What Ethnic Americans Really Think

Transcription

1 What Ethnic Americans Really Think The Zogby Culture Polls By James J. Zogby, PhD Zogby International

2 Table of Contents Subject Page Introduction 5 Chapter One Who We Are and How We Live 9 A. Ethnic Origins B. Mobility, Employment and Family C. Education and Religion D. Economics Chapter Two How We Define Ourselves 23 A. Ethnic Pride B. Politics Chapter Three Where We Stand on Issues 30 A. Issues B. The Question of Abortion Chapter Four A Closer Look I: Ethnic Pride and Political Identification 39 A. Italian Americans B. African Americans C. Hispanic Americans D. Jewish Americans E. Asian Americans F. Arab Americans Chapter Five A Closer Look II: Forces that Shape Ethnic Opinions 60 A. Ethnic Pride B. Political Identification Final Observations 70 ~ 1 ~

3 List of Tables Chapter One Table 1. U.S.-Born vs. Non U.S.-Born 11 Table 2. What Generation American? 12 Table 3. Town Size 13 Table 4. Leave Family/Community for a Job 14 Table 5. Accept Job Taking Time Away from Immediate Family 14 Table 6. Children Under 17 Living at Home 15 Table 7. Preference for Children Staying/Moving 15 Table 8. Expectation of Children Staying/Moving 16 Table 9. Living in Hometown 16 Table 10. Education 17 Table 11. Religion 17 Table 12. Religious Service Attendance 18 Table 13. Income 19 Table 14. Union vs. Non-Union 19 Table 15. Internet Access 20 Table 16. Savings vs. Stocks 20 Table 17. Depend on Stock Market for Retirement 21 Table 18. Have a Major Credit Card 21 Table 19. Credit Payment Behavior 22 Table 20. Retirement Funds 22 Chapter Two Table 21. Ethnic Pride 23 Table 22. Importance of Ethnic Heritage 24 Table 23. Emotional Ties to Land of Heritage 24 Table 24. Send Money to Family in Country of Background 25 Table 25. Experienced Discrimination 25 Table 26. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group 26 Table 27. Ethnic Makeup of Your Neighborhood 26 Table 28. Registered to Vote 27 Table 29. Likelihood of Voting 27 Table 30. Party Registration 28 Table 31. Political Ideology 29 Table 32. Political Participation 29 Chapter Three Table 33. Issue Support (Agreement) 36 Table 34. Abortion Position 37 Table 35. Exceptions to Banning Abortion 38 Chapter Four A. Italian Americans Table 36. Pride in Ethnic Heritage 40 ~ 2 ~

4 Table 37. Importance of Ethnic Heritage 40 Table 38. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group 40 Table 39. Ideology Liberals/Conservatives 41 Table 40. Party Democrat/Republican 41 B. African Americans Table 41. Pride in Ethnic Heritage 43 Table 42. Importance of Ethnic Heritage 43 Table 43. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group 43 Table 44. Ideology Liberals/Conservatives 46 Table 45. Party Democrat/Republican 46 C. Hispanics Table 46. Pride in Ethnic Heritage 47 Table 47. Importance of Ethnic Heritage 47 Table 48. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group 47 Table 49. Ideology Liberals/Conservatives 48 Table 50. Party Democrat/Republican 49 D. Jewish Americans Table 51. Pride in Ethnic Heritage 50 Table 52. Importance of Ethnic Heritage 50 Table 53. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group 50 Table 54. Ideology Liberals/Conservatives 52 Table 55. Party Democrat/Republican 52 E. Asian Americans Table 56. Pride in Ethnic Heritage 54 Table 57. Importance of Ethnic Heritage 54 Table 58. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group 54 Table 59. Ideology Liberals/Conservatives 55 Table 60. Party Democrat/Republican 55 F. Arab Americans Table 61. Pride in Ethnic Heritage 57 Table 62. Importance of Ethnic Heritage 57 Table 63. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group 57 Table 64. Ideology Liberals/Conservatives 58 Table 65. Party Democrat/Republican 58 Chapter Five A. Ethnic Pride: Compared by Place of Birth Table 66. Pride in Ethnic Heritage 60 Table 67. Importance of Ethnic Heritage 60 Table 68. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group 60 ~ 3 ~

