SOCI 205 Exam 4
Diverse Group: Asian Americans
•"No single country-of-origin group dominates US Asian population" - Pew Research - Largest groups comprised of Chinese, Indian, and Filipino origin •Groups differ in immigration experience - Only 27% of Japanese Americans are immigrants - Nearly 92% of Bhutanese are foreign-born or refugees
The Many Directions of Asia
•Central Asians •East Asians •Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders •Southeast Asians •South Asians West Asians
Immigration as America's History
•Earliest immigrants (1600s-1820): 1820-1900: Mostly European - English, German, Scottish, Irish •1900-1940: European and Canadian •1941-1980: Large #s from Latin America, Asia, and Europe •1981-2000s: Mostly Latin Americans, Asians, Small European pop •2000s - today: Largely from Asian countries •Composition moving to fewer and fewer Europeans and more from Latin America and Asia - by 2055, largest immigrant group from Asia
Hispanic Americans: History in the United States - start at about 1930s
•Hispanic population dense in Southwest - mostly Mexican Americans •Faced more de facto segregation and discrimination than de jure - still had access to 'whiteness' •Had all the same legal and political rights as white Americans - but were not treated as equals; ex. While not legally required, still lived in segregated neighborhoods •Did not want to face discrimination or consequences of Jim Crow laws, so emphasized white racial status to protect themselves •In order for middle and upper Mexican Americans to protect themselves from Jim Crow laws and legal segregation, established LULAC in 1929 • League of United Latin American Citizens (Corpus Christi) •1932 article "Mexican Americans were the first white race to inhabit this vast empire of ours"
White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs)
•Sometimes Wealthy Anglo-Saxon Protestants •Term coined by either Digby Baltzell or Andrew Hacker (1950s/1960s) but has roots tracing back to at least 1905 with Max Weber "Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" •Term not used much, except by old sociologists and political scientists to denote old money, institutionalized power and prestige, tremendous influence and wealth, access to resources -> the Elite •But the term has importance in its DEFINITION
Whiteness threatened
"give normality to the institutional and societal dominance of one population over other populations materialized in resource mobilization, control over power, authority and prestige privileges, and ownership of the means of production." Whenever WASP power, resources, or privileges were threatened, they curbed the threat by invoking whiteness - naming those who were white and those who were not in order to restrict privileges
Measures of discrimination
1.Legal discrimination - de jure: authorized by law to discriminate Young or old drivers; too short for this ride, women banned from submarines Slavery; segregation; some Jim Crow laws 2. Institutional discrimination - de facto: results from seemingly legitimate cultural practices Must have SAT/ACT scores; gerrymandering districts; multiple forms of ID to vote; home and business loans; plea bargains
How minority groups are formed - 4 ways
1.Voluntary migration- leaving home on own accord and seeking settlement where other peoples already established (early U.S immigration) 2. Involuntary migration - forced to relocate, or forcibly relocated, becoming minority (famine, war, slavery) •3. Annexation - becoming minority as a group, usually through conquest or land-grabs; those 'conquered' become part of existing cultural and political nation (annexation of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona) •4. Colonialism - dominating majority group goes to another country and plants its control over colonized country (British and Nigeria...and everywhere else)
Native American Control
1784 - controlled 75% of United States landmass (100% before colonizers/settlers) Today - control less than 5.3% Early America's population - between 20 and 100 mil Plagues killed nearly 90% of indigenous population
Indigenous Americans Today
