Until recently, African Americans constituted the single most predominant ethnic minority in the United States. Defined as the ‘black people who trace their ancestry to migrants from Africa who were shipped to the U.S. to work as slaves’. While the American society was once viewed as consisting of whites and blacks, this ethnic makeup has changed to a considerable degree recently.
The 1990s decade witnessed a crucial shift in the ethnic composition of American society, since an increasing number of voluntary immigrants from areas outside America – such as the Caribbean Islands – began migrating to the U.S. in search of lucrative employment opportunities as well as an improved quality of life.
However, while the ‘black’ community does not see the new migrants ‘as one of them’, since there is considerable difference in terms of cultural values and societal norms, the ‘white’ community continues to perceive them as a homogenous group, simply based on their skin color. Interestingly, this growing ethnic diversity among the country’s black population has created a rift and the lack of trust and understanding has often led to violent results .
While the African Americans consider the new, voluntary migrants as severe competition for their jobs and already lack resources, the migrants feel superior to the locals since they have been better educated and consider themselves as more empathetic and civilized.
The initial migration pattern for the black community had been from the South, upwards to the north, where areas were more urbanized, the incidence of slavery was very less and they had a better chance at a normal life. However, even after the abolition of the slave system, the black population continues to find itself at an economic disadvantage . This is because blacks were deliberately kept out of the applicant pool of higher compensation jobs and it wasn’t until the 1960s decade that blacks were able to climb up the corporate ladder. Unfortunately, despite what appeared to be a boost to their financial and social standing as well as improved access to education, the income and lifestyle gaps between whites and black continued to expand. I believe this disparity was caused by the kind of childhood that blacks get; the lack of grooming and self-confidence at an early stage hampers their learning and career progress later on .
However, an important point to consider here is the fact that this widening income gap was not just between whites and blacks, but also within the black community itself. Depending on the nature of their work and the wages they earned from it, led to a classification based on financial status within the community. The middle and upper classes fared better than the unskilled, poor, labor class.
Here I would like to add what William Julius Wilson, the author of what came to be known as the Wilson thesis that outlined the class system within the black community, pointed out that improvements in the lives of the lowest social class of blacks was very difficult simply because post World War II, the demand was more for trained employees and/or skilled technicians. Since the low-income groups were also the ones who were the least educated, the chances of them suddenly earning more were grim to say the least .
The discrimination that blacks continued to face was not just limited to their monetary standing alone. It wasn’t until the 1940s that the black community was made part of the electoral process in the U.S. and in certain areas, gender-based segregation in schools and even neighborhoods continues up to today.
While the racial attitudes are becoming more inclusive and tolerant, the black community continues to face assimilation challenges. One aspect of the Wilson thesis also explored the reasons behind why an equally educated white and an equally educated black were not hired at similar positions or paid similar salaries, or even allowed to live in a particular area . It is only when racial discrimination in all its forms is uprooted from the core of the American society, including the inherent biases that both communities hold, that the black community will finally have the chance to compete on an actual level playing field with their white counterparts.
Works Cited
Marger, Martin N. Race And Ethnic Relations: American Ad Global Perspectives. 8th edition, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.
Shapiro, Thomas. he Hidden Cost of Being African American: How Wealth Perpetuates Inequality. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print.
