Racism and Racial/Ethnic
Inequality
The Frames of Color-Blind
Racism
Inequality Persists
 Rates of Poverty






White (Non-Hispanic)
Asian
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
Hispanic origin (any race)
Black
American Indian and Alaska Native
8.4%
10.9%
12.2%
22%
24.7%
25.3%
Structural and Individual
Racism
 Structural Racism is racism that is built
into the very institutions of society.
 Individual Racism is the racist actions
and attitudes of individuals.
Structural Racism
 Structural Racism is often hidden in our
institutions.
 Policies
and laws disproportionately impact
minorities negatively.
Education
 Law Enforcement

Individual Racism
 When we think of racism, we tend to
think of individual racism.
 Racist
comments
 Discrimination in hiring
 Stereotyping
Individual and Structural
Racism are Linked Together
 The actions of racist individuals will add
up to impact minorities in general.
 Health
Care
 Some cases of individual racism are so
pervasive that it creates a hostile
environment.
The Central Frames of Color
Blind Racism
 Abstract Liberalism
 Naturalization
 Cultural Racism
 Minimization of Racism
Abstract Liberalism
 Equal Opportunity
 “I don't think that they should be provided with
unique opportunities. I think that they should have
the same opportunities as everyone else. You
know, it's up to them to meet the standards and
whatever that's required for entrance into
universities or whatever. I don't think that just
because they're a minority that they should, you
know, not meet the requirements, you know.”
Abstract Liberalism
 Meritocracy
 "I
don't know why. Mine was a personal
motivation so, you know, I don't know. I
don't want to say they weren't personally
motivated to get good grades, but that's
what it was for me."
Abstract Liberalism
 Limited Role of Government
 Asked
about integrating schools, "I, I don't-I
mean, it should be done if people want to
do it. If people volunteer for it, and they
want that part of their lives, then they
should do it, but the government should not
force people to bus if they don't want that."
Abstract Liberalism
 Individual Rights
 “Um,
because affirmative action is based
on a group as a whole, but when it comes
down to the individual, like if affirmative
action were against me one time, like it
would anger me. I mean, because, you
know, I as an individual got ripped off and,
you know, getting a job.”
Who is more likely to benefit
from “Affirmative Action” at
Ivy League Schools?
Structural Racism - Legacies
 Legacies constitute a significant
proportion of students accepted to
universities, especially Ivy league
schools (10-15%) according to the
Economist
http://economist.com/world/na/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3518560
Naturalization
 Under this frame of Color-Blind Racism,
people assume that the differences and
segregation is natural.

“Well, individuals, its just the way it is. You know,
people group together for lots of different reasons:
social, religious. Just as animals in the wild, you
know. Elephants group together, cheetahs group
together. You bus a cheetah into an elephant herd
because they should mix? You can't force that
[laughs]”
Structural Racism Segregation after World War II
 Federal Housing Authority (FHA)
 “The
FHA underwriters warned that the
presence of even one or two non-white
families could undermine real estate values
in the new suburbs.”
 Inner-city neighborhoods were
destroyed and replaced with “Projects”

http://www.pbs.org/race/000_General/000_00-Home.htm
Cultural Racism
 Blames the victim for their “culture of
poverty.”
 “Just
from, like, looking at the black people
that I've met in my classes and the few that
I knew before college, not like they're–I
don't want to say waiting for a handout, but
to some extent, that's kind of what I'm like
hinting at.”
History of Structural Racism
Responsible for Differences
 Cultural Racism cannot explain the
differences
 Studies that take into account the
family’s economic status find no
difference in graduation rates between
whites and blacks.
Minimization of Racism
 Racism exists, but it is not as bad as it used
to be.

“I would say that's a bunch of crap [laughs]. I
mean, if they're qualified, they'll hire you and if you
are not qualified, then you don't get the job. It's the
same way with, once you get the job, if you are
qualified for a promotion, you'll get the promotion.
It's the same way with white, blacks, Asians,
whatever. If you do the job, you'll get the job.”
Structural Racism - Hostile
Environment
 eXit Files
 Robin
Morris Collin and others left Eugene,
Oregon as a result of discrimination and
hostile environments.
Ridiculed for success.
 Subjected to racist comments.

Recap
 Color-blind racism is a form of Ideological
Camouflage

It justifies the inequality that exists and ignores the
history of Structural Discrimination.
 Whites will claim “reverse discrimination” out
of fear that attempts to address inequality will
harm them.
Racism and Racial/Ethnic
Inequality
Universities and Hostile
Environments
Universities and Hostile
Environments
 We will look at some hostile
environments that exist on college
campuses.
 Hate
Crime at Colorado State
 Chief Illinewek at the University of Illinois
Minorities Don’t Feel Welcome
 “Native” bumper stickers
 Rezoning minorities to the edge of town
 Experiences of discrimination on
campus
Failure to Meet Minority Goal
 President Yates explains the inability to
meet minority goal results from:
 City
93% white
 High academic standards
 Color-Blind Racism – Abstract
Liberalism
Dedication to Diversity?
 I worked for a professor who pushed to
address discrimination on campus
 Contract was not renewed despite her
output of books and articles.
Hate Crime
Real Consequences
 Dunaway had to look for work covertly.
 I had to find graduate work elsewhere.
 Most importantly, students continue to
face a hostile, racist environment.
Chief Illinewek
University of WisconsinLaCrosse Mascot Change
 UW-LaCrosse wanted to eliminate
Indians as its mascot (1989).
 I decided to write about the mascot
change.
History of Genocide
 Chief Black Hawk
and his followers
were met at the river
by an armed
steamboat near La
Crosse, Wisconsin.
 Many were
massacred as they
tried to flee.
Arguments
regarding
Mascot
 The name was used to honor of the
founders of the city.
 Opposing teams would use slogans like
“massacre the Indians”
In the film, watch for:
 Arguments for and against the mascot.
 How are the arguments for the mascot:
 Ideological Camouflage?
 Political Denial?
 Minimizing Racism?
 How does the mascot create a hostile
environment for Native Americans both at the
University of Illinois and on other campuses?