California’s Ethnic and Racial Minority Progression, Essay Example

In what ways, and to what extent, did California’s ethnic and racial minority groups make political and economic progress during the 1970s and 1980s? Focus your discussion on three ethnic/racial groups.

California’s ethnic and racial minorities have made progress in their political and economic progress during the 1970s and 1980. Some of the ethnic groups have found far more progression than that of others. The paper will focus on Asians, Hispanics, and African Americans as they build their life among the white community in California. During the 1970s and 1980s, there was a significant increase in Hispanic immigrants in the state’s population. The majority of the Mexicans, Central, and South Americans were born abroad. The economic and political progression for these immigrants was sub par at best. They did not have the legal rights to build their lives as equals to the majority of the population.

The well-being of a Californian is strongly determined by the race and ethnicity of the individual. During the 1970s and 1980s, the whites and Asians had the better education, health, and economic status than any other race. Hispanics and African Americans were linked to victimization and a higher crime rates than other members of the population. However, African Americans were far more involved in the political aspects than the Asians and Hispanics. Making the needed changes that involve racial and ethnic considerations strongly depended on political involvement. Without political involvement, the necessary changes would not happen.

In the 1970s and 1980s and for the past thirty years, Hispanics have been of the poorest socioeconomic outcome in California. In fact, they have progressively gotten worse in the economic and political aspects instead of evolving to an equal minority group. Of all three racial and ethnic groups, the Hispanic population in California has the lowest educational outcome, the lowest economic positioning, and the highest potential for victimization in the entire community.

African Americans during this time had the lowest family income, the lowest home ownership rates and were heavily dependent on public assistance. In addition, the poverty rates were the highest as well as the unemployment rates for African Americans. During this time period, the conditions were getting worse instead of better. The increase in the Hispanic immigrants played a role in the worsening conditions for the African American population. The belief is the lower-level jobs were more competitive as was the housing and needs for resources in a lower economic position. However, there are far more issues at the steak that need to be considered.

The African Americans were faced with a low socioeconomic well-being, and their economic status declined over time. The weekly earnings for men were lower than the majority of the other ethnic groups, and home ownership rates were substantially lower as well. The poverty rate for this ethnic group was higher than the majority. There has been a push to improve the health and education for the African American groups; they still faced the poorest crime outcomes and the second-lowest educational position of all ethnic groups.

The Asian minorities during this time, however, found a substantial footing to be equal to the whites in many capacities. The Asian population was vast, made up of many Asian ethnic immigrants and U.S. born. The Asian population utilized the educational system and found a strong position in the economic world as well. The unemployment was low and the poverty rate low. This was not true for all Asians who lived in California during this time; however, the majority did find a good home and the success they desired to be equal with the white population.

Work Cited

Cherny, Robert; Gretchen Lemke-Santangelo; and Richard Griswold delCastillo. Competing Visions: A History of California. 2013. Print.