moving away from racial stereotypes in poverty policy

8/3/2019 Moving Away from Racial Stereotypes in Poverty Policy

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Moving Away from RacialStereotypes in Poverty PolicyTrends Suggest a Decline in Race Baiting, Creating Waysto Better Examine Race in Policymaking

By Joy Moses February 23, 2012


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Moving Away from RacialStereotypes in Poverty PolicyTrends Suggest a Decline in Race Baiting, CreatingWays to Better Examine Race in Policymaking

By Joy Moses February 23, 2012


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Contents 1 Introduction and summary

3 Background of public opinion and policy

8 How we got here and why were stuck

13 Changing circumstances, changing realities

17 Whats next going forward

24 Conclusion

25 About the author

26 Endnotes


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1 Center or American Progress | Moving Away rom Racial Stereotypes in Poverty Policy

Introduction and summary

Te use o racial code words is a ime-honored radi ion in American poli ics. Wi hin our cul ure, people righ ully reac o racially insensi ive remarks, espe-cially when hey come rom our na ions leaders and elec ed o cials. Race bai ing

o win vo es is a dis urbing and despicable prac ice.

Bu i doesn begin o reach he level o damage done when racial s ereo ypes andprejudice in uence our public policy decisions. S ereo ypes abou low-income

A rican Americans and La inos have a long his orical legacy ha con inues o hisday. Nega ive percep ions abou en ire groups o people are never good, bu when

hose ati udes con ribu e o he derailmen o e or s o develop e ec ive an ipov-er y policies mean o help Americans o all races, i s a ragedy.

S ereo ypes undermine public suppor or much-needed programs and, jus asdamaging, lead o misguided policies ha are aimed a solving alse or nonexis enproblems while he rue causes o pover y ail o receive proper or su cien aten-

ion. Despi e earnes and a imes noble e or s o rid our coun ry o hese harm uls ereo ypes, he problem s ill s ubbornly persis s.

Te good news is ha here are various ac ors ha poin o he declining signi -cance o his divisive race-bai ing s ra egyprogress ha should con inue in hedecades o come. Tis sugges s here is value in e or s o has en i s decline while

ackling he more daun ing ask o replacing he role o racial s ereo ypes in hepolicy world wi h policies ha are buil on being sensi ive o racial dynamics wi h-ou being s ereo ypical.

We no e some o hese signs o hope in his paper, ac ors ha we see as going a

long way oward reducing he in uence o race bai ing, bu ha may also havesome impac on lingering racial s ereo ypes re ec ed in American pover y policy:

Te emergence o a younger genera ion o Americans who welcome diver-si y67 percen say hey hink posi ively o Americas demographic changes1


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Public opinion polls indica ing modes progress in geting Americans o replaces ereo ypical no ions such as laziness wi h ones ha re ec an unders anding

ha no all Americans have equal access o oppor uni y

Te rise o a more racially diverse America, which by 2050 will see non-His-

panic whi es no longer in he majori y as 46 percen o he popula ion,2

makingi less and less advan ageous o insul growing numbers o people o color by race bai ing or poli ical gain, and wi h e or on he par o progressives, hope-

ully reducing he success o awed public policy buil on racial s ereo ypes

Changes in he media and echnology ha make i di cul or commen s o gounno iced and wi hou commen , including grow h in he number o media andsocial ne working ou le s or repor ing and commen ary

Ye i is no enough o simply wai on change o come. We also mus become

ac ively engaged in reducing he in uence o racial misconcep ions. And hen wehave o work o ransi ion rom using s ereo ypes o more appropria e consider-a ions o race ha help reduce pover y. Tese e or s should include:

Fixing he awed laws ha were buil on s ereo ypes Ins i u ing a governmen al hink ank ha works across agencies, researching

he problem o pover y and he e ec iveness o governmen al responses Employing more arge ed approaches, ailoring responses o mee he needs o

speci c demographic groups even while working wi hin general programs hareach everyone

E ec ively measuring progress, including keeping rack o how varying groupsrespond o in erven ions and experience progress

Engaging low- and middle-income communi ies, allowing heir views and expe-riences o in orm policy and services

Tis paper is designed o help poin he way oward a more inclusive and cul ur-ally enligh ened America ha unders ands ha pover y has no racial, e hnic,gender, or regional boundaries.

Le s now ake a closer look a he reali ies underlying racial s ereo ypes and mis-concep ions as hey rela e o he very real issue o pover y.


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Te no ion ha poor people, par icularly poor people o color, are lazy is he mos sig-ni can and persis en s ereo ype a ec ing e or s o address pover y in our coun ry.Tis par icular s ereo ype akes various o her orms hey are said o lack a s rong work e hic and ambi ion, pre erring o live o governmen bene s, and sneak in o

he coun ry in order o ake un air advan age o governmen assis ance programs.

Some version o his s ereo ype has been re ec ed in various public opinion polls

aken hroughou he pas several decades. Ta some members o he public,including legisla ors, hold such belie s may be he reason ha we nd heses ereo ypes making heir way in o policy proposals and legisla ion coming romCongress and s a ehouses hroughou he coun ry.

Public opinion

His orical s udies provide in eres ing in orma ion concerning he evolu ion o ati udes per aining o he economic condi ion o black and brown people in America. Al hough he earlies s udies ci ed here da ing back o he 1930s werelimi ed o Prince on Universi y s uden s, hey are none heless impor an because

hey re ec he views o he na ions eli e a he imeindividuals who likely assumed leadership posi ions such as holding public o ce.

More han 20 years la er, na ionwide da a rom a 1991 Na ional Opinion ResearchCen er poll shows he s aying power o nega ive belie s abou he work e hic o A rican Americans in he 20 h cen ury while also sugges ing hose views were alsoatached o Hispanics. (see Figure 1 on ollowing page)

Background of publicopinion and policy


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In he years since he end o he las cen ury, Americans have grown more sensi-ive o he ways ha hey discuss and hink abou race, bu recen public opinion

polls indica e ha sizable numbers o Americans are s ill likely o make people o color and poor people proxies or he long-exis ing s ereo ypes o being lazy or being more likely o abuse governmen bene s. (see Figure 2)

FIGURE 2

The persistence of racial stereotypes in the 21st century

Seven public opinion surveys between 2007 and 2012

2007 47 percent say people are poor due to a lack o e ort.

