Racism is characterized by discrimination of other people by the dominant group. It contributes to differences in socioeconomic status due to skewed opportunities availed in the country (Golash-Boza, 2018). Although campaigns sensitizing the United States citizens to abandon the discrimination have reduced its effects of it over the years, racism is still practiced. As a resident of California, I feel that a large number of changes can be done to improve the current situation arising from racism. For instance, the majority of the population lives in rural settings and engages in farming. Even though all races are represented in the most populous state, black settlers mostly occupied arid areas. They have been impoverished because of their racial status, and lack basic amenities such as running water. The historical injustice accounts for unequal employment opportunities and the economic profile of the minority groups. Consequently, the low-income groups are not able to access quality medication and proper diet for their families.
Healthcare is mostly tied to employment decisions; thus, following the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the non-whites were affected more. Apart from rising cases claiming lives, the state was further pushed into economic recess. The already disadvantaged groups’ condition was aggravated due to increased job losses. The fact that Latino and Black people have lower incomes contributed to greater hardships, in comparison to other groups in the United States. Compared to the neighboring whites, most Latinos and Blacks are more likely to be exposed to hazardous ecological environments, which usually have densely populated settlements, high crime rates, and disadvantaged economic conditions.
Moreover, several African Americans and Latinos continue reporting to their jobs due to economic necessity as opposed to the requirement to stay at home. The requirement is a result of their dominance in the essential service provider industry, which requires them to work physically from the duty station. For instance, Latinos and Blacks are estimated at 25% of the service industry force while those working in transportation and production stand at 16% compared to 16% and 11% of the dominant whites, respectively (Kantamneni, 2020). Given the nature of their work, which requires face-to-face interaction, their risk of exposure to COVID-19 was heightened. Apart from lacking leave benefits, they depend on crowded public transport. Therefore, economic recovery for the older Latinos and Blacks is limited due to the lack of flexible occupational benefits.
The racial wealth gap exists because of the historical discrimination evident in housing, education, capital, and credit facilities offered. The average net worth of white citizens is ten times higher when compared to that of Latinos and Black nationalities (Thomas et al., 2020). The wage gap widened during the second half of the 20th century (Golash-Boza, 2018). Minority workers, mostly Latinos and African Americans, lack the wealth and savings that should serve as security in case of unexpected expenses or job loss. Lower earnings account for poor saving culture as the income is spent necessarily on the essential needs. During the economic crisis occasioned by COVID-19, the Black drained their earnings to cater for health care and medical bills (Thomas et al., 2020). Homeowners are discriminated against based on their race across the United States. For instance, since most African Americans do not own homes, the few who own them pay an average of 10% more in property taxes (Choi et al., 2019). Generally, the assessors overrate the values of African American-owned homes (Choi et al., 2019). Consequently, they spend more on home plans than counterparts from other races do.
In conclusion, racism poses a serious threat to economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. California is characterized by historical racism, manifested through the settlement of various groups and access to basic services. The Latinos and Black people represent the effects of racism and how their economic status changed. They face a major challenge due to their dominance in the transport and production industry which means they cannot work from home. Generally, Blacks have low savings, which are easily drained during economic recess due to their low earnings. Finally, African American homes are systematically overvalued; thus, they pay more taxes on properties.
References
Choi, J. H., McCargo, A., Neal, M., Goodman, L., & Young, C. (2019). Explaining the black-white homeownership gap. Urban Institute.
Golash-Boza, T. M. (2018). Race and racism: A critical approach. Oxford University Press.
Kantamneni, N. (2020). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on marginalized populations in the United States: A research agenda. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 119(30), 25-47.
Thomas, M., Herring, C., Horton, H. D., Semyonov, M., Henderson, L., & Mason, P. L. (2020). Race and the accumulation of wealth: Racial differences in net worth over the life course, 1989–2009. Social Problems, 67(1), 20-39.