Matt Jordan

Race & Ethnicity

Dr. Parks
November 21, 2021
Race & Ethnicity Final Paper

Understanding Race in America is a major challenge for everyone, especially those who have

grown up with privilege. Privilege can be contributed to being white or being well off financially. A

combination of both is the most common occurrence. A lot of the time this happens based on the area in

which people live. Racial segregation has been a major part of the course this far, and it is talked about

heavily in our readings and videos. There are towns and sections of cities that are almost entirely white

and entirely black or Hispanic. When different areas were developed, there was planning to have this

separation. This segregation by location also has a lot to do with how each group views one another. The

majority of the time the thoughts related are of a negative connotation. Overall, minorities are often

judged because of their racial, ethnic, and financial backgrounds. This is something that cannot be

controlled and people who fall into the minority categories face oppression every day because of this.

Critical race theory shows how this is a problem and gives context to what can be changed for the better.

To understand the effects of race and how people are treated because of their skin you have to identify

your own experiences and how that affects each person.

       One of the biggest problems in America is poverty. Poverty is not just associated with minorities, but

it is the main connotation for the term and the first image that comes to mind for most Americans.

Poverty exists everywhere in the United States, but it is heavily present in cities like Chicago and

Milwaukee. Both cities have high poverty areas with different neighborhoods and housing projects.

Poverty does not mean someone is homeless but they would fall under that umbrella. From my experience

going to Chicago, I always see homeless people around most of whom are black. I always feel guilty not

giving money and feel bad for them being in that situation. I have also heard stories of poverty being

faked by people to get money from other people. When my dad was younger he would always give
money or try and do something for the people he passed on the street. He would give them money at first

but then caught people conning him a few times. After that, he was more cautious about what he gave.

His experience has taught me to be more cautious about what I do. When I see someone on the street I try

to be friendly. While I do not give them anything, I try to treat them as a human. Many people going

through poverty are not bad people, but they are treated like bad people. Most of the time they are

ignored, discriminated against, and not given the time of day. Treating people with compassion can go a

long way and make someone who is down on their luck have a moment of feeling like a normal person. I

believe all those who are in poverty are looked down upon for not being successful even if they are not

homeless. Unfortunately, poverty is a very prevalent part of America, and understanding poverty helps

understand the race disparity. The deck was always stacked against black people in America because of

slavery and not having freedom until 1863 with the emancipation proclamation. While this legislation

allowed slaves to be free they were not given the same rights as the white population and suffered greatly

from it. They were trapped in poverty from the very beginning. The average wealth between white

families and African American families is massive. In Reading 7 from Rethinking the Color Line, "there

is a graph that compares the median net worth of white and black families in the united states. The graph

shows a white family with an average median income of $265,000 compared to black families with an

average income of $28,500, showing a difference in the average income of $236,500" (Gallagher 52).

This large disparity in income is a major problem. While white families on average are living

comfortably, African- American families are struggling to get by. The chart shows the difference in

poverty levels along color lines. This has been systemic since the end of slavery where it is a lot harder

for minorities to be successful compared to white people. The data helps to explain why more African

Americans are the ones homeless on the streets or sleeping in shelters. The entire ethnic background on

average is barely making enough money to support a family which is combining two incomes. Those who

are homeless are the lower half of the equation. These people may have other issues such as drug

addiction but they are not the only ones to blame for their situation. Many of the people stuck in poverty

have issues but there are other factors. It is important not to stereotype people. Everyone’s situation is
different and understanding is important for how someone is treated. Bonilla-Silva talks about stereotypes

and how they are used against different races, He says, “Racial Stereotypes are crystallized at the

ideological level of a social system. These images ultimately indicate-although in distorted ways-and

justify the stereotyped group’s position in society” (Bonilla-Silva 39). The quote from Bonilla-Silva

describes the system of thought many white Americans are subject to. Anyone with an ounce of privilege

pity those who struggle with poverty, they throw judgment and disdain. For those who struggle to

improve their situation, people need to treat them with respect instead of like they do not belong. . For

anything to change with racial relations or poverty their need to be changed in the way the average person

in America thinks about others. People need to worry about helping others instead of putting them down. 