48 percent say its due to circumstances beyond their control.

2008 52 percent on some level agreed that blacks should try harder.

47 percent said that blacks had no motivation.

2009 49 percent say A rican Americans and other minority groups lack the same opportunities as whites.

42 percent say that immigrants are a burden on our country because they take jobs and abusegovernment benefts.

2010 73 percent o Tea Party identifers thought blacks would be as well o as whites i they just tried

harder.39 percent said people are poor due to a lack o e ort (national poll).

49 percent said people are poor due to circumstances beyond their control.

14 percent said it was a mixture o both.

FIGURE 1

The persistence of racial stereotypes in the 20th century

Three historical public opinion surveys

1933 75 percentthree in ouro Princeton students say lazy is an accurate description o black Americans.

1967 Around 25 percentone in ouro Princeton students say lazy is an accurate descriptiono black Americans.

1991 78 percent o non-blacks in a nationwide survey say black people are more likely than whitepeople to pre er to live o wel are.

62 percent say black people are more likely to be lazy.

74 percent o non-Hispanics say Hispanics are more likely to pre er to live o wel are.

56 percent say that Hispanics are more lazy.

Sources: Martin Gilens, Why Americans Hate Wel are: Race, Media, and the Politics o Antipoverty Policy (Chicago: The University o ChicagoPress, 1999); Lynne Duke, Whites Racial Stereotypes Persist; Most Retain Negative Belie s About Minorities, Survey Finds, The WashingtonPost, January 9, 1991.


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2011 44 percent said immigrants are a burden on our country taking jobs, housing, and health care.

45 percent said immigrants strengthen our country with their hard work and talents.

60 percent said blacks who cant get ahead are mostly responsible or their own condition.

2012 50 percent o whites said all races dont have equal access to opportunity.

62 percent o non-whites said all races dont have equal access to opportunity.

Sources: The Opportunity Agenda, Upholding Fairness, Dignity and Opportunity: Public Opinion Research on Human Rights in the U.S.(2007); Maria Kr ysan, Data Update to Racial Attitudes in America (Chicago: Institute o Government & Public A airs, 2008); John Halpin andKarl Agne, State o American Political Ideology, 2009: A National Study o Political Values and Belie s (Washington: Center or AmericanProgress, 2009); Christopher Parker, 2010 Multi-State Survey o Race & Politics (Washington: University o Washington Institute or the Studyo Ethnicity, Race & Sexuality, 2010); Pew Research Center or the People & the Press, March 2010 Trust In Government Survey (2010); PewResearch Center or the People & the Press, 2011 March Political Typology Final Topline (2011); Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity,Poverty, the Media and Election 2012: What Do Voters Think? (2012).

I s no able ha labels sugges ing laziness or lack o e or ha have been used odescribe A rican Americans are also applied o poor people more generally. I isunclear rom reviewing he public opinion polls whe her s ereo ypes abou he poorin uence he image o A rican Americans (and perhaps o her people o color) or i

s ereo ypes abou A rican Americans in uence he public percep ion o he poor.

Wha is cer ain is ha heres a philosophical batle occurring in our coun ry over whe her people are poor because hey lack ambi ion or because hey lack oppor uni y. As already no ed, i is di cul o divorce his conversa ion rom hisna ions long his ory o s ereo yping A rican Americans and o her people o coloras being lazy along wi h a hos o similar race- ain ed euphemisms.

Par o ha his ory is he airly recen era o wel are re orm. Around abou haime, in 2000, Prince on Universi y poli ical science researcher Mar in Gilens

published ndings showing ha one o he s ronges predica ors o whi e oppo-si ion o wel are was a belie ha black people are lazy or don wan o work hard.3 Wi hin his con ex , Gilens also no ed a patern o suppor or governmenprograms ha depended on whe her hey were perceived as rewarding he lazy asopposed o helping poor people suppor hemselves.4

Tus he batles in his area are won in he way ha a program is ramed, leaving allo hem open o being charac erized as rewarding he lazy no mater heir subs ance.

Policy implications

I is bad enough when en ire groups o people are nega ively s ereo yped in his way as being lazy and adep a gaming he sys em, bu a more serious problem


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comes in o play when hese nega ive narra ives in uence policymaking. Far oomany laws and legisla ive proposals are misdirec ed because hey are oundedon misconcep ions or s ereo ypes resul ing in policies s ipula ing hings such asunnecessary work requiremen s and par icipa ion limi s on immigran groups,harming amilies ha experience ood insecuri y, inadequa e housing, lack o

heal h care, and o her problems aced by people in pover y.

People o all races and socioeconomic levels are dis as e ul o laziness and disap-prove o people who game he sys em. Bu s ereo ypical no ions ha ake a broad brush o pain en ire groups o people in a nega ive ligh simply don ma chreali y. Te ac ha more han 90 percen o en i lemen and o her manda ory spending is direc ed oward he elderly, he seriously disabled, or poor working

amilies debunks he my h abou lazy bene ciaries. Tis is why calls or more work-requiremen proposals simply don make sense.5

I s also di cul o say ha recipien s are o herwise undeserving. And in ligh o hepolicy deba es swirling around immigra ion, i is impor an o bear in mind ha , jus like everyone else, immigran s pay axes and here ore should be able o accessgovernmen services when hey need o as well. Tis is rue even or hose who areundocumen ed and con ribu ing an es ima ed $8.5 billion each year jus o SocialSecuri y and Medicare, no o men ion o her ederal, s a e, and local axes.6

Consider he ollowing illus ra ive examples o harm ul and illogical policies hacome rom racial s ereo yping:

Proposed child ax credi modi ca ion Rep. Paul Ryans 2012 budge proposal Floridas drug- es ing law

Each o hese examples demons ra es he problem wi h employing racial s ereo-ypes in policymaking.

Proposed child tax credit modification

A he end o 2011, members o he House o Represen a ives proposed bu ailedo enac a new res ric ion aimed a immigran s, blocking 4 million American

childrens amilies rom claiming he par o he child ax credi ha arge s low-income amilies.7 Likely a he hear o his proposed modi ca ion were an i-


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immigran sen imen s alongside misplaced s ereo ypical no ions abou people who ake rom he governmen wi hou con ribu ing.

