Lesson Set 13 (chapter 10) | Racial & Ethnic Inequality

Internal Colonialism

(Conflict Theorist) The dominant group exploits the minority group for economic advantage. The dominant group manipulates the social institutions to oppress minorities and deny them full access to society's benefits. - Example: Slavery in the U.S.; Slavery is an extreme example of internal colonialism.

Xenophobia

- Rising hostility toward foreigners

People with ancestors from these different countries have very different cultures, yet we lump them all in one group called "Asian Americans".

China 23% India 19% Philippines 18% Vietname 11% Korean 10% Japan 5% Other Countries 14%

Arab Americans

- A US minority that is increasing in size - 1,546,000 Arabs in the U.S. today, about 0.5% of the total population - The "Arab World" includes twenty-two nations - Not all are Arabs Berber of Morocco; and Kurds of Iraq - Arab cultures differ from society to society Share widespread use of Arabic alphabet and language - Islam is dominant religion - "Arab" is an ethnic category - "Muslim" is a follower of Islam - Majority of people living in Arab countries are Muslim but some Arabs are Christians or followers of other religions - The official number given by government (Census) is 1.5 million

U.S. Population by Race/Ethnicity

- A problem with counting the numbers of people in different races is that our definitions are very fluid. - In addition, people self-identify in different ways. Population in the U.S.: - White 65% or about 2/3 - Hispanic 15% - African American 13% - Asian Americans 4% - Native Americans 1% - Only 2% of people here claim to be multiracial.

Race

- Our definitions of race change over time. The founding fathers only considered people from England to be white, and other Europeans were considered inferior. - Also, Hispanic is a culture, and not a race, so a person can be White and Hispanic, or Black and Hispanic, etc. - Which groups do people identify more with? It varies.

African Americans

- Slavery was foundation of southern colonies' plantation system about - 400,000 Africans were forcibly transported to US. - The Declaration of Independence clearly states that "all men are created equal", yet this was blatantly ignored. "American Dilemma": Democratic society's denial of basic rights and freedoms to an entire category of people. Resolution of the dilemma - African Americans defined as naturally inferior and undeserving of equality (This is, of course, false). - 13th Amendment outlawed slavery (1865) - 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all people born in the US (1868) - 15th Amendment gave the right to vote (1868) Jim Crow Laws: - Institutionalized discrimination that segregated US society into two racial castes - These involved everything from literacy tests to vote (and the tests given to Blacks were extremely difficult compared to those given to Whites), to poll taxes (and Blacks who had not been paid as slaves had no money to pay to vote once they were freed), to segregated schools and restaurants. The mid-1900s (20th century) brought significant changes, though. The Civil Rights movement addressed many of these inequalities, although much more still remains to be done.

Hispanic Americans/ Latinos

15.4% of the U.S. population is Hispanic. They recently passed African Americans, who make up 12.8% of the Americans. Number of Hispanics in US almost 47 million Hispanics are a cluster of distinct populations - Each identify with a particular ancestral nation Median family income is below national average Most are recent immigrants Although many Americans think it's much higher, only about 18% are here illegally Hispanics are now the largest racial/ethnic minority in the U.S. This is because population growth is high for this group. (Only about a third of the increase is due to immigration, and only about 18% of Hispanics are here illegally.) Hispanics are another group that consist of many different cultures. People from Mexico, Ecuador, and Brazil have very different cultures, for example, but we put them all together as if they are one. Part of the reason for higher birth rates is due to catholicism and the rule again birth control.

Multiculturalism/Pluralism

A state in which people of all races and ethnicities are distinct but have equal social standing. - US is pluralistic to the extent that all people have equal standing under the law. - But the US is not really pluralistic. While all groups have equal standing under the law, the U.S. is not pluralistic for 3 reasons. 1. The movement to establish English as the official language of the U.S. 2. Practicality, people of different races do not have equal social standing. Minorities are more likely to be imprisoned than Whites for the same crime, for example. 3. The diversity in Congress does not match that of the population - minorities are underrepresented

The Social Standing of Arab Americans, 2011

ARAB AMERICANS Median Family Income: $45,800 Percentage in Poverty: 17% Completion of 4+ yrs. of college (age 25+): 37.8% Entire U.S. Population Median Family Income: $63,366 Percentage of Poverty: 13.2% Completion of 4+ yrs. of college (age 25+): 30.4% What is the #1 thing you can do to improve your social standing? Get a degree!

