Introduction
The “Millennial Generation” (born post-1980, ages 18-30) is the largest, most racially and ethnically diverse generation of individuals the United States has ever known. Unsurprisingly, public opinion surveys provide evidence that young people are more open-minded than their parents’ or grandparents’ generations about inter-racial friendships and relationships. However, too many journalists, political commentators and even researchers read too much into this inter-racial open-mindedness and label young people today as “post-racial,” either explicitly or implicitly. Combined with Barack Obama’s victory in the 2008 presidential election, recognition of the national demographic changes we are currently experiencing through millennials has fed into a common narrative in mainstream media that race and racism are no longer significant barriers to success in our nation.
The purpose of this study is to better understand the racial attitudes of millennials, and the study’s results challenge the labeling of young people as post-racial. The Applied Research Center (ARC) conducted 16 focus group discussions in Los Angeles on the intersections of race and racism with key systems of society: criminal justice, housing, public schools, employment, healthcare and immigration. The participants were 18-25 years old, and each discussion session was divided into four groups: African Americans, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, Latinos and whites. The evidence from these focus group discussions strongly suggests that most young people today believe that race still matters.
Key Findings
- A large majority of millennials assert that race continues to matter. When asked in the abstract if race is still a significant factor, a minority of millennials initially say that they don’t believe race still matters—and some young people clearly believe that money or class matter more than race. But when asked to discuss the impact, or lack thereof, that race and racism have within various systems, a large majority assert that race continues to matter. Our focus group sessions concentrated on the criminal justice system, public school system, employment, healthcare system, housing and the immigration system.
- Millennials are not monolithic. There are differences in how young people of different races and ethnicities view the extent and continued significance of racism in various systems of society. The fact that most millennials believe race still matters should not mask the very real differences of opinion both across and within racial groups about the extent to which they believe race and racism impact outcomes, and in which of society’s major systems. Our study reveals that issues like employment and criminal justice typically garner cross-racial agreement that racism continues to play a significant role, whereas on the topics of education, housing, health and immigration, different races and/or ethnicities emerge as majorities in the “race still matters” camp. Our study also finds that young people of color are more likely to bring up issues of race, access and resources when discussing these systems, while young white millennials are less likely to make connections across systems.
- Like most Americans, the majority of young people have difficulty defining present-day racism when initially asked and typically fall back upon generic terms of interpersonal racism. After an initial stumped silence or stumbling for words that greets a simple question of how to define present-day racism, the most common responses, both oral and written, are generic terms like “discrimination based upon race or color,” “stereotypes,” etc. Most white young people think about racism as something intentional and typically as something that occurs between individuals. On the other hand, while many young people of color similarly fall back on generic definitions of interpersonal racism when initially asked, most have little problem labeling an entire system as racist, given their personal and community experiences and the racial patterns of resources they see across systems. Moreover, young people with social or racial justice organizing experience and those who have taken courses in race and ethnicity tend to describe racism in institutional or systemic terms.
Overview
This report provides insights into the ways in which young people define present-day racism and the consequences of those different definitions. While the evidence demonstrates that most millennials use readily available language to articulate their views on how race and racism operate in present day, the deeper discussions that focus groups allow reveal that many young people of color and some young whites are able to describe the compounding effects of the connections across society’s institutions that continue to impact racial outcomes. Many millennials use more institutional and structural definitions of racism. This study suggests that how a person defines or thinks about racism explains the extent to which they will focus upon institutions and solutions when discussing how racism can be eradicated from our society.