       Poverty separated by race is not only tied to homelessness in cities but also looks at the gentrification

of cities. In many major cities, there are neighborhoods, projects, or ghettos that are occupied by poor

people. The majority of these people are minorities. These areas also are often associated with gang

violence and high crime rates. In Chicago neighborhoods on the Southside have this connotation and

issues with poverty. These neighborhoods' heavy minority population dates back to the GI bill after

World War II. The GI bill allowed for veterans of the war to receive grants for college to get degrees or to

get a long-term lease on new single-family homes, among many other opportunities. However, black

veterans rarely qualified for the GI bill benefits. They did persevere and saved to buy houses in these

newly forming neighborhoods. In The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee, she gives the example of the

Tomlin family moving to a predominately white neighborhood in the late 1970s. "One day before they

first moved in she was painting part of the house when she received a visit from a neighbor. The neighbor

offered to let her use the phone to call her husband Isiah. Isiah was a dark-skinned man and when he came

to the house, the neighbor was in complete shock. Janice does not have the same complexion so this was

the last thing that the neighbor was expecting to see. Eventually, the neighbor moved away and so did

many others. By the end of the 1990s, the neighborhood was all black" (McGhee 67-68). The situation

that the Tomlin family faces is not uncommon especially back in the 1960s and 1970s. If people are that

scared of race that they move completely out of the area, that is a major problem. This is surprising that
the entire white population was moving away into the 1990s. In reality, that was only 20 or so years ago.

It is well documented that race is a problem in America, but to have a mass exodus be recent is sad to

think about. This backs up the conversations we have had in class about white people being more

comfortable around other white people. We have also learned that the best way for progress to be made is

to have cultures mixed. Mixing cultures and ethnic backgrounds allows for each group to understand one

another. There is less animosity toward one another because they are used to being around and learning

from each other. Growing up in Wheaton, IL, I was part of a predominately white community and school

system. In the neighborhood I currently live in I can count on one hand the number of homes owned by a

minority. I was not given the opportunity, to learn from the African-American and Hispanic communities

like some have in evenly mixed communities. With my town being heavily whitewashed, my perspective

on race would follow that same pattern. I have learned more about race through this class and others but

my basis of understanding different races and ethnicities comes from the white perspective. This is the

situation in many places in the United States. The overarching theme of my town would be

hypersegregation. The term is identified in reading 22 by Massey and Tannen, they performed a study

identifying the areas of hypersegregation in cites based on census data. The situation in Baton Rouge

shows how white people want all the power and control. The findings showed some improvement over

time but in many areas, especially cities the term loomed large “Between the 1970-1990 the level of

hypersegregation was at 75% before making a gradual drop to 73% in 2000 and eventually 70% in 2010”

(Massey & Tannen 203). This shows the high level of segregation by living location in the United States

and some of its largest cities. While over time the numbers have improved, the overall picture still is

troublesome. If the numbers stay at the current level, we will continue to have issues between races

because both white and black will not get to see the full picture based on their surroundings. There are

people of privilege who do not want to see the levels of hypersegregation improve. They want to keep

segregation alive in some situations such as the situation going on in Baton Rouge. The white people

want to create St. George which will take away opportunities for minorities in the area. Kids will not be

given the same levels of education, and they will suffer because of that. All kids should be given the same
rights to be successful, and separating the towns and schools district by race will end up being

counterproductive. For real change to occur in America the country needs to become integrated as a

whole and avoid hypersegregation all together.

           In middle and high school, my favorite classes were the ones covering American history. I enjoyed

these classes because they gave me a sense of what the world was like before I was around. The classes I

took that covered up to the modern and day and current events were the best because they painted the

whole picture of America. One of the units I remember enjoying was talking about the melting pot. The

melting pot is when people would immigrate to the United States from other countries and set up roots in

different cities. A lot of the time they would move close to people from the same place or region. They

would set up communities and neighborhoods in the cities in which they lived. The perspective of the

Irish is intriguing because of two reasons, the first being that is where my heritage and ancestors are from,

and the fact that they faced discrimination even though they were white-skinned. It was hard for Irish

immigrants in America to find quality work. Most of those who immigrated from Ireland were farmers

and did not have a high level of education. Many Irish immigrants were not overly well spoken and it was

hard for them to find work in the cities. The reason why the Irish came to America was because of new

opportunities and the chance to get away from British oppression. The potato famine was devastating for

the whole country of Ireland. It was tough on families and some were never able to recover. This was

similar to the oppression faced by the African American community in the United States. Both groups of

people were treated like scum, and one of the groups would be considered part of the majority in terms of

skin color. This goes to show that discrimination can take place outside of skin color. When the melting

pot of ethnicities came together in the cities, all the different groups were looking for work. Some groups

were more successful than others, and this showed, especially when it came to politics in New York. In

reading 32 of Rethinking the Color Line, Waldinger talks about the rivalry between the Irish and Jewish

immigrants and how they wanted the same jobs in the government. The Irish were the ones who had total

control of the agencies through WASP. This agency was able to protect the role of the Irish in the New

York City government from losing jobs to the Jewish immigrants. The Jewish immigrants were becoming
educated at high rates and they were constantly on the heels of the Irish” (Waldinger 283). I was always

taught differently in school growing up. I was taught that the Irish were the ones who faced

discrimination when they came to America, and it was often at the same level as African Americans in the

cities. Through this reading, I learned that they were the ones controlling the city and the whole political

structure of New York. While there was discrimination against the Irish immigrants when they came over

to the United States it may not have been at the same level that I was originally told. While the Irish were

eventually able to take control it was still a struggle for them to be accepted into society. In reading 42