Reali y, however, doesn ma ch s ereo ype because he in ended bene ciaries o his ax credi were U.S.-ci izen children living near he pover y line. And in order

o claim he child ax credi , heir immigran paren ax lers mus be working.Tese immigran workers have con ribu ed billions o dollars hrough payrolldeduc ions, including hose designa ed or Social Securi y and Medicare, and areusing he ax credi o help ensure he nex genera ion o Americans has he basicnecessi ies o grow and prosper.8

Rep. Paul Ryans 2012 budget proposal

Apparen ly presuming ha low-income people are lazy and need o be pushed o

work, he proposed ederal budge or scal year 2012 unveiled in 2011 by Rep.Paul Ryan (R-MN), chairman o he House Budge Commitee, included work requiremen s or he Supplemen al Nu ri ion Assis ance Program, or SNAP or-merly known as he ood s amp program.9 Te program is one example o where

he s ereo ype doesn mee he reali y since he vas majori y o par icipan s arepeople or whom i doesn make sense o impose work requiremen sseniorci izens, disabled, or already working.10

Floridas drug-testing law

Te s a e o Florida is curren ly in he cour s de ending i s law o drug es peopleenrolled in he emporary Assis ance or Needy Families program. In doing so, hey are promo ing an image o program par icipan s as people who wan o si around anddo drugs all day ra her han work. Wha s more incredulous, as many have poin edou , he s a e has already ound ha only 5 percen o people seeking bene s es edposi ive, which was ac ually less han he general popula ion ra e o 8.7 percen .11

Legisla ion buil on s ereo ypes, by de ni ion, doesn solve real problems. ime,

aten ion, and resources are needlessly aken away rom he cause o ac ually serv-ing low-income people who include people o color bu who are largely whi e.

Legislation built

on stereotypes,

by defnition,

doesnt solve reaproblems.


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S ereo yping and race bai ing have been around or he en ire y o our na ionshis ory. Unders anding his deeply en renched his ory o prejudice is help ul inin erpre ing wha s curren ly happening in American poli ics, which in urn helpsus unders and why misplaced policy prescrip ions aimed a he poor so o enperpe ua e heir pover y.

The historical backdrop

Te lazy black person s ereo ype has a long and sordid his ory in American cul ure, wi h i s roo s in slavery. In combina ion wi h o her s ereo ypes, i likely helped jus i y

he clearly unjus and cruel ins i u ion he implica ion being ha black people who weren under he hrea o he whip would lack work e hic and be unproduc ive.

Te s ereo ype persis ed a er slavery and was re ec ed in he cul ure via suchavenues as mins rel shows, music, and early movies. Te coon, a requen ly seen black charac er ype, embodied his nega ive imagery. Jim Crow, he namesakeo he segrega ion era, was such a mins rel show charac er: a whi e man in black-

ace who ook laziness and shi lessness o a new level during he la e 1800s. Tere were coun less imi a ors during ha period, and many o hers ollowed, including1930s and 1940s lm s ar S epin Fe chi , he sel -described lazy man wi h a soul who was one o he mos popular and recognizable Negro charac ers o his day.12

As he na ion slowly and pain ully made he shi rom condoning he Jim Crow sys em o ushering in he civil righ s era, ano her impor an movemen wasoccurring he War on Pover y, which Presiden Lyndon Johnson declared

in 1964, orming he ounda ion o modern-day governmen e or s aimed aending pover y. Tis simul aneous occurrence o he civil righ s movemenand he War on Pover y helped associa e he gh agains pover y wi h A rican Americans and heir gh or equali y.

How we got here andwhy were stuck


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O course o her ac ors, including he ollowing, could have con ribu ed o heseassocia ions:

Te civil righ s movemen s need o redress a his ory o black people beinglegally locked ou o employmen and educa ion oppor uni ies

Mar in Lu her King Jr.s early leadership o he mul iracial Poor Peoples Campaign

Te rio s o he 1960s involving scores o blacks living in he inner ci ies o Chicago, De roi , Los Angeles, Newark, Cleveland, and elsewhere, which led o

he ederal governmen s Kerner Commission repor , highligh ing pover y as acause o he unres

Tus, rom i s incep ion, he War on Pover y was closely ied o A rican Americansin he minds o policymakers and he general public, bo h o which were wa ching

major even s un old on heir elevisions in addi ion o being inculca ed by long-held socie al ati udes oward blacks.

As ime progressed, some indica ors such as he public opinion polling ci edearlier sugges ha similar associa ions became atached o La inos, includingsome o he same nega ive s ereo ypes abou laziness and pre erring o live o hegovernmen . Wi h increases in he La ino popula ion over he las several decadesand he issue o immigra ion now a he cen er o public deba e, here remains asegmen o he American people who associa es immigran s, including he subse who are La ino, wi h being a drain on governmen programs.

Ye he exac opposi e is mos ly he case. When he ederal governmen under ook wel are re orm in 1996, i ushered in a new era o ederal and s a e legisla ion hasys ema ically ei her limi ed or excluded he par icipa ion o immigran s, includ-ing hose who are ci izens and legal residen s, rom a long lis o governmenservices ha have included emporary Assis ance or Needy Families, child careassis ance, and Medicaid.13

Despi e percep ions, i would be grossly inaccura e o sugges ha an ipover y

programs were no , and are no , reaching poor whi es and people living ou side o major ci ies. No only have all groups bene ed rom general pover y programs, bu some e or s have also been speci cally arge ed oward rural whi es such as

he Appalachian Developmen Ac o 1965.


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Conservative race baiting and stereotyping

In recen years, a number o conserva ives have been accused o race bai ing,or invoking our coun rys ragic his ory on race o advance a poli ical agenda. Al hough poli ical speech and policy developmen buil on s ereo ypes is no

he province o any one poli ical ideology or par y, conserva ives o en use heserames as a means o advoca ing or he disman ling o governmen programs haserve low-income and middle-class Americans. Geting ough on poor people isa way o ry o win vo es during elec ions, derail legisla ion, or dis rac aten ion

rom posi ions ha would o herwise be unpopular.