Author Bio:
Dominique Apollon, Ph.D., Research Director, is a graduate of the University of Virginia (B.A., American Government, 1996), and received his doctorate in political science from Stanford University in 2003. His dissertation, “Relieving the Toxic Burden?: Race, Hazardous Wastes, and the Politics of the Environmental Justice Movement” examined the distribution of toxic wastes in the state of California from 1989-1999, as well as the corresponding grassroots political activity and participation. Dom has taught undergraduate seminars on the politics of race/ethnicity at Stanford University and Santa Clara University, and served as an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at California State University, Bakersfield, where he taught courses on U.S. Constitutional Law, Introductory American Politics, Environmental Politics, Congress, and the Presidency from 2004-2007.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Dom served as program coordinator for the 1999 Stanford University Conference on Race, “African Americans: Research and Policy Perspectives at the Turn of the Century,” and has presented research at conferences and institutions of higher learning in Albuquerque, NM, Chicago, IL, Des Moines, IA, New Haven, CT, Pomona, CA, and Riverside, CA among other U.S. cities. He has participated in public forums and discussions on state elections, civil rights, civil liberties, environmental degradation and policy, and youth political mobilization. An alumnus of the American Political Science Association’s Ralph Bunche Summer Institute (1995), he was also an award-winning opinion page columnist at The Cavalier Daily newspaper in Charlottesville, VA.
Dom currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the San Quentin Prison-based non-profit organization California Reentry Program.
He has co-authored such ARC reports as Don't Call them "Post-Racial":Millenials Attitudes on Race, Racism and Key Systems in Our Society (June 2011), The Color of Food (February 2011), Better Together: Research Findings on the Relationship between Racial Justice Organizations and LGBT Communities (September 2010), Underprotected, Undersupported: Low-Income Children at Risk (April 2009), and Check the Color Line - 2009 Income Report (February 2009).
To read the full report click here: "Don't Call Them Post-Racial: Millennials' Attitudes on Race, Racism, and Key Systems in our Society"
Acknowlegements
This report was made possible by a grant from the Ford Foundation.
Principal Investigator / Author: Dominique Apollon, Ph.D.
Applied Research Center Executive Director: Rinku Sen
Additional Research: Yvonne Liu
Research Fellow: Benedicte Ohrt Fehler
Project Intern: Christina Chen
Design: Stefanie Liang with Hatty Lee
Copyeditor: Susan Starr
Proofreader: Kathryn Duggan
Focus Group Facilitators: Dominique Apollon, Cory Gooding (University of California, Los Angeles Political Science), Antonio Martinez (UCLA Education), Yvonne Liu, Sharon Luk (University of Southern California American Studies), David Peterson (University of California, Irvine Political Science), and Terrion Williamson (USC American Studies)
Special thanks to Prof. Mark Q. Sawyer, UCLA Political Science and Director, Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics for project development feedback and invaluable research support.
Additional Preliminary Feedback (2010): Prof. Cathy Cohen (University of Chicago, Political Science), Prof. Kareem Crayton (University of North Carolina, School of Law), Prof. Phillip Atiba Goff (UCLA, Psychology), Prof. Ange-Marie Hancock (USC, Political Science and American Studies), Rhonda Ortiz (Project Manager at the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity and the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration), Prof. Manuel Pastor (USC, Geography and American Studies and Ethnicity)
Focus Group Support: Siris Barrios and Robert Marshall, Community Coalition (South L.A.); Lian Cheun, Khmer Girls in Action; Cheryl Branch, Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches;, Anthony Marsh, American Friends Services Committee; Jeremy Lahoud, Californians for Justice; Lanita Morris, UCLA Black Workers Center; and the staff at Homies Unidos
Comments
Post-Racism
I was born in '79 - I'm almost a millennial --- I do agree with the idea that institutions grow or perpetuate the ideals that go with racism. I believe in addition to it, there's the personal experience factor that either enforces or counters the ideals. The home and family, to me, seem to be the very first and core place where such ideals, racism, stereotypes etc...are started and tolerated. Although maybe we are seeing a small shift because the millennial population is living in a legally non-segregated world; The current segregation comes in form of illegal immigration and issues that surround it, but, there is not one group being ousted publicly to produce a clear picture of segregated racism. So, this leaves us again with the stories from home and personal experiences. If your stories are bad and your experiences are bad - you will probably keep the same racist ideals and perpetuate it. I believe this is proving harder and harder however because there is such a salad bar of people everywhere nowadays! from refugees to sojourners, everyone is everywhere and we need to interact with them. We have become so involved in the world's economies that race does not even matter in the stock market - so, my hope is that maybe in another 20 years we can be at less than half with the survey...=)
The Millennial Generation
I agree with many points of this article in dealing with the attitudes and beliefs of how my generation identifies with "post-racial" constructs. However, I also believe that the post-racial feelings and attitudes vary across different areas of America. Being from California, I am so accustomed to diversity and multiculturalism. Race does not play that huge of a deal where I live. But one summer when I travelled to Indiana with my family, I experienced first-hand racism that I had never experienced before. It was the first time in my life that I felt very conscious and aware of the color of my skin and race. Being a 2nd-generation Filipina, I have always identified and considered myself American, after all, I was born and raised here. But when we went to a McDonald's in Indianapolis, Indiana, there was a group of young boys, who were all White by the way, and they began to make jokes and jeer at my family and me. They began saying words like "ching chong ling" implying that we were Chinese because our skin colors indicated we were Asian. They not only said offensive words to us but threw fries at our table yelling, "Look! It's Jackie Chan's family!" So to say that this new "Millennial Generation" is post-racial and looks beyond one's color of skin is completely dependent upon contexts and demographic areas.
