, which causes a professional drain on their homeland. Filipino Americans send a significant amount of money, called remittances, back to their extended families. • They have not coalesced into a single formal social organization but are strongly loyal to Catholic church.

Gobal Immigration B. Applying Sociology

• Immigration is functional. Immigrants adapt to U.S. society and become assets to the economy, alleviate labor shortages, and produce remittances that help the country of origin. • Dysfunctions include short-term stress on social services in communities with high concentrations of immigrants; and the loss of family members and a skilled workforce in the sending country. • Conflict theorists note that racial and ethnic hostilities can be hidden in economic arguments. • Feminists note that immigrant women face economic hardship as well as the stress of negotiating the new system on behalf of their children.

A. African Americans in the United States

• Institutional discrimination and individual prejudice against Blacks is rooted in the history of slavery. • Enslaved Blacks could not own property or pass on the benefits of their labor to children. • The end of the Civil War did not bring real freedom and equality. Southern states passed "Jim Crow" laws to enforce official segregation; and these were upheld by the Supreme Court as constitutional in 1896. • Informal control forced segregation through vigilante terror. Example: Ku Klux Klan • The landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) outlawed segregation of public school students: "Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." • During the 1960s, a vast civil rights movement emerged. Examples: Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) • The Black power movement rejected the goal of assimilation into White middle-class society and defended the beauty of Black and African cultures. • Blacks represent 7 percent or less of all physicians, engineers, scientists, lawyers, judges, and marketing managers.

Functionalist Perspective Race and Ethnicity

• Manning Nash identified three functions of racially prejudiced beliefs: (1) provides a moral justification for maintaining inequality; (2) discourages subordinate minorities from questioning their lowly status; and (3) an end to discrimination would bring greater poverty to minorities and would lower the majority's standard of living. • Racial prejudice may also be seen as dysfunctional for a society. Example: Arnold Rose's four dysfunctions

1. Mexican Americans

• Mexican Americans are the largest of Latino populations in the U.S.—approx. 30 million. • They are often viewed as primarily an immigrant group, but the number of Mexican Americans who were born in the United States has far exceeded those who immigrated here.

5. Korean Americans in the U.S.

• Over 1.4 million live in the U.S., exceeding Japanese Americans. • The initial wave of immigration occurred between 1903 and 1910 with laborers going to Hawaii. The second wave occurred following the Korean War. Most were wives of U.S. servicemen and war orphans. The third wave reflects the 1965 Immigration Act and is ongoing, with immigrants bringing high levels of education and professional skills.

2. Puerto Ricans

• Puerto Ricans are the second-largest segment of Latinos in the U.S. They have held American citizen status since 1917. • Those living in the continental U.S. earn barely half the family income of Whites. Reverse migration began in the 1970s, when more Puerto Ricans left for the island than were coming to the mainland. • Statehood discussions have resulted in continuing commonwealth status.

4. Central and South Americans

• This is a diverse population that has not been closely studied. Not all speak Spanish. • Many of the source nations follow a complex classification system that recognizes a multitude of color gradients. • They are often differentiated by social class distinctions, religious differences, urban or rural upbringings, and dialects.

B. Native Americans in United States

• Today, 2.2 million Native Americans represent a diverse array of cultures, distinguishable by language, family organization, religion, and livelihood. • Life remains difficult for the 554 tribal groups in the United States. • Since 1960, the count of Native Americans has tripled, suggesting Native Americans are no longer concealing their identity. • The introduction of gambling on Indian reservations has transformed the lives of many Native Americans, but it provokes controversy because the gains are so unevenly distributed.

4. Vietnamese Americans in the U.S.

• Vietnamese came to U.S. largely after the Vietnam War and U.S. withdrawal in 1975. • Many have gravitated toward larger urban areas.

Global Immigration A. Looking at the Issue

• Worldwide immigration is at an all-time high, raising questions for the countries to which people immigrate. • People migrate into countries where there is perceived economic opportunity. • Seven countries, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, shelter one-third of the world's migrant population. Many of these people are transnationals—immigrants who sustain multiple social relationships that link their societies of origin with the society of settlement. • Entrance policies in the U.S. favor family members and skilled workers. For the past 50 years, immigrants have come primarily from Latin America and Asia.