Racial Inequality

Race, ethnicity and class are all integrated in different ways throughout American history. Race refers to groups of individuals who have similarities and differences in biological traits believed to be socially significant by society. This ultimately means that individuals treat other individuals different due to these biological traits. For instance, differences in skin colour would be viewed as socially significant, whereas similarities or diversity in eye colour have not been seen as socially significant. “The state-sanctioned and/or legal production and exploitation of group-differentiated vulnerabilities to premature death, in distinct yet densely interconnected political geographies”. (Gilmore, 1). Gilmore’s definition is crucial as

Racial oppression was due to economic class subordination in America years ago. Black people in America did not have the same rights as white people as they were “denied access to valued and scarce resources through various ingenious schemes of racial exploitation, discrimination and segregation, schemes that were reinforced by elaborate ideologies of racism.” (Wilson 1). The class difference between black people and white people in America was very significant years ago due to a number of factors. Racial inequality was deliberate between race, class and ethnicity as the “white economic elite wanted to exploit black labour or the actions of the white masses to eliminate or neutralise black competition”. (Wilson 2). According to Douglas Massey, there are two fundamental dimensions that define the conceptual space of social cognition- warmth and competence. In-group members are individuals that are perceived as warm and competent, or similar to. Individuals that lack warmth or competence are defined as members of out-groups. This is similar to the concept of racial oppression by J.W Wilson as the white people would view themselves as warm and competent, unlike the black people who would have been classed in the ‘out-group’ category. Due to the racial inequality this effected the

Latinos socioeconomic status deteriorated during the 1980’s and the 1990’s as their poverty rates rose and the income level fell, these levels reached levels that were comparable to those historically recognised among the African Americans. The American Census caused an abundance of issues in relation to ethnic groups. In the 1981 census the government chose not to ask about nationality or ethnicity at all. Race, Ethnicity and class interlink within the American census for generations in different ways. In the 1960s, Mexican-Americans were classed in the extremely poor minority group. These ethnic groups were receiving incomes below the poverty line as they worked in undesirable jobs that were low-paying. This also displays race and class discrimination as the established whites and blacks would not work those particular jobs. There were major federal programs designed to help poor minority groups, including, Native Americans, Hispanics and Blacks. (Choldin