5 Compared by Education Level Table 69. Pride in Ethnic Heritage 61 Table 70. Importance of Ethnic Heritage 61 Table 71. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group 61 Compared by Frequency of Religious Observance Table 72. Pride in Ethnic Heritage 62 Table 73. Importance of Ethnic Heritage 62 Table 74. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group 62 Compared by Income Level Table 75. Pride in Ethnic Heritage 63 Table 76. Importance of Ethnic Heritage 63 Table 77. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group 63 Compared by Gender Table 78. Pride in Ethnic Heritage 63 Table 79. Importance of Ethnic Heritage 63 Table 80. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group 64 Compared by Age Table 81. Pride in Ethnic Heritage 64 Table 82. Importance of Ethnic Heritage 64 Table 83. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group 64 B. Political Identification: Compared by Place of Birth Table 84. Ideology Liberal/Conservative 65 Table 85. Party Democrat/Republican 65 Compared by Education Level Table 86. Ideology Liberal/Conservative 66 Table 87. Party Democrat/Republican 66 Compared by Frequency of Religious Observance Table 88. Ideology Liberal/Conservative 67 Table 89. Party Democrat/Republican 67 Compared by Income Level Table 90. Ideology Liberal/Conservative 67 Table 91. Party Democrat/Republican 67 Compared by Gender Table 92. Ideology Liberal/Conservative 68 Table 93. Party Democrat/Republican 68 Compared by Age Table 94. Likelihood of Voting 69 ~ 4 ~

6 Introduction We begin with a simple observation America is a complex society. We are a nation of many diverse groups, each with different backgrounds and experiences. We do not all see life and its many issues in the same way. Shaped by our unique perspectives, we have a variety of beliefs and attitudes. For some of us, our race, ethnicity or religion is a determining factor that molds our general outlook or our views on specific issues. For others, it may be our income, education or age. On some issues, we make different assessments based on our gender or our marital status.. The point we are making here is similar to the lesson in the fable of the four blind men and the elephant. As the story goes, One day four blind men came across an elephant and each asked What is this? The first, grabbing the creature s tail said, I think it is a rope. The second took hold of the elephant s leg and announced that it was, in fact, like a tree. The third touched the trunk and made the observation that the creature must be like a big house, while the fourth blind man, rubbing both hands against the elephant s side, stated that he was certain that the creature must be like a huge boulder. The moral of the story might be that each of the observations was wrong. The elephant was all of its parts and more. But it is also important to note that each of the blind men made his evaluation based on what he experienced from his unique perspective. To an extent, we are all like the blind men. We see the issues of life from our vantage point. We may insist that ours is the only correct way of understanding the matter in question. But, of course, there are others who see the same issue in a very different way and are equally insistent on the correctness of their perspective. ~ 5 ~

7 So, when we are asked the question, What do Americans really think about a particular issue? the answer we give can never be a simple one. More often than not, we must respond with percentages. For example, when asked if they agree with the death penalty, the answer might be, Yes, they do, because in fact, an average 48% of all Americans support it. But the answer could also be, Some do not, because 29% of Americans believe the death penalty unfairly discriminates against minorities. (refer to Zogby/Reuters poll, April 2001.) In fact, the most interesting aspect of polling is not the final number of those who agree or disagree with a specific proposition although policymakers may find such tallies to be useful. It is actually more intriguing to look at the different characteristics of those who take each side of issues or questions. As we poll Americans in order to learn how they really think about different issues, we also ask them for demographic information. We ask for their age, gender and marital status. We ask their race, ethnicity, religion, their income level and education. We also want to know their political views and party affiliation. Obtaining this data helps us see how various sub-groups think about issues: male vs. female; old vs. young; upper-income, college-educated white Protestants vs. lower-income, high school-educated Hispanic Catholics. In most polls, we will only obtain a limited amount of information about specific subgroups most groups will be too small to measure. For example, even if we randomly poll 1,000 Americans, we will only get responses from about 100 African Americans or 20 to 30 Jewish Americans. This may give us enough information to suggest that these sub-groups have different views than some other sub-groups. But it is not a large enough group of either African Americans or Jews to make any real conclusions about where these two important groups really stand on a variety of issues. ~ 6 ~

