Chapter 11

Racial and Ethnic Inequality and Conflict

Chapter Outline

Intergroup Conflict Preoccupation with Prejudice Slavery and the American Dilemma Status Inequality and Prejudice Identifiability

Chapter Outline

Equality and the Decline of Prejudice Mechanisms of Ethnic and Racial

Mobility Hispanic Americans Going North: African American

“Immigration” in the United States

Intergroup Conflict

Much of the prejudice among groups is not based on race.

Examples: – Antagonisms between Protestants and

Catholics in the U.S. during the 19th and 20th centuries.

– Conflict between English- and French-speaking Canadians.

– Continuing massacres in Africa.

Race

A race is a human group with common biological features.

Racial groups differ in skin color, eyelid shape, the color and texture of hair and blood type.

Racial differences are important only because people attach cultural meaning to them.

Ethnic Groups

Groups with different cultural heritages. Cultural differences are not enough to

make a group an ethnic group. The differences must both bind a group

together and separate it from other groups.

Primary Ethnic Ancestry of Americans of European Descent

Number(in 1,000s)

% of total population

German 57,947 23.3

Irish 38,736 15.6

English 32,652 13.1

Italian 14,665 5.9

French 10,321 4.1

Polish 9,366 3.8

Primary Ethnic Ancestry of Americans of European Descent

Number(in 1,000s)

% of total population

Dutch 6,227 2.5

Scotch-Irish 5,618 2.3

Scottish 5,394 2.2

Swedish 4,681 1.9

Norwegian 3,869 1.6

Russian 2,953 1.2

“From the list, please indicate the groups you would not like to have as neighbors.”

Nation Foreigners (%) Jews (%) Muslims (%)

South Korea 53 - 21

India 48 86 31

Nigeria 28 34 24

Mexico 18 19 19

Germany 17 8 20

Great Britain 12 7 17

United States 10 5 14

Canada 6 6 11

Theories on Prejudice : Authoritarian personality

Some people accept only the norms of their group and reject any variations.

When confronted with others whose norms differ, they become anxious.

To resolve the anxiety, they assume that those who differ are inferior.

Allport’s Theory of Contact

Prejudice will decrease if two groups with equal status have contact.

Prejudice will increase if one group is dominant and the other subordinate.

Prejudice will intensify if the groups are engaged in competition.

Prejudice will decline if the groups cooperate to pursue common goals.

Bonacich: Why People Will Accept Low Wages

Very low standard of living. Lack of information. – They are

unaware of minimum wage laws and have no way to collect unpaid wages.

Bonacich: Why People Will Accept Low Wages

Lack of political power – They lack citizenship or be unable to force favorable reforms.

Economic motives - They intend to be temporary workers.

Enrollment in School, 1930

AgeNative-born

Whites (%)

Japanese

Americans (%)

7–13 96.1 97.2

14–15 90.0 97.3

16–17 61.0 88.8

18–20 24.4 51.8

Post-World War II Earnings Recovery by Japanese Americans

Ratio To White Earnings

1960 1970 1980 1990

Whites 100 100 100 100

Japanese Americans

91 101 105 120

Chinese Americans

84 92 89 90

Three Elements of Group Upward Mobility in the U.S.

1. Geographical concentration.

2. Internal economic development and occupational specialization.

3. Development of a middle class.

American Minorities

GroupNumber

(in 1,000s)% of

Population

Hispanic Americans 35,306 12.6

Mexican Americans 20,641 7.3

Puerto Rican Americans 3,406 1.2

Cuban Americans 1,243 0.5

Other Hispanic Americans 10,017 3.6

African Americans 34,658 12.3

American Minorities

GroupNumber

(in 1,000s)% of

Population

Asian Americans 10,243 3.7

Chinese Americans 2,433 0.8

Filipino Americans 1,850 0.7

Asian Indians 1,679 0.6

Vietnamese Americans 1,123 0.4

Korean Americans 1,077 0.4

Japanese Americans 797 0.3

Other Asian Americans 1,285 0.5

American Minorities

GroupNumber

(in 1,000s)% of

Population

American Indians and Alaska Natives 2,476 0.9

Pacific Islanders 399 0.1

Economic Circumstances

Group

% of Families below

poverty line

% of High Status

occupations

Median Family Income

Total population 10.4 26.4 $32,191

Hispanic Americans 23.7 12.1 21,769

Mexican Americans 24.9 8.7 21,025

Puerto Rican Americans 30.8 10.6 18,932

Cuban Americans 16.9 25.2 26,858

Educational Achievementof Americans Age 25–35

GroupLess than

High school (%)College

Graduates (%)

Total population 13.6 23.7

Whites 12.8 24.5

African Americans 19.5 13.2

Hispanic Americans 38.3 11.9

Mexican Americans 45.7 8.4

Puerto Rican Americans 32.4 11.3

Cuban Americans 16.1 23.8

Labor Force Participation

Percent of persons age 16 and over who are employed or seeking work

Group Males Females

Total population 74.8 56.6

Hispanic Americans 80.1 52.4

Mexican Americans 82.2 52.7

Puerto Rican Americans 69.6 41.7

Cuban Americans 76.3 49.1

Language Abilities of Hispanic Americans

% who Speak

GroupOnly

SpanishBetter in Spanish

Equally well in both

Better in English

Only English Total

Mexican Americans

1 11 26 55 7 100

Puerto Rican

Americans7 34 25 31 3 100

Cuban Americans

5 38 28 27 2 100

Personal Experience With Discrimination of Hispanic Americans

Group% who feel they have been

discriminated against

Mexican Americans 39

Puerto Rican Americans 30

Cuban Americans 18

Relative Educational Gainsby African Americans, 1960–2000

% Completed High School

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

African Americans 20.1 31.4 51.2 66.2 78.5

Whites 43.2 54.5 68.6 79.1 84.9

As a percentage of white rate 46.5 57.6 74.6 83.7 92.5

% Completed College

African Americans 3.1 4.4 8.4 11.3 16.5

Whites 8.1 11.3 17.1 22.0 26.1

As a percentage of white rate: 38.3 38.9 49.1 51.4 63.2

Income Gains by African American Working Couples

Median family income in 1990 dollars

1967 2000

African Americans

$28,700 $50,758

Whites $40,040 $57,242

Barriers to African AmericanProgress

The legacies of slavery No homeland Visibility Numbers