Soc perspectives on race and ethnic relations Focus on the us per 2010 census

Symbolic Interaction The contact hypothesis suggests that contact between people from divergent groups should lead to favorable attitudes and behavior when a specific set of criteria is met. members of the groups must have equal status members must be pursuing the same goals members must cooperate to achieve these goals members must receive positive feedback for nondiscriminatory interaction When people encounter someone who does not fit existing stereotypes, that person may be seen as an exception or they may be ignored. When people encounter someone who does fit the stereotype, they may not be treated as individuals.

functionalist Assimilation is a process by which members of subordinate racial and ethnic groups become absorbed into the dominant culture. Assimiliation is functional because it contributes to the stability of society by minimizing group differences that might otherwise result in hostility and violence Cultural assimilation occurs when members of an ethnic group adopt dominant group traits, such as language, dress, values, religion, and food preferences. This is sometimes termed acculturation In the US, assimilation initially followed the "Anglo conformity" model forced assimiliation, Native American boarding schools Structural assimilation, or integration, occurs when subordinate group members gain acceptance in interaction with dominant group members. Biological assimilation, or amalgamation, occurs via intermarriage. Psychological assimilation involves a change in racial or ethnic self-identification on the part of an individual. Ethnic pluralism is the coexistence of a variety of distinct racial and ethnic groups within one society. Equalitarian pluralism, or accommodation, involves coexistence in equality. Inequalitarian pluralism, or segregation, exists when ethnic groups are set apart from the dominant group and have unequal access to power and privilege. Segregation is the spatial and social separation of categories of people by race, ethnicity, class, gender, and/or religion. De jure segregation exists by law. Jim Crow laws in the south (illegal today) De facto segregation exists by custom more difficult to document and thus combat. In some areas of the US owners, landlords, real estate agents and apartment managers often use informal mechanisms to keep their properties white only.

Conflict perspective The caste perspective views racial and ethnic inequality as a permanent feature of U.S. society. This system was strengthened by antimiscegenation laws, which prohibited intercourse or marriage between persons of different races. These laws, found in most states, were not declared unconstitutional until 1967. Class perspectives emphasize the role of the capitalist class in racial exploitation. Sociologists have debated the relative importance of class and race in explaining exploitation Internal colonialism occurs when members of a racial or ethnic group are conquered or colonized, and forcibly placed under the economic and political control of the dominant group. Examples of this in the US include Native Americans now living on reservations and the poverty of Mexican Americans who lost their lands Split labor market refers to the division of the economy into two areas of employment: a primary sector composed of higher paid (usually dominant group) workers in more secure jobs, and a secondary sector comprised of lower paid (often subordinate group) workers in jobs with little security and frequently hazardous working conditions. Gendered racism refers to the interactive effect of racism and sexism in the exploitation of women of color. The theory of racial formation states that actions of the government substantially define racial and ethnic relations in the United States.

Racial and ethnic groups in the us (2010 census)

Native americans It is believed that Native Americans migrated to North America from Asia thousands of years ago. Historically, Native Americans experienced the following kinds of treatment in the United States: Genocide Forced migration Forced assimilation DEFINITION OF AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE USED IN THE 2010 CENSUS According to OMB, “American Indian or Alaska Native” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. The American Indian and Alaska Native population includes people who marked the “American Indian or Alaska Native” checkbox or reported entries such as Navajo, Blackfeet, Inupiat, Yup’ik, or Central American Indian groups or South American Indian groups.

White Anglo saxon protestants/british americans DEFINITION OF WHITE USED IN THE 2010 CENSUS According to OMB, “White” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. The White racial category includes people who marked the “White” checkbox. It also includes respondents who reported entries such as Caucasian or White; European entries, such as Irish, German, and Polish; Middle Eastern entries, such as Arab, Lebanese, and Palestinian; and North African entries, such as Algerian, Moroccan, and Egyptian. Although many English settlers initially were indentured servants or sent here as prisoners, they quickly emerged as the dominant group, creating a core culture to which all other groups were expected to adapt. Like other racial and ethnic groups, British Americans are not all alike; social class and gender affect their life chances and opportunities.

African americans or black There is lack of consensus regarding the appropriate term to use to refer to the 38.9 million black residents of the United States, with some people preferring the term black while others prefer the term African American. African Americans likely first arrived in North America with Spanish conquerors in the fifteenth century, but by 1660 full-fledged slavery and not indentured servitude was the norm. DEFINITION OF BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN USED IN THE 2010 CENSUS According to OMB, “Black or African American” refers to a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. The Black racial category includes people who marked the “Black, African Am., or Negro” checkbox. It also includes respondents who reported entries such as African American; Sub-Saharan African entries, such as Kenyan and Nigerian; and Afro-Caribbean entries, such as Haitian and Jamaican.* *Sub-Saharan African entries are classified as Black or African American with the exception of Sudanese and Cape Verdean because of their complex, historical heritage. North African entries are classified as White, as OMB defines White as a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

asian americans DEFINITION OF ASIAN USED IN THE 2010 CENSUS The U.S. Census uses the term Asian Americans to designate many diverse groups from Asia, including persons with origins in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan, Indonesia, and other nations. Asian Americans are the fastest- growing ethnic minority in the U.S. DEFINITION OF ASIAN USED IN THE 2010 CENSUS According to OMB, “Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Asian population includes people who indicated their race(s) as “Asian” or reported entries such as “Asian Indian,” “Chinese,” “Filipino,” “Korean,” “Japanese,” and “Vietnamese” or provided other detailed Asian responses.

Latino (a) or Hispanic Americans Latino/as (Hispanic Americans) Latino (for males) or Latina (for females) is used interchangeably with the term Hispanic to refer to people who trace their origins to Spanish- speaking Latin America and the Iberian peninsula. About 50.5 million people in the U.S. population is Latino. Definition of Hispanic or Latino Origin Used in the 2010 Census “Hispanic or Latino” refers to a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.