Stratification, Race

Race stratification, which exists worldwide, is the ranking of individuals in groups based on perceived innate differences and the socially derived beliefs attached to these differences. In the United States, individuals of European extraction generally enjoy greater privileges and outcomes in comparison to many minority groups that enjoy fewer rewards on average. Although race stratification has become less prominent in the United States over the past century, large racial differences still exist in a variety of areas.

The United States is a racially diverse society, encompassing African Americans, various Asian American and Hispanic groups, American Indians, and Anglo Americans. Life outcomes vary both between these groups and within them. For the most part, Asian Americans have similar, or more positive, life outcomes to whites, and as such have been dubbed the “model minority.” In contrast, African Americans, many Hispanic groups, and American Indians often face greater levels of discrimination, have lower educational achievement, and attain lower levels of wealth than their white and Asian American counterparts. It must be stressed that between-group observations are general trends based on socially constructed categories. Additionally, systematic variation often occurs within particular minority subgroups (i.e., Japanese [Page 907]and Vietnamese Americans, or Cuban and Puerto Rican Americans).

Racial stratification can be clearly observed in the segregation of different groups. Although racial segregation in housing or education is no longer sanctioned by law, de facto segregation still remains in these two areas. This is especially prevalent among African American and Hispanic American groups, who often live in racially homogenous locations that also tend to have lower average income levels. This informal segregation is highly problematic because individuals living in lower-income areas often attend schools of lower quality, face discrimination in housing (i.e., less access to home loans), which leads to lower wealth accumulation and lower overall quality of life.

These differences become more tangible when examining problems such as the persisting “education gap” in test scores between different racial groups. In standardized test scores at all education levels, African Americans consistently perform most poorly, followed closely by Hispanic and American Indian youth. Asian groups, on the other hand, often perform as highly as, or higher than, their white counterparts. Some authors claim that the education gap is at least in part due to resource differentials derived from de facto segregation. Others argue that structural disparities and continuing discrimination are factors that have led African American and Hispanic students to avoid “acting white,” which is often correlated in their minds with having high educational achievement.

In addition to education, race stratification is also embedded within the institution of work, where median income levels vary by race. In 2006, non-Hispanic white households earned $52,423. In comparison, African American households earned $31,969 (61 percent of non-Hispanic whites) and Hispanic households earned $37,781 (72 percent of non-Hispanic whites). Further reflecting the educational trends previously discussed, Asian American households earned $64,238 (123 percent of non-Hispanic whites). Both educational and work disparities perpetuate systemic differences among racial groups in the United States by limiting earning potential. In a country in which wealth and education lead to upward mobility, minority groups who live in segregated areas and have differing educational achievement face higher hurdles, which serve to perpetuate stratification.

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