Given modern-day sensibili ies, however, very ew single ou groups direc lyins ead o using words like black or Hispanic, hey raise s ereo ypes andemploy code words ha le audiences know exac ly which groups hey are ac ually

alking abou wi hou ac ually saying so. One o he mos o en ci ed examples o

his approach is Presiden Ronald Reagans coining o he erm wel are queen.He o en repea ed a grossly exaggera ed s ory o a woman receiving wel are ben-e s using several ne arious means o de raud he governmen ou o $150,000.14

Presiden Reagan con inued o use he s ory even a er he press poin ed ou i sinaccuracies. Al hough he never no ed he race o he woman, he iden i ed her asliving in Chicago, unders anding he close associa ion in he minds o many vo -ers be ween wel are, A rican Americans, and large urban ci ies. I is a commonly held no ion ha Presiden Reagan knew ha his audience would assume her o be black wi h all he s ereo ypes ha implies.

In he years since, several o her poli icians have ollowed Presiden Reagans lead.In appealing o vo ers ha are drawn o s ereo yping or disliking racial groups,

hey use racial code words. Consider one example rom Sou h Carolina L . Gov. Andr Bauer (R), who said he ollowing abou he school lunch program in 2010:My grandmo her was no a highly educa ed woman, bu she old me as a smallchild o qui eeding s ray animals. You know why? Because hey breed. Youre

acili a ing he problem i you give an animal or a person ample ood supply.15 Hehen wen on o more direc ly invoke he laziness s ereo ype, saying, heres a big

di erence be ween being ruly needy and ruly lazy.16

Bu , as no ed above, many conserva ives in use hese s ereo ypes in o policymos o en in he absence o con roversial remarks. Tese policies are premised onno ions ha program par icipan s do no wan o work or are undeserving due o

Getting tough

on poor peopleis a way to try to

win votes during

elections, derail

legislation, or

distract attention

rom positions t

would otherwise

be unpopular.


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immigran s a us or o her reasons. I is clear by he con inued use o race bai ingand s ereo yping ha some conserva ives s ill see hem as valid ools in communi-ca ing wi h heir cons i uencies and building policies.

Progressive contributions to the problem

Progressives play a role as well in he con inua ion o race bai ing and s ereo ypingin our poli ical discourse and allowing his racial baggage o be ied o an ipover y programs. Tis is mainly hrough no adequa ely responding as well as well-in en-

ioned e or s o highligh dispari ies.

Failing to respond

I is impor an or all people, including progressives and conserva ives who know race bai ing and s ereo yping are wrong, o s and up and denounce i when ioccurs. Remaining silen seems o condone he ac ivi y and hur s e or s o reduceracial s ereo yping. Ta is no o say, however, ha voices aren raised, includingmany pundi s and commen a ors who end o s ep orward.

elevision personali ies such as Jon S ewar , S ephen Colber , and RachelMaddow o en call poli icians on ridiculous s a emen s and policy proposals.Bu o en missing are s rong denouncemen s coming rom poli ical leaders andleading advocacy voices who aren hemselves A rican American or Hispanic orrepresen a ives o civil righ s organiza ions.

Even worse, some progressives no only avoid condemning race bai ing, bu hey also avoid de ending an ipover y programs al oge her due o he racial s igmasatached. Te losers when his happens are no only low- and middle-income Americans o all races who are being served by hese governmen programs, bualso America as a whole. Programs ha provide oppor uni ies o li people ou o pover y, or help hem avoid alling in o pover y in he rs place, s reng hen ourna ion by moving grea er numbers o Americans in o posi ions where hey can

con ribu e o he prosperi y and vi ali y o his coun ry.


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Adding to misconceptions

Over he years, progressives have con ribu ed o he con inued associa ion o A rican Americans and Hispanics wi h pover y. Publica ions, advocacy ma erials,even s, and con erences, including hose produced by progressive organiza ions,

including he Cen er or American Progress, o en emphasize racial dispari ies wi hin a number o di eren pover y indica ors. Te ndings requen ly show ha A rican Americans and Hispanics are rela ively worse o han whi e Americansand draw grea er aten ion o pover y wi hin hese groups han o hers.

Yes, i is impor an ha he policies developed during he War on Pover y and hecivil righ s movemen happened simul aneously and o be success ul had o help A rican Americans achieve poli ical and economic equali y. Dispari ies wi hin pov-er y indica ors are some imes proxies or he progress made on he road o achievingracial equali y and civil righ s objec ives. Wha s more, an emphasis on dispari ies

helps beter unders and a problem, hope ully leading o beter solu ions.

Bu some imes here isn a hough ul reason or discussing dispari iesmany are jus in he habi o doing so.

Even wi h he bes o in en ions, hen, progressive e or s o discuss dispari iesmay con ribu e o dis or ed views abou pover y. Discussions o policy work in

he pover y arena and in he press may some imes lead o alse impressions amonghose who aren pover y-issue exper s and may lead some o conclude ha pov-

er y is a black and brown problem.

In addi ion, approaches ocused on how poor some groups are rela ive o o hers canlead o he alse impression ha he baseline group (whi e Americans) doesn have aproblem ha needs o be addressed when hey are ac ually he majori y o poor peo-ple. By only raming issues o pover y in erms o A rican Americans and Hispanics,o hers ge los in he shufe, ei her because da a on heir group are unavailable(American Indians and subgroups o Asian Americans and Hispanics, or example)or because hey are doing rela ively beter han he groups wi h he wors numbers.


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Despi e a long his ory o nega ive uses o race in some circles, here are reasons o be op imis ic ha some hings could ge beter. Tere is evidence ha race bai ing will have declining in uence as a poli ical s ra egy and hope ully in uencing ac-

ors can also have some impac on he s ereo ypes s ill re ec ed in public policy.

The Great Recessions imprint on Americans

Tere are cer ain hings ha happen during he course o a na ions his ory haleave a permanen or semi-permanen imprin on all ha were alive a he ime

o experience i . Te Grea Recession (along wi h i s accompanying economicconcerns ha include a disappearing middle class) is likely o be such an even .Cer ainly one byproduc o he Grea Recession and he subsequen slow recovery is ha an increased number o Americans have ei her relied on governmen sa e y ne programs including unemploymen insurance and SNAP (also known as oods amps) or personally know someone who has.17

Te resul : A he end o 2011, 57 percen o Republicans making less han$30,000 a year indica ed ha hey didn hink he governmen was doing enough

o help poor people.18 Hope ully, hese imes in which we are living, as bad as hey are, will also leave an imprin on all Americans ha will make hem less likely os ereo ype an ipover y program par icipan s as only being o cer ain races andpossessing cer ain nega ive charac eris ics.