8 In an effort to better identify the views of a number of diverse groups of Americans, we launched an exciting project one year ago. For our study, we identified six distinct and diverse ethnic communities: African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Jewish Americans, Italian Americans and Arab Americans. Each of these groups was chosen because it represents a distinct and definable group, providing us with an opportunity to get six different views of what Americans think. The groups were all polled between December 1999 and February The numbers of individuals polled within each group varied. (1) Each group was asked 86 questions on a broad range of social and political questions. They were also asked 13 demographic questions. The results are fascinating. In what follows, we will present our findings where there were points of consensus among these groups, and where there were deep differences of opinion. From this entire exercise of what we have come to call our culture polls, we have attempted to learn not only what Americans really think, but whether and to what degree ethnicity and race shape what they think. This examination is important. America is becoming more diverse, not less so. New immigrants and changes in our demographic make-ups are transforming America every day. (1) A note on methodology: all participants were chosen by random selection from databases of their respective groups. Calls were made from Zogby International headquarters in Utica, New York. Nine hundred forty-two African Americans were polled (margin of error +3.3%); 735 Hispanic Americans (MOE +3.7%); 279 Asian Americans (MOE +6.3%); 589 Jewish Americans (MOE + 4.1%); 604 Italian Americans (MOE +4.0%); and 501 Arab Americans (MOE +4.5%). In all cases, only light weighting was done to achieve region, age and gender distribution that would more accurately reflect the demographics of each group. ~ 7 ~

9 We are becoming older, more educated, and more racially, ethnically and religiously diverse. As this happens, the answer to the question, What do Americans really think? becomes more complicated to answer. At the same time, it also becomes more important to answer. James J. Zogby John J. Zogby, President/CEO of Zogby International May 2001 ~ 8 ~

10 Chapter One Who We Are and How We Live It is important to note that each of the groups we chose for our survey is clearly distinguishable, one from another. They are distinct and definable American communities. African Americans have long been the United States largest racial minority. They number approximately 12% of the population. The history of racial prejudice to which African Americans have long been subjected has shaped the identity of their community. They are also a powerful and fairly unified voting bloc. Hispanic Americans, too, are a rapidly growing and increasingly influential voting bloc. Today, there are more than 35 million Hispanics, now 12.5% of the U.S. population. Presently, this group is the largest minority in the United States, and is growing. While Hispanics share some common characteristics (language and religion, in particular), their diversity is also interesting to note. Asian Americans made their entrance onto the U.S. political scene in the mid-1980s. Increasingly gaining in influence, this community also hails from many different countries of origin. Today, there are 10.2 million Asian Americans, representing 3.6% of the U.S. population. Jewish Americans, though only 2% of the U.S. population, are one of the most successful ethnic/religious minorities in the country. Although sometimes viewed as a monolith, Jews are not of one mind or voice on many social and political issues. Italian Americans are one of the United States older and larger European ethnic communities. There are 15 million Americans of Italian descent, according to the 1990 Census, ~ 9 ~

11 representing nearly 6% of the U.S. population. In the early part of the 20 th century, early Italian American immigrants were subject to harsh discrimination. Today, however, they are quite assimilated, but continue to identify with their heritage. Arab Americans are one of the newer ethnic immigrant communities in the U.S. Numbering some 3.2 million, they are a little more than 1% of the total U.S. population. Having come to the U.S. in two general waves of immigration from more than one dozen Middle East and North African countries, this group has internal diversity, but increasingly identifies itself as a community. Collectively, the six groups comprise about 40% of the U.S. population, but in some areas of the country, there are significant concentrations of one or another of these communities making the importance of their views even greater in specific locales. For example, African Americans constitute a substantial segment of the population in several southern states and major cities across the U.S. Metropolitan New York City has the nation s largest concentration of American Jews. There is a substantial Hispanic population in the southwestern states and Florida, and several major U.S. cities. Asian Americans are a strong and growing presence in California. Arab Americans have emerged as a presence in suburban Chicago, southeast Michigan, and northern Ohio. Italian Americans remain a significant presence in southern New England and the Middle Atlantic States. Now, it is true that each of these communities can be defined by some specific and distinguishing traits; nevertheless, it is also important to observe that none of them is monolithic. As we shall see in our survey, there is diversity within each of these groups. ~ 10 ~