A. Population - 2010 Census •5.2 million American Indian and Alaskan Natives today (includes 'mixed race') •2.9 million American Indians as American Indian/Alaskan native alone •Once 100% of US population- Now about 2% of population •Currently experiencing population growth - 39% since 2000 •Median age of population younger than average median age - having more children (as a population) sooner - Affects number of people eligible to vote (small % of voting age) - Younger populations tend to have limited education, which in turn affects the number of children a population has B. Education •1% of public school children are Native American •Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) served about 50,000 •American Indians have highest percentage of absences and second highest dropout rate - University enrollment has doubled in past 30 years - 4 year degrees: Business; Social Science and History - Advanced degrees: Education; Business 1. Academic environment - culturally alien and alienating to Native American/Alaskan Natives 2. What we teach - History disaffirms Native Americans; hard to be called 'savages' and enjoy class; different cultural experiences in learning 3. Underfinancing of tribal colleges and public schools (and schools with large Native American/Alaskan Native populations) 4. Difficulty of living in those conditions 5. Some Native American/Alaskan Native students may not have English as first language C. Income/Employment/Poverty •2/3 of all those who receive government assistance are white (66%) But about 70% of US population - so still underrepresented • Native Americans represent about 2% of pop - 21.9% are below poverty (overrepresented) •Unemployment at about 9.5% •Actively seeking employment, but cannot find work •Does not include underemployment or those who are not actively seeking work - Less likely to file unemployment D. Health •2 Major Indicators of Health 1.Life expectancy - average # of years an individual is expected to live 2.Infant mortality - number of deaths of infants under 1 year of age for every 1,000 births Life Expectancy - Native American life expectancy is 6 years less than average American Suicide Rate is 2x as high for Native Americans than general pop. Infant mortality rate - 8.9 for Native American population (compared to 5.9 for rest of US) Reasons for health disparities 1.Access to health care - 44% of Native American pop. has no access to health care services - Relationship between wealth and healthcare - Location of reservations or large Native populations 2.Access to quality health care - Native Americans have fewer than 90 doctors per 100,000 in population - Doctors don't want to work in reservations or rural areas (not enough pay) - Or get doctors, but not qualified doctors "good doctors" 3.Access to healthy food and prescriptions - Physical location/food deserts/not a Walmart or Walgreens E. Political Power •Limited representation in Congress (but this is changing very slowly) •Very limited voting because: •Lower Age of pop. •Less education=less power •Lack resources to be powerful •Overall pop. of Native Americans so small that even if all voted for one candidate, it would not matter •Dispersion of population - spread out geographically, so no particular state has enough of a majority to send more representative to Congress F. Incarceration US has more incarcerated people than anywhere else in the world Native Americans - over 25% have been or are currently incarcerated (overrepresented) - Little money for bail or good lawyers; sentences tend to be harsher (for all minorities generally)
Hispanic Americans
Broad term encompassing many groups •Term "Hispanic" created, in part, for the Census (1973, then 1980) •Before 1970s, many groups - Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Dominican, etc. •Too many independent groups to gain political clout, so needed a broad-group term •Census category allowed for larger count, providing more resources for activists, agencies, businesses, and individuals
Role of Immigration
Early Immigration A. Anti-Irish: large #'s after potato famine (about 1.5 million) - faced lots of anti-Catholic sentiment and discrimination - WASPS convinced Irish would surrender America to the Pope - Poor, less education - thus thought to be inferior B. Anti-Chinese and Japanese - Between 1850-1881: 200,000 Chinese documented in US Railroads, Gold mines <-> fleeing wars and famine in China Mostly males - developed secret underground railroad of Chinese women (miscegenation laws) Large number of Chinese brought down wages Chinese Exclusionary Law - disallowed to be citizens for 20 years Japan entered Gentlemen's Agreement with US in 1902 Japan would prevent emigration of Japanese to US if US protected Japanese already in US but....U.S. could not distinguish Chinese from Japanese Japanese and Korean Exclusion League Segregated Schools