New generation, new attitudes

Looking o he u ure requires looking a Americas younges adul s who have comeo be called he Millennials, he genera ion born be ween he la e 1970s and

2000. o he ex en ha he Grea Recession and i s a erma h leaves an imprinon Americans, i will be mos el by his group, which has had he highes ra es o

Changing circumstances,changing realities


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unemploymen las year he unemploymen ra e o 20- o-24-year-olds reached ahigh o 15.3 percen , more han double he unemploymen ra e o hose over 45.19

Millennials also boas a clear se o views ha could hold s eady over ime. Tey are, or ins ance, less skep ical o governmen han older Americans, being more

likely o hink ha he governmen should s ep in o solve problems.20

Tey arealso more welcoming o diversi y67 percen indica ed ha hey hough posi-ively o Americas demographic changes.21 And hey have come o age during an

era marked by he elec ion o he rs A rican American presiden , an accomplish-men ha ac ually depended on heir e or s.

Perhaps his means hey are less likely o harbor nega ive judgmen s and s ereo ypesabou people o color. Ye researchers a he Applied Research Cen er nd haMillennials are no really in a pos -racial s a e o mind, meaning ha hey are morelikely o hink race s ill maters and ha racial un airness s ill exis s, especially in cer-

ain areas such as criminal jus ice and employmen .22 aken oge her, hese ac orssugges an emerging young America ha may be urned o by race-bai ing ac icsand s ereo ypes while also being open o appropria e governmen ac ion aimed aproblem solving and addressing race-based barriers o oppor uni y.

Existing progress

As various public opinion polls sugges , hings have goten beter over he yearsin erms o racial s ereo ypes. Tis migh be par icularly rue or Hispanics. In1991 a leas one polls er ound ha 56 percen o Americans hough he group was lazy and 74 percen hough hey pre erred o live o wel are. By 2011perspec ives changed. I we use he ar- rom-per ec proxy o views on immi-gran sobviously no all immigran s are Hispanics and no all Hispanics areimmigran s bu arguably he wo groups have become in er wined in he mindso many, making poll numbers or immigran s in orma ive bu no per ec whengauging ati udes abou Hispanicswe nd one 2011 Pew Research Cen er pollshowing nearly hal o Americans charac erizing immigran s as being hardwork-ing and con ribu ing o socie y.23

Similarly, Spo ligh on Pover y, a nonpar isan ini ia ive aimed a nding pover y solu ions, conduc ed a recen survey ha sugges s ha mos Americans (50 per-cen o whi es and 62 percen o nonwhi es) now believe ha all racial groups dono have equal access o oppor uni y.24 Acknowledging problems wi h access o


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oppor uni y in our socie y and economy sugges s a belie ha ac ors o her hanlaziness accoun or ones economic s a us.

Tese movemen s in he righ direc ion ur her sugges ha here is hope onhe horizon even hough here s ill remains much work o be done and ha an

evolving o ati udes s ill mus ake place. Far oo many people s ill atribu enega ive quali ies o bo h Hispanics and A rican Americans, and or he latergroup i is no ewor hy when considering he same 2011 survey ha sugges s60 percen o Americans believe blacks are mos ly responsible or heir owncondi ion, which is a number similar o he percen age who simply quali ed hegroup as being more lazy in 1991.25

The approach of 2050

America is rapidly becoming more racially diverse. By he year 2050 i is projec edha non-Hispanic whi es will be 46 percen o he popula ion, wi h here being no

clear racial or e hnic majori y in he Uni ed S a es.26 Vo ers o color have been grow-ing in numberbe ween 1988 and 2008 hey wen rom being 15 percen o 26 per-cen o all vo ers.27 Tis upward rend is likely o con inue, wi h some es ima ing hapeople o color oge her will represen 34 percen o all vo ers by he 2020 elec ion.28 Tese changes will make i less and less advan ageous o insul hose groups by race bai ing during elec ions or by crea ing awed policies buil on racial s ereo ypes.

Fur her, many people rom hese groups are concerned abou oppor uni yina recen poll, 62 percen o nonwhi es said ha children o di eren races donhave equal access o oppor uni y.29 No ably, Hispanics (48 percen ) were muchless likely o say his han A rican Americans (72 percen ).30 Even s ill, he belie sabou access o oppor uni y among nonwhi es sugges ha poli icians would be beter received by nonwhi e vo ers by speaking o oppor uni y barriers as opposed

o advancing specious argumen s s eeped in racial s ereo ypes.

Media and technology changes

Tere may be mul iple reasons o decry he direc ion o he mains ream media inrecen years he 24-hour news cycle and he rise o poli ically polarizing pun-di rybu in some ways, hese changes are ac ually help ul. Te cons an need orcon en and he compe i ive inclina ion o highligh con ic encourages he cover-

America is rapidl

becoming more

racially diverse.


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age o inciden s o race bai ing, which in urn resul s in he coverage o reac ionso hose inciden s. Tese reac ions should be seen as power ul ools or dissemi-

na ing accura e in orma ion abou people o color and governmen programs.

In addi ion, he proli era ion o poli ical blogs and social ne working avenues such

as witer means ha when con roversial and o ensive commen s are made, hey immedia ely come under atack by mul iple people on mul iple pla orms. Wi h somany people wi h some hing o say and means o say i , i is almos impossible orrace-bai ing remarks and commen s based on racial s ereo ypes o slip under haradar and escape scru iny.

And hen here are he minia ure video cameras in cell phones and o her devicesha should pu everyone on no ice, par icularly poli icians, ha all o heir words

are probably being caugh on ape. And i hose words are con roversial, hose videos will mos cer ainly be pos ed on he In erne and rom here all be s are o .


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Even embracing he op imis ic view ha as America con inues o evolve, he holdha old race-based s ereo ypes have had on our cul ure and governmen policies

will decline, speci c ac ion is s ill required, and we s ill have a long way o go. Firs , we need o has en he decline o race bai ing, and hen aggressively work o removere ec ions o old s ereo ypes rom public policy. And second, s eps mus be aken

o replace an ipover y policies and programs ha improperly used racial s ereo ypes wi h e or s and ini ia ives ha accoun or race in a much more appropria e, realis-

ic, and e ec ive way. Le s consider each o hese approaches in urn.