The Millennial Generation and Post-Racism
I am part of the younger half of the “Millennial Generation,” being born in ’90 and I definitely agree with this article that the Millennial Generation is not post-racial and race issues are still prevalent. Although, I do believe that our generation is more open-minded than previous generations. Living in the “Deep South,” discrimination and segregation can still be seen, even at a large and diverse University. I feel that the Millennial Generation in the South is different from the Millennial Generation in other geographic areas. For example, in the South certain ideals and values regarding race and stereotypes are passed from parents to children, grandparents to parents and so on. This passing of ideals and values allows for racism to continue staying present in the United States. Also, ethnic and racial groups, in general define racism, differently. For example, some people see racism as done by individuals others see it through an institutional aspect. Regardless, of how people view racism or oppression it is still alive in America. I do feel that in this generation there are new opportunities for racial and ethnic groups to come together to overcome racism, discrimination, and oppression. Now, it’s whether or not these ethnic and racial groups take part in these opportunities to solve these problems that society will start changing.
Blinded by the Sight
I agree that many of my peers just do not have the vocabulary to articulate their views on race. It’s a shame because we are all aware, in one way or another, that racism exists in America, but without academic knowledge or education on the subject, it remains a color thing or a typical interpersonal disconnect between people. In this limited view, so much of the racism in our own millennial culture falls by the wayside, making us submissive and uninsightful of the implicit institutional racism we’re all a constant victim of. Racially segregated living communities are just ghettos, projects, or the hood. Minorities are underrepresented in careers in technology, the highlight of our digital society, because they’re just not smart enough. Are we post-racial? Nah.
We’re just so deep in it, we don’t even know where to begin.
I find this article
I find this article interesting because I too am a young millennial. It is so true that most young people use the classic definition of race taught to us by our parents and grandparents. As a generalization to my generation I see that there is a lot more open-mindedness than in the generations my parents grew up in. I think racism has began to shift in many ways because now it is not uncommon to see an inter-racial couple. It seems as though illegal immigration has become the new "hot topic" when it comes to those of other races. As always, it is important to be educated on the issues that we all face as Americans regardless of our race or other factors that comprise our identity. Racism is not just faced by blacks or whites. It is faced by everyone in our society. It is important to understand what each other goes through being of different races. Differences are what America was founded on.
This article was fascinating
This article was fascinating because, as a "millenial" myself (I was born in 1990), I have often heard about my generation and the open-mindedness ascribed to it as being responsible for creating a post-racial America. The election of Barack Obama in 2008 seemed to confirm the fact that this newest group of Americans had finally overcome racism, and there was a sense of pride. But that pride was undeserved, because even though millenials, new ideas, and open-minded thinking has helped to create a far less hostile environment for minorities, there is defintely still racism in the United States.
I think one of the causes of continuing racist behavior is exactly the thing that is being applauded for this supposed "post-racial" society. If millenials are constantly bombarded with the idea that their generation has moved beyond race, it stifles the on-going conversation ABOUT race. And, as we have seen in the past, a lack of honest communication about racial issues leads to fear and stereotyping. So claiming that we've reached a place in which race no longer matters is both faulty and detrimental to on-going efforts of stopping racism.