Examples of Institutionalized racism/systemic racism
Home loans denied to POC at greater rates - car loan rates are higher POC shown in stereotypical roles in media - if given portrayal at all Students of color more likely to be harshly reprimanded at school - school to prison pipeline POC over-rep in the criminal justice system and interactions with the police Less likely to read the works of authors of color in schools or learn about the history from POC POV POC more likely to live in food deserts / areas with heavy industry or heavy pollution - environmental racism Racist ideology, attitudes, emotions, habits, actions or the reinforcement of them POC have less access to quality healthcare - high rate of maternal mortality; doctors even prescribe painkillers less often Unemployment rates higher for POC - Applications with 'ethnic' sounding names less likely to get a call-back/interview
Importance of Resistance
In all groups (except Asian Americans) resistance to oppression comes in two forms: 1.Radical - like AIM, maybe DAPL 2.Accommodationist (Pacifist) - like the NCAI All successful resistance movements have both a radical and accommodationist movement Government 'accepts' accommodationist (Pacifist) movement in response to pressure from more radical side Good example? Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr
Native Americans: Resistance
Informal resistance - not celebrating Columbus Day - Resisting acculturation into dominant culture (passive resistance strategy) Formal resistance NCAI - National Congress of American Indians Founded in 1944 as lobbying group; used institutional methods for change In all groups (except Asian Americans) resistance to oppression comes in two forms: 1.Radical - like AIM, maybe DAPL 2.Accommodationist (Pacifist) - like the NCAI Radical - 1968 American Indian Movement (AIM) Founded by Clyde Bellecourt and others Wanted to confront, rather than appease, government AIM Resistance •19 month occupation of Alcatraz in 1969 •1970 takeover of naval air base in Minn. •1970 takeover of BIA main office in DC •Have grown slightly less radical over the Years, instead choosing to take more legal Routes
Majority and Minority Groups
Majority/Minority does NOT mean numbers!! -> Means access to power •Majority - those who can affect change, have access to power ->Think millionaires and billionaires (540 billionaires in the US) but have much more power than the rest of us •Minority - those who cannot affect change, have limitless access to power -> 328 million people in US but have limited power to create change Moving away from 'majority/minority' terms
Hispanic Americans: US census
More diverse group of racial and ethnic minority Most groups still come from Mexico, followed by Puerto Rico U.S. Census clustered all these origins into Hispanic origin along with white origin
Native Americans: Early Encounters
Native Americans - those who originally inhabited the two American Continents - Indigenous Americans; American Indians; Indigenous peoples; First Americans - Not homogenous group: "Indians" term used to describe homogenous group but incorrect (12 distinct Alaskan native groups alone) - Acephalous group-> group with no head - No one singular Indigenous American Identity
Where does skin color come from?
Our concepts of race are based on an evolutionary reaction to the sun •But where do we draw the 'color-line'? For example, at what shade do we transition from white to black?
Problems with conventional definitions
Race •What are 'distinct' features? How do you define 'distinct"? •Genetic variations greater within groups than between groups •Are categories clearly defined? For example, skin tone? Parentage? Geography? Ethnicity •How do you define culture? Or heritage? Or 'distinct'? •Can we change ethnicities if we learn a new language or live in a place long enough to learn/adopt cultural traditions? •Most of us have some degree of multi-culturalism/multi-ethnic Because of the difficulties defining race and ethnicity, sociologists state that race is a social construct - something that is created/defined based on a society's shared beliefs or practices We have lots of social constructs - think about how we define gender, for example
Why is racism so hard to overcome?