Hastening the decline

Accelera ing he decline o race bai ing and s ereo yping will require robus e or saddressing a number o signi can challenges, speci cally:

Recas ing wel are Addressing percep ions o ailure Addressing ederal de ci concerns Con ron ing ears abou racial diversi y

A closer look a each o hese challenges indica es we can indeed has en hedecline o racial s ereo yping.

Recasting welfare

Firs up is he need o recas he erm wel are. Since he days o wel are re ormin he 1990s, opponen s have con inued o be ex remely success ul in makingwel are in o a dir y word and con inuously ataching i o a hos o governmenservices wi h hopes o s igma izing hose services, hose who suppor hem, and

hose who use hem.

Whats next going forward


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ake he Heri age Founda ion, an in uen ial conserva ive hink ank ha regu-larly decries he amoun o money our na ion spends on wel are, a erm heavily associa ed wi h he cash assis ance program ha was re ormed in he 1990s in o

he emporary Assis ance or Needy Families program, wi h he appropria eemphasis on emporary. Heri age, however, less requen ly explains ha i is using

he erm o describe a broad range o popular governmen services, includingheal h care, kindergar en- hrough-12 h-grade public educa ion, child care, seniorci izen suppor s, and job raining.31 Ano her example, his ime rom he media,is Fox Newss coverage o a s ory rom Sou h Carolina in which he ou le ramedcommen s abou children ea ing school meals as insul s agains wel are users,32 adescrip or no o en used or children using school services.

Tis conserva ive s ra egy mus be me wi h cons an vigilance by progressive wa chdog groups such as Tink Progress and Media Maters. More aggressive andongoing public in orma ion campaigns are also required in order o se he record

s raigh . Tis means using all available media avenues plus governmen and non-pro ou reach o communi ies in order o ac ively promo e programs, wha hey do and heir e ec iveness, and pain an accura e pic ure o he par icipan s via allavailable media avenues. Examples include he Hard imes Genera ion repor by 60 Minu es, which ocused on homeless children; governmen al websi es a alllevels ha provide use ul in orma ion abou programs and par icipan s; and he Hal in en campaigns Road o Shared Prosperi y, a collec ion o videos o people whohave par icipa ed in a diversi y o programs and wan o share heir s ories.33

Addressing the perceptions of failure

Ano her key s ep is or s akeholders o promo e cons ruc ive dialogue abou hesuccesses (and ailures) o he War on Pover y ha began in he 1960s. o heex en ha mos Americans associa e an ipover y e or s wi h people o color,

hey may wrongly conclude ha hose e or s have ailed since hose groups ares ill more likely o be poor. Tere is clearly a problem i people know abou heracial dispari ies bu have no clear narra ive in mind o explain why hey exis

ha leaves room or s ereo ypes or easy assump ions o ake roo . Tis migh also

explain some o he public opinion da a. I you know ha A rican Americans ares ill more likely o be poor bu you don ully unders and why, you migh be ap

o say, maybe hey jus don work hard enough, even as here con inue o be bar-riers o oppor uni y in educa ion and employmen .


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Also, our na ional conversa ion on dispari ies may be ou shining all o he posi iveou comes ha black and brown par icipan s have gained hrough individual pro-grams he amilies ha have been able o live in sa e and secure housing, have ood when hey are hungry, or receive he job raining and higher educa ion assis ance

ha allow hem o ob ain beter employmen and economic oppor uni ies or heir

amilies. And hese posi ive ou comes also ail o accoun or he same se o bene saccrued by people o o her races, all races, ha resul ed in measurable drops in pov-er y a er he ini ia ion o he War on Pover y ( rom 22.4 percen o 11.1 percen )and hen again during he Clin on era ( rom 15.1 percen o 11.3 percen ).34

Finally, here are o her dis or ing ac ors, he mos signi can being economicshi s ha have caused jobs o disappear and wages o decline, bo h o which are worsening he pover y problem in ways ha may be con used wi h governmenprogram ailures. Such misconcep ions abou an ipover y programs pu hem arisk or cu backs even when hey are achieving some posi ive resul s.

Tese percep ion o ailure challenges sugges ha grea er care mus be aken in how progressives rame discussions abou racial dispari ies. While i remains impor an

o horoughly unders and he problems we are rying o x, highligh he need ornecessary re orms, and nish he job o he civil righ s movemen , i can be a heexpense o emphasizing successes and posi ive developmen s. I also seems impor-

an o pu a proper spo ligh on o her racial groupings, including whi e Americans,and o a grea er ex en highligh he commonali ies among groups. Finally, presen -ing a clear narra ive abou why racial dispari ies s ill exis and ensuring ha he nar-ra ive reaches as many people as possible could also be help ul.

Addressing federal deficit concerns

In 2011 researchers a he Pew Research Cen er ound ha a 15-year high o 51percen o Americans believe ha he governmen can a ord o do much more

o help he needy.35 Undoub edly, responden s were in uenced by he ongoingna ional conversa ion ocused on reducing he ederal budge de ci . For a subseo responden s, ano her ac or may be coming in o play o he ex en ha an i-

pover y programs are associa ed wi h groups ha are no heirs, hey may be more willing o suppor or passively accep he idea ha we can a ord hese programsand ha hey should be cu . Tis may be especially rue when he responden s believe hose o her groups are associa ed wi h nega ive s ereo ypes ha are beingadvanced by some na ional leaders.


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Tis sugges s ha progressives need o e ec ively communica e and popularizeplans or reducing he ederal de ci while a he same ime address he needs o low-income Americans. In 2011 he Cen er or American Progress o ered jussuch a plan, balancing he budge by 2030 while making increased inves men sin areas such as educa ion and job raining ha would also cu pover y in hal by

2030.36

Tis would require limi ing spending in o her areas and raising revenuesrom Americas op earners who have bene ed rom ax cu s since he George W.Bush years. Expanded public in orma ion ou reach e or s are needed o ensure Americans are aware o de ci -reduc ion al erna ives and make in ormed deci-sions abou which policies hey suppor .

