Race and Ethnicity in America

Do human capital differences explain black-white inequality, or are other factors more important? Are we seeing patterns consistent with assimilation among Hispanics and Asians? This book examines patterns and trends in inequality over the years for different racial groups, focusing on education, income, poverty, wealth, and health outcomes.

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Race and Ethnicity in America examines patterns and trends in racial and ethnic inequality over recent decades. John Iceland shows how color lines have generally softened over time in the United States but deep-seated inequalities remain-generally, blacks, American Indians, and some Hispanics fare less well than others. Among these groups, the underlying causes of the disadvantages vary, ranging from the legacy of racism, current discrimination, differences of human capital, the unfolding process of immigrant incorporation, and cultural responses to structural conditions. Throughout the book, Iceland also demonstrates that the ways Americans define racial and ethnic groups, along with changing patterns of identification in the U.S. population, influence our understanding of patterns and trends in racial and ethnic inequality.