12 Ethnic Origins Born in the U.S. or Immigrant In our effort to create a demographic profile, we asked individuals in all of these groups if they were born in the U.S. The answers established that in this area there were clear differences among the various communities. African Americans, Italian Americans and American Jews are overwhelmingly native-born, while Asian Americans, Hispanics and Arab Americans have a substantial number of immigrants as part of their populations. Table 1. U.S.-Born vs. Non U.S.-Born* Born in U.S Not born in U.S *As reported by respondents There is also remarkable diversity within each of the ethnic groups that are heavily immigrant. When we asked Arab Americans, Hispanics and Asians, From which countries does your family come?, we learned that among Arab Americans, more than half (56%) say that their country of origin is Lebanon. No other country comes close. Syria follows at l4%, then Egypt (11%), Palestine (9%), and Jordan (4.5%). For Hispanics, almost half (49.5%) say that they come from Mexico. Puerto Rico is next with 21%. Trailing far behind were Cuba at 5.5%, the Dominican Republic with 4.5%, and Colombia with 3.5%. Among Asians, there is a more even distribution of familial roots, headed by China at 17.5% and India at l5.5%. Following them are Vietnam (11.5%), and both Korea and Pakistan at 10.5%. African Americans appear to have roots that are embedded more deeply into the nation than any of the other targeted ethnic groups. Seven in 10 African Americans are the product of ~ 11 ~

13 American great-grandparents or beyond. Only l5% are either immigrant or first generation Americans. The most recent arrivals are Asians with 64% immigrant and 22.5% first generation, followed by Hispanics with 47% not-u.s. born and 25.5% first generation. In our survey, one in three (32%) Arab Americans say that they are not born in the U.S. and 34.5% are first generation. Just one in ten Arab Americans have great-grandparents who lived here. Jewish Americans and Italians follow the same generational migration patterns each has less than 8% of their group not born in the U.S., and both have one-third of both greatgrandparents born here. Table 2. What Generation American? Immigrant First generation Second generation Third generation Fourth generation Both Italian and Jewish Americans usually speak English at home. In Arab American homes, 72% speak English only, while one in ten speak Arabic only. In Hispanic homes, 40% speak English mostly, 40% speak Spanish mostly. Among Asians, nearly half (47.5%) live in homes where English is the primary language, while 28% primarily speak their native language. Spouse s Ethnic Background Among all respondents in each group, slightly more than a third indicated that they are not married, with 44% of African Americans stating that they are unwed. Among those who are married, affinity for their own heritage varies. Asian Americans are the most likely to marry someone from their own ethnic background, with 75% choosing partners of Asian/Pacific background. ~ 12 ~

14 Almost 60% of Arab Americans have spouses of Middle Eastern or North African descent, while another 25% found spouses of European background. Forty percent of Italian Americans married someone from Southern Europe. Another 40% married people from other European ethnicities. Among Hispanics, about 30% married people from Central/South America and the Caribbean, while another 15% have spouses from Southern Europe. City or Town Except for Italian Americans, most respondents live in cities. Almost 60% of Jewish Americans and African Americans say that they live in cities with more than 100,000 people. Three-quarters of African Americans and Hispanics live in cities of any size. Half of the Asian and Arab respondents live in large cities. The suburbs attract more than a third (37%) of Italian Americans, compared with about one in four Jewish, Arab, and Asian Americans. More Italian Americans (13.5%) live in rural areas than any other group. Table 3. Town Size Large city Small city Suburban town Rural town ~ 13 ~