The Social Standing of African Americans, 2011

African Americans Median Family Income: $41,874 Percentage in Poverty: 24.1% Completion of 4+ yrs. of college (age 25+): 19.9% Entire U.S. Population Median Family Income: $63,366 Percentage of Poverty: 13.2% Completion of 4+ yrs. of college (age 25+): 30.4% What is the #1 thing you can do to improve your social standing? Get a degree!

The Social Standing of Anglo-Americans, 2011

Anglo-Americans Median Family Income: $70,835 Percentage of Poverty: 9.3% Completion of 4+ yrs. of college (age 25+): 34.0% Entire U.S. Population Median Family Income: $63,366 Percentage of Poverty: 13.2% Completion of 4+ yrs. of college (age 25+): 30.4% What is the #1 thing you can do to improve your social standing? Get a degree!

The Social Standing of Asian Americans, 2011

Asian Americans Median Family Income: $80,101 Percentage in Poverty: 10.5% Completion of 4+ yrs. of college (age 25+): 50.4% Entire U.S. Population Median Family Income: $63,366 Percentage of Poverty: 13.2% Completion of 4+ yrs. of college (age 25+): 30.4% What is the #1 thing you can do to improve your social standing? Get a degree! The high average incomes of Asian Americans can be traced to three major factors: 1. family life 2. educational achievement 3. assimilation into mainstream culture. Of all ethnic groups, including whites, Asian American children are most likely to grow up with two parents and least likely to be born to either a single mother or a teenage mother. They also are much more likely to complete college, and they are much more likely to intermarry with people of other races, especially whites.

CHINESE AMERICANS

Chinese Americans came over in a "wave" starting in 1849. Most groups immigrating to this country have had such a "wave", and during that period of time, hostilities toward that group increased greatly. - Immigration began in 1849 with the gold rush - Economic hard times led to prejudice and discrimination "Chinese men outnumbered Chinese women 21:1" Racial hostility - Moved East to urban China towns If you take a course in race relations you will study each of these waves and their impacts. For the Chinese, immigrating during an economic downturn resulted in a great deal of scapegoating, unfortunately. Many moved to the eastern part of the U.S. and congregated in neighborhoods called "China Towns". This made them an easy target for racial hostility, as they were gathered in one area.

The Social Standing of Hispanic Americans, 2011

HISPANIC AMERICANS Median Family Income: $43,437 Percentage in Poverty: 21.3% Completion of 4+ yrs. of college (age 25+): 14.1% Entire U.S. Population Median Family Income: $63,366 Percentage of Poverty: 13.2% Completion of 4+ yrs. of college (age 25+): 30.4% What is the #1 thing you can do to improve your social standing? Get a degree!

Asian Americans

Here is another group that consists of many different cultures lumped into one category. Asian Americans make up about 4.5% of the U.S. population. They are often stereotyped as being good at math and science, and being hard workers. That can harm them in the workplace, as employers might have higher expectations of them and expect them to work longer hours or be more productive than other groups, which isn't fair. - Category marked by enormous cultural diversity - 4% of US population - Commanded attention and respect as high achievers - "Model Minority" stereotype

Racial & Ethnic Minorities in the U.S.

In 2007, people of Hispanic or Latino descent represented 15.1 percent of the U.S. population, compared with 12.8 percent African Americans, 4.4 percent Asian Americans, and 0.5 percent Arab Americans. - The southern half of the U.S. is home to far more minorities than the northern half. But do they all concentrate in the same areas? No. What patterns do the maps reveal? Hispanic/Latinos - migrated to the West coast; more concentration in Texas, New Mexico, California, Arizona, and Colorado. African Americans - migrated to the East Coast; concentrated on Virginia, North & South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisana, Arkansas, and East Texas. Asian Americans Scattered; but more concentrated in Hawaii, California, Texas, and Alaska. Arab American Scattered; higher concentration in California, Florida, New Mexico, Nebraska, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota, and New York.