Think about the elements - Prejudice - Stereotypes - Discrimination Think About the institutions - Economy, Government, Law - Education, Media - Health, Family, Beliefs •We engage in these elements/institutions everyday, so it takes a conscious effort to recognize and relearn •Racism also under guise of classism -> two are tied, but beware; class issues are race issues
White Privilege
Two most central tenets of white privilege 1) "the privilege to assume that whiteness is the norm against which everyone else should be compared 2) "the privilege to live one's life without ever needing to be aware of one's whiteness and its impact •White privilege - life is not harder because of whiteness. That's it. •Can still have disadvantages (EVERYONE CAN) but struggle and strife is not related to race •Look back at Peggy McIntosh reading
Types of whiteness
White *Skin color *Physical features *Specific phenotypes Anglo-Saxon *Coming from specific region *Immigrants from more areas, Anglo-Saxonism harder to defend and protect *Slow inclusion of Greeks, Hungarians, Poles, Etc *Anglo-Saxonism weakens (slightly) Protestant *Increase in Catholic population and Catholic immigration (Irish) *Increase in more and more diverse religions (Baptists, Episcopalians, Judaism (to a degree)) *Protestantism becomes harder to protect, weakens (slightly)
Racism
belief that one racial category is innately superior or inferior to another and that unequal treatment is thereby justified - Both a belief and a behavior Racism involves power - separates racism from other behaviors and attitudes Dominant group benefits from racism, even if they do not enact it
Ethnicity
category of persons considered distinct because of shared cultural heritage (based on common ancestry, language, or religion)
Current Members of Congress
•"Most Members identify as Christians, and the collective majority of these affiliate with a Protestant denomination. Roman Catholics account for the largest single religious denomination, and numerous other affiliations are represented, including Jewish, Mormon, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Greek Orthodox, Pentecostal Christian, Unitarian Universalist, and Adventist." - Congressional Research Service 116th Congress Profile
Japanese Internment Camps
•1942 - 1945 •120,000 Japanese Americans (mostly on West Coast) put in internment camps •Only had to be 1/16 Japanese to be 'relocated' •10 permanent housing camps called Relocation Centers •Several other make-shift camps/centers - not suited for human habitation •Ended in 1945 with Supreme Court decision (based on habeas corpus petition)
Native Americans: Early colonizers
•1st formal documented encounter with Europeans (*earlier encounters) •1492 Columbus and the Arawak - this encounter began identity of Indigenous peoples as inferior to Europeans •Juan Ponce de Leon of Spain of Continental N.A. (1513) Differing Tactics •Spanish military personnel (Cortez, for example) •Sexually mixed with Native Americans •Mixing supported by Church - Bartolome de las Casas -Effective method of Colonization of a group -Effective way to missionize -God, Glory, Gold -More of an assimilation approach but often violent *English Europeans much more brutal - Brutal segregation and exclusion - If Natives not converted, then killed - Reinforced Native Americans as savage/heathens
Asian Representation
•2000 Census defines Asian American as people with origins in "Far East, Southeast Asia, or Indian subcontinent" •Only 20 members of Congress are of Asian or Middle Eastern Descent (Indian Asian) •Asian American label is very diverse, but rarely includes all the varying ethnicities within it •No clear geographic boundary between Europe and Asia; countries that are considered Europe or Asia change historically and politically
Asian American Demographics
•About 20 million Asians in US •Fastest growing immigrant group •Outpace Hispanic Americans by 2055 to become largest immigrant group
Hispanic Americans Demographics
•About 60 million Hispanic Americans in US (2019) •About 18% of population (US census) •2nd largest racial or ethnic group in US (behind whites) •2nd fastest growing racial or ethnic group (behind Asians) •Largest Group of Hispanic Americans from Mexico •2nd largest Group from Puerto Rico, followed by El Salvador •Hit new high but growth is slowing •Immigration is leveling off •People are leaving the US •Fertility rates are declining •Percentage of Mexican descent decreasing •Percentage of Latin American descent increasing •States along the border generally have higher populations of Latinos (with some interesting exceptions) •More than half of Latinos in the US live in just three states •Racial or ethnic groups can "pocket" in specific areas
Types of Majority/Minority relationships
•Amalgamation - melting/fusion of groups between majority and minority; independent of either parts, but including all parts - best relationship A + B = C •Pluralism - Relationship in which majority and minority recognize differences, respect each uniqueness, but agree to live separately A + B = A + B •Assimilation - mostly refers to minority group surrendering its own culture, taking on culture of majority group (acculturation) A + B = A •Subjugation - majority requires total submission of minority to demands of majority A alone •Segregation - Majority does not allow minority to live with majority •Secession - Minority is group requesting separation from the majority because they can no longer take oppression •Expulsion - Majority banishes minority from group ->sends them away completely •Extermination - majority kills every member of minority group
Who cares? Why does this matter?