15 Mobility, Employment and Family In an effort to understand the importance of community among each of our six groups, we asked a series of questions that evaluated their degree of attachment to their homes and families and their expectations about the future. We posed two hypothetical situations. What, we asked, would you do if you were offered a promotion that would cause you to move away from your family and community? Would you accept the job or turn it down? More than half (52%) of both Arab and Jewish Americans say they would turn down a promotion if it meant moving away from family and community, followed closely by one-half of Italian Americans and 48% of Hispanics. African and Asian Americans would be most likely to accept such a job. Table 4. Leave Family/Community for a Job Accept job Turn down job Not sure We then asked, What if you were offered a promotion that would require you to take a significant amount of time away from your immediate family, would you accept the job or turn it down? A majority in all groups indicated a reluctance to take such a job or promotion. Table 5. Accept Job Taking Time Away from Immediate Family Accept promotion Turn down promotion Not sure ~ 14 ~

16 All of the groups were asked if they had a child under 17 living at home. Among Hispanics, 41% indicated that they have children under 17 living at home. One in three African Americans (34%) say they have children under 17 living at home, followed closely by Asian Americans (32.5%). Jewish Americans have the fewest (22%) children under l7 living at home. Table 6. Children Under 17 Living at Home Children under No children under All ethnic groups indicated their preference that their children, when grown, stay in their community, with Hispanics (73%) and Jewish Americans (72%) preferring this the most. African Americans are evenly divided on their preference for their children staying in the community 40.5% prefer they stay, 38.5% prefer they move away. Table 7. Preference for Children Staying/Moving Prefer live in community Prefer move away However, when we asked if they expected their children to remain living in their community, we found that answers varied. African Americans might be split on where they want their children to live, but they expect them to move away by a two-to-one margin. In addition, twice as many Asian Americans expect their children to leave than stay, while Italian and Jewish Americans are evenly divided on their expectations. Most Hispanics and Arab Americans, on the other hand, expect their children to remain. ~ 15 ~

17 Table 8. Expectation of Children Staying/Moving Expect them to stay in community Expect children to leave community The parents of young children may have expectations for where their children will end up, but the actual behavior of these children appears to differ from these expectations. For example, when we asked young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 years, Do you still live in the town where you grew up or did you leave to find a job, we received the answers found in Table 9. There are some significant differences among the groups. Despite, for example, the preference and expectation of many African Americans that their children leave their community, young African Americans are more likely to remain in the town where they grew up. Of all the groups, Hispanic young adults are the most likely to leave their hometown to look for work. Table 9. Living in Hometown (Asked of Year Olds) Living in hometown Left to find job Left for other reasons ~ 16 ~

18 Education and Religion Asians claim the most college graduates (66.5%), followed closely by Jews at 60.5%. Just under half (48.5%) of those of Arab background are college graduates. More than one in three (39%) Italians, 30.0% of African Americans, and 23% of Hispanics indicate they have college degrees. The largest percentage of respondents who have not finished high school are Hispanics (23%.) Table 10. Education Less than high school High school graduate Some college College Religious Affiliation and Practice More than two-thirds of Hispanics and Italian Americans are Catholic. Except for African Americans (34%), Protestants do not constitute a plurality in any other ethnic group, with the second largest percentage appearing among Hispanics (14.5%). A little more than one fifth of the surveyed Arab and Asian Americans indicated that they are Muslim, while 6.5% of African Americans say they are Muslim. More than 65% of Arab Americans are Catholic (42%) or Orthodox (23%). Table 11. Religion Italian African Hispanic Asian Arab Roman Catholic Orthodox Protestant Jewish Muslim Other/no affiliation ~ 17 ~

19 Hispanics are the most frequent churchgoers, with 57.5% attending every day or a few times a week. Arab Americans (52.5%) are also likely to attend services frequently. A substantial number of African Americans (50%), Italian (45.5%), and Asian Americans (44.5%) attend daily or once or twice a week. Jewish Americans attend services the least, just fewer than one in four saying they go to synagogue daily or once or twice a week. Asian Americans are most likely never to attend services (20%), followed by Jewish Americans (19%), Italian (14.5%), Hispanic (9.5%), African (16.2%), and Arab Americans (9.0%). Table 12. Religious Service Attendance Every day Once/twice a week Once/twice a month Special occasions only Never ~ 18 ~