Genocide in Action

Land controlled by Native Americans, 1970 - Today Native Americans controlled most of the U.S. in 1790, but only about half by 1850, only sixty years later. Today, most are relegated to reservations that account for just 2% of the country's land area. How would you characterize these locations? The areas are small and are mostly in dryer climates. Are they in desirable areas? No

The Social Standing of Native Americans, 2011

NATIVE AMERICANS Median Family Income: $43,190 Percentage in Poverty: 24.2% Completion 4+ yrs of college (age 25+): 8.7% Entire U.S. Population Median Family Income: $63,366 Percentage in Poverty: 13.2% Completion 4+ yrs of college (age 25+): 30.4% What is the #1 thing you can do to improve your social standing? Get a degree!

Native Americans

One way we stereotype people unfairly is by lumping people from many different cultures into one group. NATIVE AMERICANS - Refers to hundreds of societies who first settled the Western Hemisphere. Some were aggressive, some were peaceful, using hundreds of different languages and having hundreds of different cultures. Yet we call them all "Native Americans", as if they are the same. - 15th century numbered 10 million. By 1900, numbered 250,000 (reduced by 97.5%, and is an example of genocide) Native Americans have a lower social standing than other groups, on average, for several reasons. 1. Noncompetitive view of life - Remember Max Weber's work, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism - White Puritans who settled here had a different set of values that led them to be successful in a capitalist economy. 2. Reluctance to pursue higher education that would lead to higher salaries. 3. physical characteristics enabled others to recognize them easily and discrimination against them. Dark skin made them targets of prejudice and discrimination.

Population Transfer

The dominant group expels the minority group. -It is the forced transfer of a minority group. It often occurs in conjunction with genocide, so where it occurs today, it raises an alarm. Example: Native Americans were forced to live on reservations.

Segregation

The physical and social separation of categories of people. 3 types: 1. de jure segregation (by law) 2. de facto segregation (in fact) 3. Hypersegregation: Having little contact of any kind with people beyond the local community. Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas Equal means getting: The same thing, at the same time, in the same place.

Assimilation

The process by which minorities gradually adopt patterns of the dominant culture. - Most minorities adopt the dominant culture - Amount of assimilation varies by category - Assimilation involves changes in ethnicity but not in race. Example: 1st Generation: Issei - Spoke Japanese at home. 2nd Generation: Nissei - Born in America - Learned English at school - Japanese at home 3rd Generation: Sansei - Learned to speak English at home & in school 4th Generation: Yonsei 5th Generation: Gosei *Remember that language is the key to cultural transmission. *Assimilation = adaptation or adoption of the culture that one is submerged in.

Genocide

The systematic killing of one category of people by another. - A deadly form of racism and ethnocentrism that violates every moral standard. Tragically, it has been common through history. It is usually "justified" by a culture that labels the minority group as "subhuman", which makes it easier for people to kill them without feeling guilty. Common throughout history Important to recognize the degree to which US society was built. - Segregation of African Americans - Genocide of Native Americans - "Ethnic Cleansing"

Japanese Americans

Their immigration began more slowly, but the largest wave occurred between 1885 and 1907. Japanese Americans didn't face quite as much hostility as the Chinese, for several reasons. Here are 3 of them: 1. There weren't as many. 2. They assimilated to a higher degree. 3. Since they preferred rural farming, they were less visible. - In other words, people might know of a Japanese family in the area, but that family was more likely to be considered a neighbor. - Since the Chinese lived in concentrated urban areas, they were easier to target. However, they did face a great deal of discrimination after the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered everyone who was one-eighth Japanese or more to be confined in "internment camps". These people were charged with no crime, and they had no trials. Considering how many Americans the Germans and Italians killed, why do you think people with ancestors from those groups were not forced into internment camps? What is the obvious answer? Because they were more recognizable.