•American Dream, American Ethos, American Spirit -> built around these values •Hard work = success. Work hard and you can be wealthy, a land-owner, a home-owner, a business executive, an entrepreneur. •If we are 'wealthy' or 'well-off' it shows we have 'made it' - were we chosen...? •Individual success, "bootstrap" individualism, the poor don't work hard enough, failure is personal, free market capitalism •*Values* - like education, monogamous marriage, having a family, sex attitudes, etc. •Where do you think those ideas come from? From wealthy, white Protestants from the Anglo-Saxon area....
Categorization
•Animals •Mammals •Fish •Birds •Reptiles •Amphibians •Produce •Fruits •Veggies •Berries •People •Race •Ethnicity •Nationality •Ancestry
To Reiterate
•Because race is so difficult to define consistently, we consider it a social construct •We attach meaning and definition that IS NOT inherently there •Allows us to create categories (remember, we LOVE categories) - which then allows us to create in-groups and out-groups -> VERY IMPORTANT •But these 'made up' categories have very real consequences
Categories vary across time and globe
•Changes across time in the U.S. •https://www.census.gov/topics/population/race/about.html •But in 1700 "blood-fractions" •1911 - Arkansas "one-drop" •Areas across the globe define race differently - some do not use the category at all
African Americans: Current Resistance
•Civil Rights Era - 1950s/60s; still widespread segregation, voting restrictions and segregations (still living with Jim Crow laws) •Non-violent protests and agitation; sit-ins, boycotts, marches -> Civil Disobedience •Engaged and organized with other POC and oppressed groups •Impactful legislation passed between 1954 and 1968 •Black Panthers (Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) and the Black Power Movement - not really black nationalists in traditional sense •Assassination of Malcolm X -> Bobby Seale and Huey Newton •Original purpose was protecting black citizens from police brutality with armed patrols •Important to black communities: provided Survival Programs inc. Free Breakfast for Children •Black Lives Matter/BLM (2013 - Current) Death of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman's acquittal •Non-violent protests and marches; spotlight to injustices -> social media helped
Color-Blind Racism
•Color-Blind Racism -> ignoring racial realities in the US •"I don't see color" •Contributes to systemic/institutional racism •Allows white people to blame racial injustices on 'something else' •Ideology perpetuates racism •By 'not seeing' race, ignore disparities in health, educational attainment, housing discrimination, etc. •Eduardo Bonilla-Silva's "Racism without Racists"
White Ethnic Groups
•Conflict between white "White Natives (WASPS)" and other groups entering US •Italians, Germans, Russians, etc., all faced anti-sentiment - were NOT considered white •As groups entered, conflicts arose -> conflicts dissipate with arrival of new group *Creation of in-groups and out-groups* •Concepts of 'whiteness' began to gain ground *category vs concept*
Asian Americans: Background around globe
•Continent of Asia is largest, esp. if you count Europe (Eurasian continent) •Half of world's population lives in Asia •Very diverse in terms of language, religion, family values, political organization, laws, physical appearance •India has 200 languages •Politics: Japan -> China -> North Korea •India and Pakistan adversaries but neighbors •Most diverse area religiously - Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Islam - and Christianity and Judaism •Half of the most religiously diverse countries are in Asia-Pacific region (Pew Research)
The Emerging White Race Historically