20 Economics About two in five Jewish Americans say they earn more than $75,000 a year, while three out of ten Arab and Asian Americans and one in four Italian Americans say they earn that much. On the other hand, one in four Hispanics and one in five African Americans earn less than $15,000 a year. Table 13. Income Less than $15, $15,000-$24, $25,000-$34, $35,000-$49, $50,000-$74, $75,000 or more A third of African and Italian American households include union members, followed by Hispanics (26.5%), Jewish (23%) and Arab Americans (21.5%). Asian Americans have the fewest union members (17.5%). Table 14. Union vs. Non-Union Union No-union ~ 19 ~

21 Internet Jewish and Asian Americans are the only two groups to claim that more than 70% of their numbers have Internet access. Hispanic Americans are least likely to answer yes, with only 46.5% with Internet access. African Americans have a 54.5% positive response and Italian and Arab Americans register in the mid-sixty percent range. Table 15. Internet Access Yes No Savings and Stocks While all groups show a high percentage of ownership in stocks and saving accounts, Hispanic and African Americans trail the rest of the population. Sixty-nine percent of Hispanics say they have savings accounts, and 73% of African Americans answered yes. But the other groups all registered above 80%, with Asians showing a savings account ownership of 85.5%. The gap between the highest ownership of stocks or mutual funds and the lowest widens considerably in this category. Jewish Americans have the highest percentage (75.5%) and Hispanic Americans the lowest (31%) a difference of more than 44%. The top to bottom difference in savings accounts was just 16%. African Americans are also low in the stocks and mutual funds category, with only 38.5% saying they own these kinds of investments. Arab Americans (65.5%) and Italian Americans (63%), are more likely to own stocks and mutual funds than Asians (56%). Table 16. Savings vs. Stocks Savings account Stock Market ~ 20 ~

22 However, when we asked individuals in our six groups how much they depend on the stock market for their retirement, the answer finds a majority of African Americans who cite a dependence on the stock market, and casts Asian and Hispanic Americans at the bottom of the spectrum. A majority (63%) of Jewish respondents say they are either "very" or "somewhat" dependent on the market for retirement, followed by 59.5% of Italians, 57% of Arab Americans and 50% of African Americans. Among the lower responses: 39.5% of Asian Americans and 38% of Hispanic Americans. Table 17. Depend on Stock Market for Retirement Very Somewhat Very little Not at all Credit Card Ownership and Behavior Hispanic and African Americans are the least likely of all our groups to own a credit card. They report ownership in the mid-60%, while all of the other groups top eighty percent. Jewish Americans have the highest percentage of owning credit cards (89%). Table 18. Have A Major Credit Card? Yes No Of those who have cards, African (71.5%) and Hispanic Americans (59.5%) say that they are more likely to pay the monthly minimum charges or more than the minimum. Asian Americans are most likely to say they pay in full (72.5%). Just over one-quarter of African Americans (27.5%) say they pay in full. ~ 21 ~

23 Table 19. Credit Payment Behavior Pay minimum Pay more than minimum Pay in full Retirement Fund As owners of a retirement fund, once again there is a large gap between the Hispanic and African American populations and other sub-groups. Compared to 60% or more in the other ethnic groups, less than half (46%) of Hispanic Americans and African Americans (49.5%) say yes. Nearly 70% of Italian Americans and Jewish Americans have retirement funds. Table 20. Retirement Funds Yes No ~ 22 ~

24 Chapter Two How We Define Ourselves Ethnic Pride Most Americans appear to be very proud of their ethnic heritage. When we asked individuals in our six groups to rank how proud you are of your ethnic heritage? between 80% to 90% said they were very proud indeed. African Americans are the most proud, being the only group to record over 90%, with Arab Americans second at 90%, followed closely by Hispanics and American Jews. Table 21. Ethnic Pride Proud Average pride Not proud However, when we asked, how important is your ethnic heritage in defining you as a person? the intensity of feeling appears to drop somewhat. At 66.5% and 62.5% respectively, Hispanic Americans and African Americans are most likely to say that their ethnic heritage is very important in defining them. About half of Jewish, Asian, and Arab Americans feel that way, while slightly less than one in three (30.5%) Italian Americans say it is a very important to their personal self-definition. ~ 23 ~

