The problems associated with racial discrimination and residential segregation are acute today, not accidental since they have deep historical roots. Realizing the difficulties that people of color have had to face for decades will contribute to more loyalty and greater integration. That is why it is so important to understand race in the United States today. An active struggle for the rights of the colored population has continued for decades, but certain problems persist. Despite the end of segregation policies and the passing of Fair Housing laws and numerous subsidy measures, people of color cannot access wealthy areas, facing unofficial exclusion into poorer parts of the city.
It is not a matter of chance or choice; decades ago, housing policies deliberately prohibited African Americans from living in certain areas. Initially, the US government created this segregation by forbidding people of color from buying property in certain areas, and then for many years helped to ensure the wealth gap. In 1935, Congress created a social security system that protected millions of workers by guaranteeing them an income after retirement (Petersen, 1935). However, the provisions of the law excluded agricultural workers and domestic workers, who were predominantly African American, Mexican, and Asiatic. They had the least opportunity to save and were most vulnerable to recession.
In addition, minorities were systematically deprived of the protections and benefits afforded to most Americans. When the federal government began guaranteeing mortgages on property purchases to spur the New Deal economy, strict rules were enacted about where mortgages could be issued. Minority areas were considered risky investments, and people of color were regularly denied mortgages, closing the property market to them. This policy continued until the 1960s and kept African Americans out of property purchases. Another factor that blocked access to housing was the restrictive conditions inscribed in housing contracts.
Banks continue to provide mortgages so that racial minorities are largely left without access to these services based on financial risks. Therefore, this main problem remains, several decades after the start of the campaign for desegregation and respect for human rights, many-colored and white Americans live separately, with little contact with each other. Measures are needed to promote better interracial contact and the ability to understand each other’s races; otherwise, this could have dire consequences.
Reference
Petersen, W. J. (1935). Uncle Sam Lends A Hand. The Palimpsest, 16(8), 245-253.