It is positive to note that, despite being told that we are post-racial, most of my peers are aware of the fact that racism is far from a dead subject. Less positive is the fact that, while we know that racism is real, we are less sure of how that racism manifests itself. Words like "stereotypes" or "discrimination" are not enough to describe the racism of this modern era.
Additionally, I found it interesting to learn that while the majority of millenials find that race still matters, it is mostly only minority millenials that are making connections between race and systemic issues, while white millenials are unable to adequately describe what effect race has, even though they acknowledge that it DOES, in fact, have an impact. Racism is seen as personal rather than institutional and systemic. And until white millenials realize that racism is ingrained institutionally and THAT is the issue that is in most need of resolution, then truly becoming "post-racial" is a long way off.
Great Points
I was also born in 1990, and before gaining awareness about race through participation in college classes dealing with the effects of privilege, I would probably be one of the white millennials who believes that race is no longer a pressing issue in society. As you pointed out, “If millenials are constantly bombarded with the idea that their generation has moved beyond race, it stifles the on-going conversation ABOUT race.” Nobody ever talked to me about race as I was growing up; therefore, I was under the impression that it was no longer an issue beyond what was written in history books. I think that it’s definitely important to stress to members of our generation that in order to achieve a society in which racism does not exist, perceptions of race must be deconstructed from an institutional level.
You know, now that you
You know, now that you brought it up, I think MOST millenials like me and you never really recieved adequate information and open conversation about race relations. Though I was talked to at home, once I got to school, it was a completely different story. Even in the history books, after the subject of slavery, the abolishion of slavery, and the civil rights movement, the subject of race relations sort of...went away, or else was discussed in very sporadic ways. This, of course, is probably driven by the claim that the United States is post-racial. I'm really interested to think about what things might have been like if, in school, there was actually discussion about modern racism and contemporary race relations. I wish someone had told us, "Oh, by the way, race still matters." Because even though it seems obvious, if we aren't consciously thinking about it in our day-to-day lives, we become complacent.
It would probably have had a huge influence on the way millenials view race.
I am also a millenial, and I
I am also a millenial, and I believe that the issue of race is not as prevalent today, as it once was, but with that being said, it's not like it still doesn't exist in todays society. People have to be more open to talk about these things in order for progress to be made. We have to understand each others cultures and backgrounds to gain ground. The idea of racism is not often talked about today, and that is why minimal progress has been made. If we want to make a profound impact in todays world then we should tackle all of the issues on this forum head on.
Post-Racism?
I think that the concept of a “post-racial” society is one of the most dangerous fallacies associated with our generation. The difference in perceptions of race by white people and people of color demonstrates the revealing dichotomy between racism as interpersonal and institutional. As the article points out, white people tend to adhere to more “traditional” methods of racism, such as discrimination on a personal basis. However, people of color recognize that racism is an institutionalized, systematic entity that extends beyond occurrences of stereotypes and racial profiling within the criminal justice system, for example. The belief that race is no longer an issue within society conveys the idea that those of the open-minded “Millennial Generation” desire to live in a society in which race is not a determining factor, but this is clearly not a reality at this time due to the continuing existence of race as an institutional system.
I think it’s easy for whites,
I think it’s easy for whites, like me, who have never been exposed to systematic oppression to continually fall back on interpersonal racism. It’s the only form of racism we were taught to recognize. While I do believe that “millennials” are more excepting of each other’s cultures and skin tones, I don’t think that obscures the fact that the outcomes of our education, healthcare, employment, banking, legal and prison systems show that whites enjoy a systematic advantage over people of color. Whites are not taught to recognize these privileges and so unknowingly perpetuate the injustices of an unfair system rigged in our favor. We need to help people focus on the realities of the scheme, so they can begin to see how our intersecting institutions of power conspire to keep a few white men holding all of our nation’s wealth and power. Ultimately, we must consider our roles in preserving the system and if we’re will to deconstruct it.