25 Table 22. Importance of Ethnic Heritage Very important Somewhat important Not important Somewhat similar feelings are expressed when ethnics are asked about their ties to their specific land of origin. Hispanics and African Americans, along with Arab Americans, demonstrate the strongest emotional bonds with the land of their heritage. More than three in five Hispanics (62.5%), about three in five African Americans (59.5%), and more than half of Arab Americans (55.5%) say their emotional ties to the land of their heritage are strong, compared to 37.5% for Italian Americans. On the other extreme, 19.5% of African Americans and 18.3% of Hispanics and 20% of Arab Americans say their bond with their ethnic homelands are not strong at all, compared to one in three (31.5%) Italian Americans and 29.5% Jewish Americans. Table 23. Emotional Ties to Land of Heritage Strong emotional tie Moderate emotional tie No emotional tie In some instances, this tie finds concrete expression as many ethnics seek ways to financially support their families in the countries of their origin. Asian (38.5%), Hispanic (34%) and Arab (29%) Americans, having the largest percentage of immigrant populations, are most likely to send money back to family in their home country, while Italian (5%) and Jewish (10%) Americans are the least likely to do so. ~ 24 ~

26 Table 24. Send Money to Family in Country of Background Send money Do not send money Ethnic Discrimination The upside of this attachment to one s ethnic background can be ethnic pride, while the downside is that some ethnic and racial groups continue to experience discrimination because of their differences. When we asked our groups whether they had been victims of discrimination because of their ethnic heritage, the results were mixed. More than seven in ten African Americans say they have experienced some sort of discrimination because of their heritage, while more than half of Jewish and Asian Americans say have been discriminated against. Almost 40% of Arab Americans claim discrimination and just over one in four Italian Americans say they have been victims of discrimination. Table 25. Experienced Discrimination? Experienced discrimination because of ethnic heritage Have not experienced discrimination because of ethnic heritage Despite the reality of discrimination, America is not a closed society, and all ethnic groups report a good incidence of having friendships with other ethnic groups outside of work or school. While better than 90% of Italian Americans, Arab Americans and Jewish Americans have such friendships with someone not in their ethnic background, only four in five of African Americans and Hispanics say the same thing. ~ 25 ~

27 Table 26. Friendships Outside Ethnic Group Close friendships with other ethnic groups Do not have close friendships with other ethnic groups We asked our respondents whether neighborhoods where they live are predominantly comprised of their own ethnic group, mixed, or predominantly another ethnic group. Once again, African American and Hispanic responses differ somewhat from those of other ethnic groups. Both live in segregated circumstances in greater numbers than other ethnic groups. Onethird of all African Americans (33%) and 21% of Hispanics say they live in neighborhoods predominantly populated by their ethnicity. In contrast, only 13% of Jewish Americans, 8.5% Asian Americans and 5% Italian Americans report that they live in neighborhoods dominated by their own ethnic groups. Table 27. Ethnic Make-up of Your Neighborhood Is your neighborhood predominately...? Same ethnic group Mixed Another ethnic group The portrait that emerges here is of an America where pride in ethnic heritage remains a strong factor in people s self-definition, and where ties to ethnicity are maintained. At the same time, most individuals in the six groups we surveyed have personal friendships and ties to others, and now live in ethnically diverse neighborhoods where it can be expected that an expansion of relationships will continue. ~ 26 ~

28 The one group that does not fit this pattern is African Americans. They have been in the U.S. longer than any other group (Table 2); they have greater pride in their heritage than any other group (Table 21); and yet they are more subject to discrimination because of their heritage than any other group (Table 25), and are less likely to live in a mixed ethnic neighborhood (Table 27) than any other group. Politics Voter Registration Of the six ethnic groups in our study, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans have the lowest incidence of voter registration 65.5% and 68% respectively. Italian Americans, Arab Americans, African Americans, and Jewish Americans all have substantially higher registration figures, ranging from 88.5% to 92.5%. Table 28. Registered to Vote Registered to vote Eligible, not registered Voting Nearly all of those who are registered claim that they are likely to vote. The highest response comes from Jewish Americans. More than nine in ten Jewish Americans claim that they are very likely to vote. Table 29. Likelihood of Voting Very likely Somewhat likely Not likely ~ 27 ~

