Income and status differences between white and minority Americans; a persistent inequality. This item is unavailable.Income and status differences between white and minority Americans; a persistent inequality

Excerpt from the Introduction: The studies in this volume show that the general conditions faced by nonwhite minorities in the United States today are not sanguine. There still exist wide discrepancies in the income and social standing of nonwhites and women vis-à-vis white male Americans. Nevertheless, there are a few channels of upward mobility open to selected individuals within the minority groups--primarily young educated, U.S.-born professionals and small-scale entrepreneurs. The fact that such groups are able to "make it" allows defenders of the American dream to ignore the harsh realities that saddle the lives of millions of impoverished people, many of whom are immigrants from Third World countries. But the question, "If things are so bad, why do they keep coming?" cannot be answered without an analysis of why some nations are poor and who is responsible for creating and perpetuating such destitution on a worldwide scale. Leftist scholars have argued that the foreign policies of the United States and the economic behavior of American corporations are in large measure responsible. If one accepts such a thesis, then one is led to the conclusion that the heavy immigration of recent years represents a global safety valve: by letting a "lucky few" obtain visas to enter the United States, and after their arrival making it possible for an even more choice group to climb the latter of success, the revolutionary potential for the overthrow of capitalism is diminished. In this matter, the small number able to enjoy the fruits of American life are coopted and become its staunchest champions.