Racial Discrimination and Hispanics in the United States

Racial Discrimination and Hispanics in the United States

Introduction

The concept of a minority group was not legitimated until the landmark civil rights legislation which sought to rectify social injustices against groups identifiable by race , sex , national origin , religion , or other ascribed characteristics . theless , minority groups have existed in the United States since the early colonial period . The contemporary definition of a minority group refers not only to relative group size and distinct physical and cultural characteristics but also frequently to social and economic disadvantages as well . It is the

latter aspect of minority groups , not ethnic diversity per se , which has prompted social scientists and policy analysts to conduct extensive research about the system of ethnic stratification in the United States and to compare the varied social integration experiences of racial and ethnic groups

In theory , socio-demographic processes such as intermarriage and residential dispersion contribute to the social integration of minority groups by reducing differences in both ascribed and achieved characteristics . For example , the breakdown of residential segregation between minority and non-minority groups facilitates more secondary and primary group interaction patterns , which in turn can promote group intermarriage on a large scale . Intermarriage between majority and minority group members is critical because it can promote identificational assimilation as well as reduce the incidence of prejudice and discrimination against minority group members . Of course not all racial and ethnic groups partake equally of such demographic and social processes , and this partly explains the persistence of racial and ethnic differentiation in the United States . Understanding which demographic characteristics of minority groups are conducive to greater or lesser interaction with the majority group provides the key to understanding how to promote equity while not compromising cultural and ethnic distinctiveness

In much of the empirical literature , the term minority derives its operational definition from two demographic concepts : relative group size and nationality--broadly defined in terms of birthplace , ancestry or national origin (as for Native Americans . Moreover , many available studies explain the persistence of inequities in terms of differences in demographic and family background characteristics . The residual unexplained differences in social and economic characteristics presumably reflect the presence of discrimination . Another equally important thrust of the literature on minority groups addresses the consequences of minority group membership in terms of variation in life chances and associated socioeconomic and demographic behavior . The absence of shared goals and social benefits and the lack of social integration between minority and non-minority groups manifest themselves in differential fertility , mortality , and nuptiality patterns . Stated differently , the persistence of higher death rates among Native Americans and Hispanics , for example , points to their continued exclusion from the social mainstream and their marginal social status

Racial Discrimination in United States

Majority of the people in the population of the United States today would be in agreement that fair and equal opportunity to participate as a full and functioning member of the society is very important However , there are existing social and economic differences , or problems among racial and ethnic groups that must...