Explanation:
In addition to their different assessments of the current state of race relations and racial inequality in the United States, Americans across racial and ethnic groups also see race and ethnicity playing out differently in their personal lives. On balance, blacks are more likely to say their race has hurt, rather than helped, their ability to get ahead. Among whites, Hispanics and Asians, more say their race or ethnicity has been an advantage than an impediment.
Blacks are also far more likely than other groups to say their race is very or extremely important to how they think about themselves, but half or more Hispanics and Asians also say their racial or ethnic background is central to their overall identity; only 15% of whites say the same.
This chapter also looks at personal experiences with discrimination and the extent to which people of different backgrounds say their family talked to them about challenges or advantages they might face because of their race and ethnicity when they were growing up.
Blacks more likely than other groups to say their race has hurt their ability to succeed; whites most likely to say their race has helped
About half of blacks say being black has hurt their ability to get aheadAbout half of black Americans say being black has hurt their ability to get ahead, including 18% who say it has hurt a lot; 17% say being black has helped them at least a little, while 29% say it has neither hurt nor helped their ability to get ahead. In contrast, roughly four-in-ten or more whites, Hispanics and Asians say their race or ethnicity hasn’t had much impact on their ability to get ahead – and to the extent that it has, more say it has helped than say it has hurt.
Whites are especially likely to say their race has given them some advantages: 45% say being white has helped them get ahead at least a little, while 50% say it has neither helped nor hurt and just 5% say being white has hurt their ability to get ahead. Three-in-ten Hispanics say being Hispanic has helped them, while 37% of Asians say the same about their racial background. About a quarter of each say being Hispanic or Asian, respectively, has hurt their ability to get ahead at least a little.