Confronting fears about racial diversity

Ten here are he implica ions o our na ions demographic des iny o becoming a

majori y o minori y groups by 2050. While he approach o 2050 should exer a cer-ain downward pull on race bai ing and s ereo yping, i also presen s some challenges.

Te rapid diversi ca ion o America is becoming ever more salien o all Americansand represen s a signi can change ha some may nd unnerving, par icularly moreelderly whi e Americans, some o whom are associa ed wi h he ea Par y. Tere may be ques ions, or even ears, among some o hese Americans abou how heir posi ionin socie y migh change ha could os er an us versus hem men ali y.

I an ipover y e or s are considered programs or hem (blacks and Hispanics),hen here may be a growing an agonism oward hose programs even hough

more whi es han people o color ap hese programs. Tis misconcep ion s wi h conserva ives claiming ha socialism is on he rise in our na ion and ha

he objec ive o progressives is he redis ribu ion o weal h. I sugges s ha weal hand power are going o be aken away rom whi es as a group and given o o hergroups, especially as hose groups grow larger.

A diversi ying America could os er ur her divisions among people o color oo. A rican Americans and La inos may s ereo ype one ano her. Wha s more, here is

he po en ial or in ragroup di erences and s ereo ypingbelieving ha a subgroup

wi hin your own race or e hnici y is more likely o be lazy or holding some o hernega ive s ereo ype ha may a ec suppor or, or he shaping o , an ipover y policy.

Tere are no easy answers o any o hese issues bu hey de ni ely sugges a needo os er uni y among all Americans and inves men s in our join des iny. Wi h

A diversi ying

America could

oster urther

divisions among

people o color

too.


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ha is a need o ensure all groups are being well served by governmen programsand ha programs are no associa ed wi h any one or any wo racial groups.

Moving toward new ways of appropriately considering race

Progressives should no be con en in simply removing roublesome hurdleson he road o reducing he impac s o race bai ing and s ereo ypes. Ra her, weshould work oward replacing s ereo ypes wi h a sys em ha more properly con-siders race, including:

Fixing awed laws Building a beter knowledge base arge ing approaches o pover y allevia ion E ec ively measuring progress Engaging low- and middle-income communi ies

Le s consider brie y each in urn.

Fixing flawed laws

We mus ini ia e a concer ed campaign o re orm exis ing policies and prevennew ones buil on he assump ion ha cer ain people are lazy and are jus looking

o live o he governmen . Laws buil on s ereo ypes aren as likely o solve heproblem o pover y as ones buil on solid research and an unders anding o he varie y o people being served.

Ins ead o assuming ha en ire groups don wan o work because hey are lazy, we migh use solid research o discover ha many members o his group aren working because hey don have access o reliable child care and hen, knowing

ha , seek o crea e policies ha provide child care.

Building a better knowledge base

CAP recommends es ablishing a ederal governmen hink ank ocused onunders anding he causes o pover y and he e ec iveness o governmen pover y-reduc ion e or s. Te problem o pover y is ar more complica ed and complex


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han simply saying cer ain groups o people are jus being oo lazy o do beter. Teproblem o pover y also ends o evolve, change, and be experienced di eren ly noonly based on racial groupings bu also on o her demographic ac ors such genderand region o he coun ry. Tus, i would be use ul o inves in cons an , commited,and horough s udy ha should be ins i u ionalized wi hin our governmen .

I such an en i y worked across agencies, i would have vas amoun s o da a andin orma ion a i s disposal and would be well sui ed o design measuremen s o success and moni or hem. I s birds eye view would also allow he ederal govern-men o have a coordina ed and coheren plan o address pover y ha includesrecommenda ions abou po en ial new direc ions.

Targeted approaches to poverty alleviation

Examining how various groups experience pover y sugges s ha we can henapply arge ed approaches ha are shaped according o speci c group needs.Doing so does no require crea ing millions o new programs. Te ederal govern-men could simply allow or, and suppor , exibili ies or general programs hareach people o all colors and o her demographic groups.

Te Kirwan Ins i u e or he S udy o Race and E hnici y a Ohio S a e Universi y has coined he erm arge ed universalism o re er o his ype o approach.37 As aprac ical mater his may ransla e in o varying ou reach s ra egies, priori iza ionso services, or personnel choices (employing people who are amiliar wi h com-muni ies). Many programs already employ he approach bu more could do so. Adequa e inves men s in research would suppor e or s o accomplish his in hemos advan ageous way possible.

Effectively measure progress

Ensuring ha rising ides li all boa s will require keeping rack o all boa s andno ing wha ypes o repairs each boa will need as economic circums ances

change. Te No Child Le Behind Ac is one example o legisla ion ha sough oachieve jus such goals. I requires schools and dis ric s o demons ra e ha hey have increased achievemen wi hin each racial grouping as well as wi hin o hers uden ca egories such as special educa ion par icipa ion.38


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Te same racking and moni oring s ruc ures could be applied o o her an ipov-er y programs such as hose ocused on job raining and heal h ou comes. Suchpolicies ocus aten ion on he ac ha mul iple racial groups experience pover y, which orces policymakers and service providers o learn and hink abou how groups (and subgroups) experience pover y similarly and di eren ly, and lead

he way oward cra ing beter general and group-speci c solu ions. I would leadhe way oward e or s genuinely aimed a li ing all boa s because evalua ions o program success depend upon i .

Engage low- and middle-income communities

In rying o beter shape policies o mee he reali ies o low-income amiliesra her han s ereo ypes, i makes sense o ac ually engage low-income people andmiddle-income people in danger o slipping down he economic ladder in order

ins ead o grow our middle class. Diversi y is impor an people rom he variousracial and e hnic groups should be represen ed wi hin hese e or s, bu nding

he bes way o engage di eren communi ies hasn always been an easy ask.

Tis is ano her area where solid research would be use ul, illumina ing he mose ec ive ou reach s ra egies and me hods o engagemen , bu a a minimum pro-grams should be asking more par icipan s o give heir opinions on he servicesprovided while racking heir ou comes.