Majority & Minority: Patterns of Interaction (TEST QUESTIONS)

There are six ways the dominant group can interact with a minority group. The Continuum; Inhumanity <-1--------------------6-> Humanity (Rejection)____________________ (Acceptance) 1. Genocide: The dominant group tries to destroy the minority group. (e.g., Germany and Rwanda) 2. Population Transfer: The dominant group expels the minority group (e.g., Native Americans forced onto reservations) 3. Internal Colonialism: The dominant group exploits the minority group (e.g., low-paid, menial work) 4. Segregation: The dominant group structures the social institution to maintain minimal contact with the minority group. (e.g., U.S. South before the 1960s) 5. Assimilation: The dominant group absorbs the minority group. (e.g., American Czechoslovakians) 6. Pluralism (Multiculturalism): The dominant group encourages racial and ethnic variation; when successful, there is no longer a dominant group. (e.g., Switzerland) These six patterns of interaction between a dominant group and a minority group fall along a continuum. At one end you have inhumanity and the rejection of the minority group, with the most extreme example being genocide. At the other end, you have humanity and acceptance, with the dominant group living alongside the minority group, then ultimately "dominant" and "minority" status become a classification of the past and are no longer appropriate.

Race and Ethnicity: Looking Ahead

US has been, and will remain, a land of immigrants; Unless you are a Native American, you are the child of immigrants. New arrivals face the same prejudice and discrimination experienced by those who came before them Recent years have witnessed Xenophobia - Rising hostility toward foreigners

Most Hispanics in America today are of Mexican descent, either because their ancestors lived in the part of Mexico annexed by the U.S., or because their families moved here from Mexico. More Hispanics tend to live in California, Texas, and Florida than any other state. Why is it so high in California and Texas? How is Florida different?

Where are they from? Mexico - 31,550,000 (66%) Central & South AMerica - 7,583,000 (16%) Puerto Rico - 4,224,000 (9%) Other Countries - 2,481,000 (5%) Cuba - 1,647,000 (4%) Where do they live? California - 28% Texas - 19% Florida - 8% New York - 7% Illinois - 4% Arizona - 4% New Jersey - 3% Colorado - 2% New Mexico - 2% Other States 22% It is high for CA & TX because of the Mexico border. Florida is different because it is farther from the border and I would guess that the immigrants that are in Florida are likely from other countries.

White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs)

White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs), are the dominant group in the U.S. today. Most are of British ancestry: - Includes Scotland and Wales Not subject to prejudice and discrimination b/c they were the ones that were in power. Cultural legacy - English dominant language - Protestantism dominant religion Historical dominance is evident - One disturbing trend is the use of the terms "race" and "ethnicity" to apply to everyone but WASPs. In actuality, WASPs have a race, and they have ethnicity, the same as every group. WASPs have a culture, just like everyone else.

White Ethnic Americans

White Ethnic Americans have not always been a part of the dominant group. Term "White Ethnics" - Recognizes ethnic heritage and social disadvantage of many white people Non-WASP's - As each wave of immigrants came from various countries, including Ireland, Poland, Germany, Italy, etc., They each faced extreme prejudice and discrimination. Congress even limited immigration from these countries in response to objections that were based on racist ideology.

Projections of the Racial and Ethnic Makeup of the U.S.

YEAR 2000 69.4% - European Decent 12.5% - Latinos 12.1% - African Americans 3.7% - Asian Americans 1.6% - Claim membership in 2+ groups 0.7% - Native Americans YEAR 2025 59.3% - European Decent 20.2% - Latinos 12.4% - African Americans 5.1% - Asian Americans 2.1% - Claim membership in 2+ groups 0.8% - Native Americans YEAR 2050 49.9% - European Decent 27.8% - Latinos 12.2% - African Americans 5.9% - Asian Americans 3.2% - Claim membership in 2+ groups 0.8% - Native Americans The percentage of the population that is minority, is on the rise. Whites have historically been the numerical majority in this country. However, that soon will not be the case. By the year 2050, and maybe much sooner, minorities will outnumber Whites in the U.S. Which group will see the largest increase in percentage? - The highest level of population growth will occur among Hispanics. Only about a third of this growth will be due to immigration. The vast majority is due to the higher birth rate among Hispanics. Why do they have a higher birth rate?