Steinberg talks about the struggle and what some of the major factors were in their acceptance, “The

European immigrants struggled at first to be accepted in America, but with time they were eventually

treated like all other white people in the country. The first generation tended to struggle more but as more

generations grew in American the European dialect and accent began to go away. This allowed these

groups of people to be accepted into society” (Steinberg 378). The education system as a whole needs to

do a better job of covering all the bases when it comes to portraying race and minorities. If kids do not

learn the true history of America, then they will struggle to understand the true history when they grow

up. The school that I went to made it feel like the levels of discrimination were the same. While at the

beginning this was true eventually with time the discrimination shifted away from the Irish as they

became more integrated with society.

           There are problems nationwide about how race and race relations are taught in school. One area

where this is a common theme is how we Are supposed to view minorities in the United States. We learn

about some of the histories but not often is it talked about how we need to treat them and why people

discriminate against minorities. The main issues deal with colorblindness. This term is not taught in

schools, and it needs to be. Once people understand colorblindness and their own implicit bias there

might be a cause for change. In reading 13 of Rethinking the Color Line, Gallagher talks about a survey

that shows where the levels of bias and discrimination take place, “The poll takes place in 1997 and

shows that 64% of white people do not feel that they have benefitted from discrimination of African

Americans. In addition, 79% of white people feel that black people have the same employment
opportunities as white people” (Gallagher 127). As we have learned throughout this class, the survey is

false. This is because those who took the survey are suffering from implicit bias. Growing up, I was often

under the same thinking, I always thought that because I lived in America, nicknamed ‘The Land of

Opportunity’ that everyone had the same rights and opportunities no matter who they are. The African

American population has always had it bad, but one group that gets overlooked is the American Indians.

These were the first groups of people native to America. When English settlers moved in and the United

States began to form they were pushed west and eventually onto reservations. Through my schooling, I

had always thought that American Indians had no rights in today’s society, but that is false. Wilkins talks

about how “American Indians on reservations have the right to make their laws and are exempt from

those of the federal and state governments, this allowed them to gain an advantage in certain situations

because they are not under the same protocols” (Wilkins 74). In some ways being forced onto a

reservation can be compared to slavery Both have limitations and loss of rights tied to each. However, as

time has passed the American Indians have begun to receive some benefits such as being able to make

their laws. There is also a growing population outside of the reservations and they are becoming

integrated into society.

           Race is one of the most controversial issues in the United States. It is always a battle between the

white people and minorities as a whole. There are clear disparities when it comes to income, housing, and

the overall treatment of each different person. The common factor in all of these is the fact that minorities

are on the bottom of the totem pole. They make less money and are stereotyped more often. Many

minorities struggle to get by and raise a family. Poverty is a major issue and is something white people

judge them about. Many white people fail to realize that their ancestors were oppressed when they

immigrated from Europe. With generations, if build-up they fell into the right side of society because they

had the privilege of being light-skinned. The United States throughout its history has been awful when it

comes to the treatment of minorities. They force them into reservations and move away when someone

that looks different moves into the neighborhood. America has made strides to change over the years but

nearly enough progress has been made.

 Works Cited

Gallagher, C. A., & Bonilla-Silva, E. (2022). Racialized Social System Approach to Racism. In
Rethinking the color line: Readings in race and ethnicity (pp. 33–39). essay, SAGE
Publications, Inc.

Gallagher, C. A., & Gallagher, C. (2022). Color Blind Privilege. In Rethinking the color line:
Readings in race and ethnicity (pp. 119–129). essay, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Gallagher, C. A., & Steinberg, S. (2022). The Melting Pot and the Color Line. In Rethinking the
color line: Readings in race and ethnicity (pp. 375–381). essay, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Gallagher, C. A., & Waldinger, R. (2022). When the Melting Pot Boils Over. In Rethinking the
color line: Readings in race and ethnicity (pp. 282–291). essay, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Gallagher, C. A., & Wilkins, D. (2022). A Tour of Indian Peoples and Indian Lands. In
Rethinking the color line: Readings in race and ethnicity (pp. 71–89). essay, SAGE
Publications, Inc.

Gallagher, C. A., Massey, D. S., & Tannen, J. (2022). A Research Note on Trends in Black
Hypersegregation. In Rethinking the color line: Readings in race and ethnicity (pp. 200–
208). essay, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Gallagher, C. A., Shapiro, T., Meschede, T., & Osoro, S. (2022). The Roots of the Widening
Racial wealth Gap. In Rethinking the color line: Readings in race and ethnicity (pp. 50–
58). essay, SAGE Publications, Inc.

MCGHEE, H. E. A. T. H. E. R. (2022). Sum of us: What racism costs everyone and how we can
prosper together. ONE WORLD BALLANTINE.