•Created in 16th century; resurgence in 19th century •16th century - European (Anglo-Saxon) Christian missionaries •Some historians also make link to early slavery •The term "race" referred mostly to other groups -> "African Race" "Races of the Orient" •19th century - European settlement of America •Start to see emergence of "white race" •WASPness (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) is threatened - but how and why? •Blumer - race relations in US emerged from 3 important events: (1) Conquest of the Indians [Native Americans, Indig. Pop] (2) Forced importation of Africans [Slavery] (3) Arrival of Europeans, Asians, and Latinos •1820-1860: Slave population of US is about 13% •Slaves being freed; free slaves have some rights, like property and voting •Slaves largely concentrated in the South •Anti-Slavery movement begins in earnest in the 1850s •Irish Potato Famine - 1845 -> Large influx of Irish immigrants and other groups •1860 - Lincoln is nominated / 1861 - Beginning of Civil War: Ends in 1865 •1940s - Jim Crow Era (starts after Reconstruction, but at peak in 1940s) •1960s - Civil Rights Era •1980-1990 - Third wave of immigration; race riots; advancement of POC
Elements of Racism
•Discrimination - actual act of treating people unequally because of belief that they are inferior (behavior) •Prejudice (prae judicum) - having strong negative opinions about a group and not allowing contrary evidence to change ones mind (attitudinal) - Socialization causes us to be ethnocentric - culture teaches us to be prejudiced; make quick judgements and stick to them - Prejudice manifests itself in different ways and exists in degrees •Stereotypes - Simplified beliefs that we have about a group or groups of people based on a characteristic - Epistemological strategy (we really like categories)
Ethnicity versus Race
•Ethnicity is much more culturally based; often less hierarchical •Less focus on biology, skin color, physical character tics, phenotypes •More focus on culture, language, beliefs, customs, religion, sometimes nationality •Census groups by 6 racial categories - only 2 ethnic categories: Hispanic/Latino or Not Hispanic/Latino •G. Christina Mora does an excellent job explaining how the category came into existence
Everyday Racism
•Front Stage and Back Stage Racism •Front Stage Racism - open hostilities; racial slurs, derogatory actions - Punishments; public shaming; called a racist; PC culture - Is now in ebb and flow stage (front stage, back stage, front stage) •Back Stage Racism - things said in private, with friends, out of public eye; racist jokes with 'safe people' - Remember Donald Sterling? Currently at center-stage nationally - open hostilities more common
Middle Eastern Descent
•Geographically "West Asians" - but not a self-identifying term •More commonly referred to the Middle East •Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf bounded by the Black and Caspian Seas in the North and the Sahara Desert and Indian Ocean in the South •Which countries make up the Middle East is debated; Geography? Political similarities? Religion? Language? Political implications?
Protestant Work Ethic and Capitalism
•Heaven only open to devout few - Wealth was sign of being chosen •Very frugal and industrious •Invested wealth into industry, creating more wealth, thus securing their belief that they were part of the Chosen - God has shown his favor •Earliest industry largely funded by Protestants •John Rockefeller - oil industry (Standard Oil Company) •Cornelius Vanderbuilt - railroad magnate •Andrew Carnegie - Steel magnate (Carnegie Steel) •J.P. Morgan - American financier
From 'Yellow Peril' to 'Model Minority'
•History of Anti-Asian fear and discrimination •Term 'Yellow Peril' applied to different groups at different times •First applied to the Chinese in mid 1800's •White workers feared Chinese immigrants drove down wages •Again to Japanese during WWII •'Yellow Peril' of Chinese applied to Japanese w/ propaganda
Native Americans: Legislation and Representation
•How do we see Indigenous Americans and 'Indianness' represented? -Thanksgiving -Trail of Tears -Custer's Last Stand -'Disappeared' Group -"Forgotten Minority" - Media representation is less than ideal Past Legislation •Past *this is not an inclusive list - Indian Removal Act of 1830 - Andrew Jackson was a terrible human - Indian Act of 1876 (Canadian) - Indian Relocation Act of 1956 - Numerous land treaties • • 1924 - American Indians entitled to US citizenship -> READ THIS SENTENCE AGAIN. WTF. - States could independently decide on voting rights of Native Americans; not until after WWII that most restrictions removed Present Legislation and Representation Only four Native Americans serve in the House - "a record number" -Thomas Cole (Chickasaw Nation) and Markwayne Mullin (Cherokee Nation), both from Oklahoma - Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk Nation) and Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo Nation), Kansas and New Mexico Federal Government recognizes 560 separate and sovereign tribes - Population of American Indians still very low; do not have large voting power as a group - Population also younger(age) than median American population - Still recovering from exclusionary voting practices
