Gregory Freeman: What Minorities Think Of Whites. PD 3/6/1994

Headline: WHAT MINORITIES THINK OF WHITES
Reporter: By Gregory Freeman

Publication: ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed: Sun., Mar. 6, 1994
Section: WAR PAGE, Page: 4B, Edition: FIVE STAR

THINK THERE'S NO unity in America anymore?
   Guess again. There is unity among the nation's most populous minorities in their negative view of whites, according to a poll released last week by the National Conference, a human relations organization formerly known as the National Conference of Christians and Jews.
   According to the poll, conducted by Louis Harris of LH Research, two-thirds of African-Americans, Latinos and Asian-Americans think whites "believe they are superior and can boss people around." It also showed that whites and non-whites are walking around in two different worlds.
   The poll, of 3,000 people, is believed to be the first to take an in-depth look at the attitudes of various minority groups toward the white majority and toward each other.

The unity among minority groups on some issues is particularly interesting.
   Of those polled, a resounding 80 percent of African-Americans say they feel that they lack opportunities equal to those of whites. The survey found them to be critical of the treatment they receive by police, their chances of getting equal justice under the law, their chances of getting promoted to managerial jobs, getting credit, loans and mortgages and the way they are portrayed by the media. The complaints are voiced most strongly by the black middle class.
   Similarly, 60 percent of Latinos also feel that they do not have equal opportunity to whites. The survey showed them to be critical of the treatment they receive from the police, their chance of getting equal pay for the same work, their opportunities for promotion and their portrayal by the news media.
   Even among Asian-Americans, whose positions in the survey were closest to those of whites, 57 percent say they are convinced that their opportunities are not equal to those of whites, particularly in the areas of managerial promotions, equal pay for equal work and treatment by the police and the media.
   The survey also showed a strong sense among minorities of collective discrimination. Each group surveyed expressed a belief that the other groups were being similarly shortchanged in American society.
   Despite all of that, white Americans surveyed strongly believe that equal opportunities abound. A majority of whites surveyed believe that blacks, Latinos and Asian-Americans have equal access to jobs, to decent housing where they want, to credit and mortgages and to equal pay for the same work.

The survey also shows that stereotypes are common and that no group has a monopoly on prejudice.
For example, Asian-Americans often are perceived as "unscrupulous" by other minorities. Whites and other minorities think that Latinos "have bigger families than they can support." A third of the other minorities and a fifth of the whites surveyed believe African-Americans "want to live on welfare."
Jews are perceived by a third of non-Jewish whites and a plurality of other minorities to be "too preoccupied with their history of persecution, such as the Holocaust." Arabs are perceived by most Latinos and a plurality of whites, Asian-Americans and African-Americans as being "anti-western and anti-American."

Despite all of that, the survey found that Americans overall favor full racial integration. Two out of three whites support the concept, as do 71 percent of African-Americans, 72 percent of Latinos and an overwhelming 85 percent of Asian-Americans. It also found that two-thirds of all Americans believe cultural diversity to be "very important."
It also found that most Americans are willing to work with the group with which they had the least in common to do such things as protect children from gangs and violence, find solutions to ease racial tensions and help start child-care facilities for single parents.

The survey suggests several things.
First, it indicates that whites must deal with the impression that they are bossy, unwilling to share power and insensitive. Until those perceptions can be dealt with, it will be difficult to make strides on matters of race.
It also shows that minorities interested in making similar strides have work to do to get over stereotypes that they have of other races.

At the same time, the survey also shows that despite the animosity and mistrust among people of different races, religions and ethnic groups, reason exists for hope - perhaps even optimism - in the area of race relations.
Can we all get along? Maybe - just maybe - we can.

Daniel Schesch - Webweaver

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