> In the group that has been here longer, white Americans dominate both the FTE sector and the low-wage sector, while African Americans are located almost entirely in the low-wage sector
Simple economics doesn’t explain why white immigrant groups (Irish, Italian) that came here more recently at the bottom of the economic rung have overtaken African Americans, who have been here much longer.
If it was white people making it difficult for other races to get in, Asian and Indian people would have difficulty getting into higher classes as well.
Also, if I’m not mistaken, African Americans are 10% of US population. Since there were only 2-3 generations since the Civil Movement, even with 10% of each generation moving one class higher, the expected number of African Americans would be ~3% in middle class and close to zero in the upper class. So saying that there are very few African Americans in middle class is not a sign of racism. Irish and Italian had 20 generations of a head start.
> So saying that there are very few African Americans in middle class is not a sign of racism.
I cannot figure out how to reconcile these statements.
I think the Asian example vs A-A in the US is a counterexample to this argument.
The first wave of Asian immigrants significantly predated the civil rights movement.
That's a very important point I hadn't considered. Success is almost always predicated on strong community and family support, something which slavery was explicitly designed to suppress.
Slavery, sure, but also lots of post-slavery policy, especially Jim Crow laws in the South.
Like racism? The point is that, contrary to OP's conjecture, you can't explain this situation without accounting for racism.
@kolinko's unstated premise is that there was racism, which explains why African Americans are behind despite being here so much longer than Irish or Italian Americans, but that there no longer is racism, as of the last 2-3 generations.
Not remotely true, not supported by any evidence, but very important for some to believe and promote.
Most African American families have been in the United States before it was the United States. Slave importation was made illegal in 1808, before the largest waves of Irish and English. Most white families trace their lineage to immigrants of the mid-1800's, where most black families trace their families well before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
But no other ethic group experienced resistance by natives to integrate throughout reconstruction, and then the regression that began with Jim Crow laws at the end of reconstruction and culminated in the Civil Rights movements of the 1950's. Not merely a remembrance of history, but a glorified nostalgic reverence for the Confederacy, starting in the early 1900's, is uniquely directed at African Americans.
Greenwood, Tulsa always comes to mind.
Holy shit. Now there's something they don't teach you in school.
Words are insufficient. I also didn't learn about this in my history classes.