Systemic/Institutional Racism
•Institutional racism - bias built into the operation of society's institutions •Systemic Racism •Interwoven into fabric of society; well-hidden via 'legitimate' practices •i.e., bank and car loans, buying houses, drawing district lines, where factories are built, names on applications, vernacular and/of language, etc. •Systemic Racism - all parts and 'systems' feed and reproduce of each other
Homer Plessy
•Kicked out of the 'white' train car in Louisiana •Physically appeared white - was able to buy 'white' ticket •1/8th rule - considered an "octaroon"
LULAC - League of United Latin American Citizens
•LULAC did not ally itself with other groups, like the NAACP •Argued for civil rights concurrently rather than with other racialized groups •Fought extensively against segregated schools and argued for protections granted to US citizens (courts ruled that Mexican-Americans belonged to white race and therefore segregated schools were illegal) • - but white Americans did not view Hispanic and Latino as 'equally' white •LULAC pushed for "Americanness", emphasizing citizenship rather than race or ethnicity
Happening at the same time
•Large African slave and freemen population in the US (especially in the South) •White, wealthy, male landowners (WASP descendants) held most of the power, wealth, governmental seats, voting rights, etc. •Poor whites, poor free blacks, poor immigrants, slaves, women LARGELY outnumber white wealthy male landowners -> have LOTS of things in common •To stop uprisings, revolts, and revolutions -> focus on whiteness is emphasized •Separated poor whites into own Ingroup, creating a racial division
"Model Minority" - still offensive
•Meaning -> connotes hard work, intelligence, economic success, self-reliance "Out-whiting whites" •Positive effects: more likely to be accepted by dominant group (50% of Asian American marriages are interracial; - less-harshly treated; less-likely to have negative stereotypes; self-fulfilling prophecy) •Negative effects: Builds resentment from other minorities and 'lacking' whites; source of stress; negative address of Asian politics
Why do People Come to United States?
•More resources for immigrants •Better Jobs; Access to education •Escaping home country (persecution, famine, war, etc) •Experience freedom or fun •Most immigrants (now) enter legally with visas and stay after expiration •Most immigrants settle in urban areas - more access to opportunity, less obvious than in rural areas
Characteristics of minority group
•Must share collective identity •Must experience subordination - lack of power •Minority groups tend to experience the most disadvantaged/unequal treatment •Minority status usually involuntarily imposed status
Where does "Model Minority" come from?
•Nearly 74% of Asian Americans are in family households •60% are married with children •Average family size is 3.56 (4) •30% of Asian Americans have a Bachelor's degree currently •23% have a graduate or professional degree •Nearly 65% of Asian Americans are in the labor force - Only 3% unemployed •Nearly 70% of Asian Americans employed in Management, Business, Science and Arts, or Sales •Median Household income: $80,000 •Nearly 60% of Asian Americans own their own home •Median Value of Home: $410,000 •Term "Model Minority" given because Asian Americans succeeded at "American Dream" •Embody middle-class (often white) American values of hard work, home ownership, nuclear family •After WWII, very rarely have we seen resistance from Asian community - whiteness does not need to be invoked* •No criminality attached to Asian Americans - lowest incarceration rate of any group •Status has changed recently because of the Coronavirus - face surge of Anti-Asian sentiment in US and across the globe
Can people of color be racist?