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America s ill has some ways o go in overcoming i s legacy o racial s ereo yping andrace bai ing. While some conserva ives s ill nd hem o be use ul ools in earingdown an ipover y programs, o win vo es, and advance heir poli ical agendas, hereis reason o believe ha race bai ing and s ereo yping are on he decline. Tis ired

ac ic o using race as a rigger o advance poli ical agendas mus be replaced wi h amuch more hough ul, in ormed, hones , and realis ic approach o cra ing e ec-

ive policies ha pu s race in i s proper con ex . Te con en and recommenda ions

included in his paper hope ully poin oward a varie y o solu ions.

Conclusion


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About the author

Joy Moses is a Senior Policy Analys wi h he Pover y and Prosperi y program ahe Cen er or American Progress. Prior o joining he Cen er, she was a children

and you h s a atorney a he Na ional Law Cen er on Homelessness & Pover y.

Te majori y o her prac ice ocused on he educa ion righ s o homeless s uden s,including ensuring school enrollmen s and par icipa ion in such services as heNa ional School Lunch Program, special educa ion, and preschool educa ion. Here or s involved producing in orma ional publica ions; presen ing a workshops

ocused on explaining relevan laws and bes prac ices; adminis ra ive and legisla-ive advocacy; li iga ion; and providing echnical assis ance o s a e and local

school o cials, legal advoca es or children, service providers, and amilies.


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1 Dominique Apollon, Dont Call Them Post-Racial: Mil-lennials Attitudes on Race, Racism and Key Systems InOur Society (New York: Applied Research Center, 2011).

2 Vanessa Cardenas, Julie Ajinkya, and Daniella GibbsLeger, Progress 2050: New Ideas or a Diverse America(Washington: Center or American Progress, 2011).

3 Martin Gilens, Why Americans Hate Wel are.

4 Ibid.

5 Arloc Sherman, Robert Greenstein, and Kathy Ru ng,Contrary to Entitlement Society Rhetoric, Over Nine- Tenths o Entitlement Bene ts Go to Elderly, Disabled,or Working Households (Washington: Center onBudget and Policy Priorities, 2012).

6 National Council o La Raza, Five Facts About Undocu-mented Workers in the United States (2008); Immigra-tion Policy Center, Unauthorized Immigrants Pay Taxes, Too (2011).

7 Marshall Fitz and Sarah Jane Glynn, Immigrants andthe Child Tax Credit by the Numbers, Center or Ameri-can Progress, January 25, 2012, available at http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/01/child_tax_cred-

it_numbers.html.

8 Ibid.

9 House Budget Committee, The Path to Prosperity:Restoring Americas Promise (2011).

10 Food and Nutrition Service, Characteristics o Supple-mental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: FiscalYear 2010 (Department o Agriculture, 2011).

11 American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU Files Suit inFederal Court Challenging Mandatory Drug Testingo Temporary Assistance Applicants, Press release,September 7, 2011, available at http://www.aclu.org/criminal-law-re orm/aclu- les-suit- ederal-court-chal-lenging-mandatory-drug-testing-temporary.

12 Donald Bogle, Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, &

Bucks: An Interpretive History o Blacks in AmericanFilms (New York: The Continuum Publishing Company,1999).

13 Tanya Broder and Jonathan Blazer, Overview o Im-migrant Eligibility or Federal Programs (Washington:National Immigration Law Center, 2011).

14 The Mendacity Index: Which president told thebiggest whoppers? You decide, Washington Monthly,September 2003, available at http://www.washington-monthly.com/ eatures/2003/0309.mendacity-index.html.

15 Cristina Corbin, South Carolina Lt. Gov. Under Fire orComparing Wel are Users to Stray Animals, FoxNews.com, January 27, 2010, available at http://www.

oxnews.com/politics/2010/01/27/south-carolina-andre-bauer-wel are-comments-controversy/.

16 Ibid.

17 Dottie Rosenbaum, SNAP Is Efective and E cient(Washington: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,2012); Department o Labor, Unemployment InsuranceWeekly Claims Data 2007 2012.

18 Pew Research Center, Lower-Income Republicans SayGovernment Does Too Little or Poor People (2012).

19 Bureau o Labor Statistics, Labor Force Statistics romthe Current Population Survey (Department o Labor,2012).

20 Pew Research Center, Millennials: A Portrait o Genera-tion Next (2010).

21 Ibid.

22 Dominique Apollon, Dont Call Them Post-Racial.

23 Pew Research Center or the People & the Press, 2011March Political Typology Final Topline.

24 Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, Poverty, theMedia and Election 2012.

25 Pew Research Center or the People & the Press, 2011March Political Typology Final Topline; Lynne Duke,Whites Racial Stereotypes Persist.

26 Cardenas, Ajinkya, and Leger, Progress 2050.

27 Ruy Teixeira, Demographic Change and the Future o

Parties (Washington: Center or American Progress,2010).

28 Ibid.

29 Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, Poverty, theMedia and Election 2012.

30 Ibid.

31 Robert Rector, Katherine Bradley, and Rachel She eld,Obama to Spend $10 .3 Trillion on Wel are: Uncoveringthe Full Cost o Means-Tested Wel are or Aid to thePoor (Washington: Heritage Foundation, 2009).

32 Corbin, South Carolina Lt. Gov. Under Fire.

33 Hal in Ten Campaign, Road to Shared Prosperity (2011),available at http://www.hal nten.org/stories; Hard

Times Generation: Homeless Kids, available at http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7358670n.

34 Center or American Progress Task Force on Poverty,From Poverty to Prosperity: A National Strategy toCut Poverty in Hal (Washington: Center or AmericanProgress, 2007).

35 DVera Cohn, Adding Context to the Census BureausIncome and Poverty Report (Washington: Pew ResearchCenter, 2011).

36 Michael Ettlinger, Michael Linden, and Seth Hanlon,Budgeting or Growth and Prosperity (Washington:Center or American Progress, 2011).

37 John Powell, Race, Place, and Opportunity, The Ameri-can Prospect, September 2008.

38 20 U.S.C. 6301.

Endnotes


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The Center or American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute

dedicated to promoting a strong, just, and ree America that ensures opportunity

or all. We believe that Americans are bound together by a common commitment to

these values and we aspire to ensure that our national policies re lect these values.

We work to ind progressive and pragmatic solutions to signi icant domestic and

international problems and develop policy proposals that oster a government that

is o the people, by the people, and or the people.

moving away from racial stereotypes in poverty policy

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