Racial discrimination in the Dallas-Fort Worth area has long historical roots. This, to a certain extent, still now affects the political voice of the Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations. However, while the Voting Rights Act of 1965 removed most of the barriers to voting among blacks, other racial minorities remained largely unaffected by the document. Meanwhile, the number of registered African-Americans in DFW skyrocketed from 2.1 in 1965 to 70.4 in 1968 (City of Dallas, 2019). Thus, there is a historical imbalance in the political representation of racial minorities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Notwithstanding the above, Texas, like Dallas in particular, is one of the most racially diverse and segregated regions. This picture emerges mainly at the expense of immigrants, thus often identifying this segment of the population as vulnerable. According to the University of Virginia (2020), most migrants are Latinos; in the second place, there are Blacks, followed by Asians. Nonetheless, the Black population is reported to thrive best in the suburban areas of DFW, where this racial group’s political and labor participation is well above average. (Egan, 2021). This is most likely due to the fact that suburban areas attract already better-off people seeking stability, family formation, and a safe environment. However, as studies show, socioeconomic disparities still take place in DFW and are reflected in a high correlation between low-income levels as well as child poverty and non-white race. Thus, for example, 20% of the Hispanic population lived in poor conditions in 2018 (City of Dallas, 2019). There were also disparities in access to education and justice reported in DFW.
Unsurprisingly, Texas has a rather depressing picture of voter turnout and registration. Today, a significant lack of turnout is due to the fact that most of the non-white population is made up of migrants who are not eligible for voting. It also notes that the path to more active political participation of Latinos in Tarrant County lies through expanding access to education, given that the area has a young Spanish population, which will very soon be eligible for elections (Murphy & Ura, 2018). In the last couple of years, northern Texas has been rapidly changing its face, opening more opportunities for racial minorities. This is evident when looking at the rapidly growing Asian and Hispanic populations (Cai & Ura, 2021). At the same time, the growing diversity of the population is multiplying the state’s culture, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
References
Cai, M., & Ura, A. (2021). Texas GOP draws two districts that dilute power of Hispanic, Asian voters. The Texas Tribune. Web.
City of Dallas. (2019). Dallas equity indicators report. Dallas City Hall. Web.
Egan, J. (2021). Black residents thrive most in this diverse Dallas suburb, a study shows. CultureMap Dallas. Web.
Murphy, R., & Ura, A. (2018). Why is Texas voter turnout so low? Demographics play a big role. The Texas Tribune. Web.
University of Virginia. (2020). The Racial Dot Map | Weldon Cooper Center for public service. Demographics Research Group. Web.