•No, because they lack access to power, therefore do not benefit from racism •Can be prejudiced and bigoted - that's universal - but not enough 'behavioral power' to affect dominant group or other non-dominant groups •White people can experience prejudice, bigotry, and instances of discrimination -> but not racism •Why? White people are not powerless and POC do not have enough access to power and privilege to institutionally (widespread) keep white people from resources
Theories of Prejudice
•Normative Theory of Prejudice - norms of society cause us to be prejudiced; made to believe established norms •Ex. What does a 'safe' person look like? •Exploitation Theory - People use prejudice to justify the denial of certain persons their rights and privileges •Ex. Voting rights, self-segregated neighborhoods, entry into country •Scapegoating - look for someone to blame for some current problem Ex. Unemployment, low wages, drugs
Importance of W.E.B. Du Bois - should be Canon
•One of earliest radical race theorists •First African American to receive PhD from Harvard •Wrote first case study of black communities in the US - really big deal •The Souls of Black Folk (1903) •Darkwater: Voices from Beyond the Veil (1920) •Helped create NAACP •Believed in protest and agitation instead of reconciliation - "ceaseless agitation"
General Statistics of African Americans
•Population: About 42 million •Black alone: 13.4% •Two or more races: 2.7% •Median age of African American males: 26.6 •Median age of African American females: 29.5 •Median age of pop.: 31.7 males / 34.1 females Educational Attainment High school graduate: 87% Associate's Degree: 32.4% Bachelor's Degree: 22.5% Advanced Degree: 8.2% Workforce •In civilian work force: 62.3% •Unemployed: 7.5% (double that of white Americans) •AA women employment: 62.5% (white women 58.3%) *why this discrepancy? •Median wage: $35,000 •In poverty: 25.8% Representation •54 African American members of 116th Congress •16 African Americans in Congress during Reconstruction (more than 600 elected to state legislatures) •2019 - only 4 black CEOs of Fortune 500 companies (none of which are women) •Only 17% of college and university presidents (2017 ACE)* •Of the 54,641 doctoral degrees awarded in 2017 - only 2,963 of these were awarded to black students; 5.4% (NSF) Health Disparities •Higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease than other groups -> tied to food culture, food access, distrust in medical profession, uninsured rates, and distribution of care itself •Black children have a 500% higher death rate from asthma compared to white children •Reasons •Higher uninsured rates, less disposable income, greater distrust of doctors of health care system *Forced sterilization, medical experiments, Tuskegee experiment •Doctors less likely to take concerns seriously, less likely to prescribe medications, less likely to describe pain medication •Geographical location - more likely to live in food deserts (less access to high-quality, low costs foods; grocery stores, fresh fruits and vegetables) •Environmental racism/injustice - more likely to live in areas with high pollutants/refineries
Factors accounting for difference in experience
•Time of arrival: White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPS) came 1st - De facto 'American natives' •Second waves (like the Irish) become second-class citizens •Level of skill/education: more skills and education -> easier transition •Age: children that came with parents more likely to assimilate quickly •Motivation: voluntary vs involuntarily (slaves, prisoners) -> involuntary slower to assimilate, psychologically and physically 'resentful' •Similarity to dominant group: more physically or culturally similar to dominant group (WASPS) easier your life (cultural contiguity) •Existing immigration policies: Policies have fluctuated over time, some being more restrictive than others •State of economy : When economy is good, immigration experience good •Immigrants find jobs •Americans care less about immigration •Geo-political climate: War or other strife makes us look suspiciously at people who are descendants of 'enemy' country (think about the rise in harassment of Asian Americans currently)
Latino, Chicano, Hispanic, or Spanish
•What is the difference? No universally accepted clear defined grouping •Takes into account language, geography, colonization, ethnicity, nationality, identity, ancestry, and political movement Hispanic Spanish-speaking in origin; any country Spanish From Spain Latino/a Hailing from Latin America Chicana/o Political identity of younger Mexican Americans
White as Ingroup
•Whiteness then created as an Ingroup feature •Allowed many people from many different backgrounds to identify with one another •Allowed them to identify with one another in opposition to others - mainly people not considered 'white' •Creation of White 'Ingroup' allowed WASPs to retain power •Justified some of America's earliest atrocities (Conquest of Native Americans, Importation and treatment of slaves) •"Smokescreen" for power and control - provided a foundation for why people in power should retain power
"Chicano" as political movement
•Younger generations of Mexican Americans rejecting 'Hispanic', Spanish, or Latino/a signifiers during civil rights movements (roughly 1960s) •Terms 'given' to them (labelled) by white Europeans and white Americans •So took back control, identity, heritage with Chicano/a identity -> Mechicano, which comes from Mechica, which is term for original people of Mexico •Unlike Mexican American groups like LULAC, Chicano movement identified with Black power movements during the Civil Rights Era
Race (common definition)
•category of people who are considered distinct because of physical and genetic similarities •Biological definition - genetically isolated group characterized by high degree of inbreeding that leads to distinctive gene frequencies
