WASP

Dominance of wasps in America

As the first group to colonize America in large numbers, the English were able to establish institutional structures and cultural patterns that other ethnic groups have been expected to adapt to. English Protestants have been so closely identified with the dominant American culture that they are not really viewed as an ethnic subpopulation. Historically, WASP has served as a model representing the “typical White American.”

The United States was established under the cultural, economic, and political dominance of Anglo Protestants. One of the most important legacies of Anglo influence is the English language. In addition, many of the core values of America come from English Protestantism. Strong beliefs in individualism, hard work, discipline, and self-reliance are a direct reflection of the nation's Puritan-Calvinist Protestant heritage. Anglo-Protestant cultural values underlie public policies in law, education, and government. The basic tenets of U.S. law and government (e.g., decentralized power, representative assemblies, obligations established by contracts) are a direct reflection of British legal traditions.

For most of U.S. history, White Anglo-Saxon Protestants have held major political offices in numbers disproportionate to the size of their population. The colonial assemblies were almost exclusively English in makeup. In early America, non-Protestants were at a disadvantage in attaining positions of political influence. In most of the American colonies, Catholics and Jews were denied the right to vote or hold political office. A majority of the signers of the Constitution were English. Of the forty-two presidents, from George Washington to George W. Bush, about two-thirds had English ancestry, and all the others had northern European backgrounds. WASPs have been similarly overrepresented as Supreme Court justices and members of the president's cabinet.

WASPs have also exerted a disproportionate influence on U.S. economic institutions. The basic models for U.S. industrial capitalism were established by the English. WASPs have exerted substantial influence on the U.S. economy through direct control of the highest executive offices. Numerous studies of business leaders in America have documented the fact that up [Page 1378]until the mid-20th century, the largest commercial banks, insurance companies, railroads, utilities, and manufacturing corporations were WASP-directed institutions. Recent studies continue to indicate a disproportionate influence of WASPs among economic elites, albeit at reduced levels.

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