Though it is now more than forty years after the enactment of the civil rights legislation, economic and social inequalities related to ethnicity still persist in the United States (Staveteig and Wigton). Therefore, there are serious disparities among the Whites, Asian Americans, Hispanics and African Americans.
Although, there are similarities in the wellbeing of whites and Asian American, Asian Americans are still seen as foreigners. Moreover, Hispanics and African American are positioned lower in the United States’ social-economic hierarchy. However, this essay only gives a brief overview of the Asian American and Hispanics.
Due to their typical Asian looks, Asian Americans are seen as people with a foreign origin. Moreover, although Asian Americans are culturally assimilated by Americans, they are assumed to have close ties with their Asian cultures. Nonetheless, most Asian Americans indentify themselves with the American way of life.
Therefore, they are culturally accepted. Moreover, they have socially integrated with the American people. For that reason, they encounter minimal discrimination. However, since they are not white, they will always remain as a foreign minority ethnic group. Nonetheless, Asians who are a product of intermarriages between Asian Americans and whites try to indentify themselves with the whites.
However, to further isolate them, they are indentified with a tag inclined to the origin of their Asian parent. Examples of such tags include half-Japanese and half-Chinese. However, most Asian Americans do not care about this tag. Surprisingly, they seem to accept their Asian heritage and are proud of where they came from. In fact, older Japanese are not fond of the term ‘Asian American’. For that reason, they are contemplating reviving their Asian culture.
Hispanic or Latino Americans are immigrants from Spanish-speaking Latin American countries such as Mexico and Puerto Rica. In addition, these immigrant ethnic minorities are either born or raised in the Unites States. However, first generation Latin American immigrants are indentified with their country of origin. For that reason, they are not referred to as Hispanic or Latino Americans. The term only applies to the generation born after them.
In addition, Chicano, a term associated with politics and activism, refers to later generations of Mexican immigrants. Most Hispanics are a mixture of Spanish and Indian descents. A small number consist of black Latinos, Asian Latinos and a mixture of Whites, Indians and Blacks. Amazingly, Hispanics have surpassed African Americans as the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. There are 47 million Hispanics in the United States. This translates to 15.4% of the United States’ total population.
Additionally, most Hispanics came to the United States after 1965. They were, hence, beneficiaries of the Hart Cellar Act of 1965. This act restricted immigration to family unification and employment visas (Kothari). In addition, the act placed ceilings on immigrants from certain hemispheres. However, despite being close to the United States, this ethnic minority is positioned lower in the social-economic ethnic hierarchy.
For instance, average household income for Hispanics is $46,700. This is $4,400 higher than that of African Americans, but $25,600 lower than that of Asian Americans. Hispanics have also lower education levels and occupation status than most ethnic groups within United States. However, they have succeeded in some sectors. For instance, due to their number, they are a force to reckon with in politics.
In conclusion, social-economic disparities still exist in United States of America. For that reason, ethnic minorities face discrimination in a number of ways. For instance, Asian Americans, despite being assimilated by the American culture, are still regarded as foreigners. Furthermore, Hispanics are lowly placed on the social-economic hierarchy.
Works Cited
Staveteig, Sarah and Wigton Alyssa. 2000. Racial and Ethnic Disparities: Key Findings from the National Survey of American Families. Web.
Kothari, Monika. 2011. The Hart-Cellar Act: A Demographic Revolution. Web.