Post-Racial Society: The Biggest Fallacy of All
I truly believe that in today's day and age, it is so easy to say that we live in a post-racial society because we have been trained to see (by the media, mostly) that racism no longer exists. We have been told to shine light on the Barack and Michelle Obamas, the Sonia Sotomayors, and many other minorities that feed into the tokenistic fallacy that promote the idea racism cannot exist any longer because these people have made it. It is true, they have. However, how many minorities are still caught in the education system that perpetuates them to fail? We are also shown people like OJ Simpson, who "got away with murder", yet there are still many more Troy Davis' who haven't gotten any media attention. While no one is saying that we should ignore progress, it is also important to not be blinded to think we are so much better off today than we were yesterday. Racism still certainly exists, it just seems to me it is more covert than years ago, and it is up to our generation to have these kinds of discussions to make tomorrow better than today.
Erasing Racism
It's easy for us to pretend that racism doesn't exist. It's a common motto to hear, "Out of sight, out of mind." We try to sweep this issue under the rug so we don't have to deal with it. We run away from the bull instead of facing it head on. Too bad that bull is still rearing it's ugly head and it's ready to fight. We need to have discussions to create the awareness among our society. I agree with that. But I do feel that an important piece we're all missing is action. We need to create action to really erase racism from our society. It's not enough to just sit around all day and talk about it amongst ourselves -- what are we really actively doing to make this stop. What will it take to make this issue go away once and for all? That's not a question I have the answer to, but I think that by delving into it, we can find that answer and we need to all -- as a society -- commit to making a change; a long-lasting, permanent change.
It's All About Adaptation
Time in general really does shape the idea and perspective of how racism grows or deflates. Many characteristics define an era, and unfortunately through history; we've seen how outside factors can determine the liberties and privileges of certain individuals. On my behalf, where I came from, skin color was not a major factor or surprise in various situations. We were accustomed to all types of religions, races, and ethnicities. Although in areas of the South perhaps, are more likely to be surprised of certain integrated areas. Some proms are still segregated and it's already the 21st century. In addition, I agree with the article and its argument on the role racism plays in employment. There are even statistics that have shown that color still plays a determining factor on ones working ability. It seems that if someone is nonwhite it makes them inferior to any other race. The successes and futures of individuals are now hurting the chances of those that are nonwhite to seek achievement. While everyone has their civil rights now, it seems that there are becoming more sly ways for the system to still overpower those that are nonwhite.
Will it ever be "Post-Racial"
It is interesting to see the use of the term "post-racial" in any sense because of the covert ways in which racism could be expressed. Racism is a shape shifter, meaning that it takes on different forms as it passess through the different time periods to fit, primarily, what is considered socially acceptable. The problem with terms such as racism is that we, as human beings, always want there to be a clear cut answer as to what is racist and what isn't when really there are many ways in which racism could manifest itself. One of the problems with racism today, as opposed to the time of our grandparents or parents , is not something that could be blatantly pointed out but yet something that must be hidden as it is deemed "politically incorrect." Is this the better option? They say that ignorance is bliss, however as years go by and youth are affected by these issues that are the result of racism how are they to move forward when the concept is slowly being erased as a thing of the past? Before approaching the idea of a post-racial society it is first important to have everyone on the same page as to what terms like race and racism mean in the modern sense, which changes over time.
Post racial
We hear a great deal about our generation’s “open-mindedness”. We point to the fact that there is a black president and say that there is no more racism. I find that idea to be inaccurate. This article mentioned the criminal justice system, public school system, employment, healthcare system, housing, and immigration system. I have seen racism in action in every one of those systems. In our everyday life there is racism. Yes, I believe that racism is no longer as blatant as it used to be. Systems have improved, and racism is no longer as prevalent as it used to be. However, as things stand right now, it cannot be said that we live in a “post racial” society.
The Millennial
I am apart of this particular generation and I do not agree with the post racial argument. Yet I do agree that my generation I was born into is more open-minded when it come to race and racism. That might be harder to believe especially when you live in the "Deep South" and racism is completely obvious in the public to a certain degree; moreover, I do believe we have more leeway to make out own decision in our day and age. The ideals and values that this generation express are highly fraud upon by the older generations but we are allotted more opportunities to understand other racial backgrounds ideals and values. Things may change but not at the rate that we might want it too.