29 Party Identification Three in four (78%) African Americans and 66% of Jewish Americans consider themselves Democrats. More than half (57%) of Hispanic Americans call themselves Democrats, while slightly less than two in five Italian and Arab Americans do so. One in three Italian and Arab Americans also claim to be Republican, as do one in four Asian Americans. One in five Hispanics call themselves Republican. Independents. At 31%, Asian Americans are the most likely of all our groups to identify themselves as Table 30. Party Registration Democrat Republican Independent Political Ideology Except for Jewish Americans, more people in each group declare themselves moderates as opposed to any other political category. Among Jewish respondents, almost one-half claim to be liberal or very liberal. Hispanics tend to be more liberal than conservative, 35.5% to 31%, as do African Americans (41.5% liberal to 24.5% conservative). Asian Americans are only slightly more liberal (34% combined liberal-very liberal) than conservative (27.5%, combined very conservative, conservative). Italian Americans are more conservative than liberal (33% to 28%, respectively) as are Arab Americans (37.5% to 23.5%). ~ 28 ~

30 Table 31. Political Ideology Progressive/very liberal Liberal Moderate Conservative Very conservative Political Participation About one in six Hispanic, Jewish, and African Americans say they have donated money to a presidential candidate within the past year. Least likely to have donated are Asian Americans. Members of all groups are much less likely to have volunteered time to a candidate in the past year, with African and Hispanic Americans leading the pack at about one in ten. Italian Americans are least likely to have volunteered their time. A significant majority, in equal numbers, of all sub-groups says they had watched a presidential debate during the 2000 primary season. Most likely to visit a candidate s website are Hispanic (12.5%), Asian (13%), and Arab Americans (12%). Least likely to use this means to gain information about a candidate are Italian Americans. Table 32. Political Participation Within the past year, have you...? Italian American African American Hispanic American Jewish American Asian American Arab American Donated money to presidential candidate Volunteered time to a presidential candidate Watched presidential debate Visited presidential candidate s website ~ 29 ~

31 Chapter Three Where We Stand on Issues Politically, large majorities of African Americans, Hispanics and American Jews are Democrats. Asian Americans tend to be independent, while Italian and Arab Americans are evenly split between the two major parties. Nevertheless, it appears from our polling that neither party identification nor stated political philosophy alone is enough to predict how individuals in the various ethnic communities will define their stances on several important issues. In our survey, we covered 28 key policy questions and found the results to be quite revealing. For example, in seven areas, large majorities in all of the groups agree with positions that have traditionally been viewed as liberal. They agree on: Allowing patients to sue HMOs Using the federal surplus to provide health insurance for uninsured Increasing of the minimum wage by $1 in two years The need for new gun control laws The United States unilaterally banning nuclear weapons The United States paying back dues to the United Nations The federal government imposing strict regulations and fines on polluters On several other issues, however, majorities in almost all of the groups agree with what have been described as conservative positions. There is wide agreement on: The policy of school vouchers Parental notification of girls under 17 who seek an abortion ~ 30 ~

32 Treating children as adults if they commit a crime involving a gun The need for the death penalty Opposition to racial preferences in hiring and college admissions Favoring states setting education policy, not the federal government Allowing individuals to invest part of their payroll taxes in retirement accounts There are other areas where there are differences among the six ethnic groups surveyed. (For a closer look at where the six groups stand on some of the major issues of the day, see Table 33). Issues a. Providing parents with school vouchers so their children can attend any school they choose. Providing school vouchers to parents is a very popular issue among Hispanic Americans. More than 80% say they support providing parents with school vouchers. Close to 75% of Asian Americans are for vouchers. Also, almost 70% of African Americans, Italian Americans and Arab Americans support the voucher system. Slightly over 50% of Jewish Americans are in support. b. There should be a law allowing patients to sue their HMO (health maintenance organization) if they are denied treatment. Jewish Americans, along with Hispanic Americans, are most supportive of this empowerment for patients, with 90% favoring this position. Close to 89% of Arab Americans, 86% of Italian Americans, and 85% of African and Asian Americans agree that there should be laws allowing patients to sue their HMOs. ~ 31 ~

33 c. Using the government surplus to provide health insurance for the working poor and children. There is a broad consensus on this issue. Close to 93% of Hispanic Americans, more than 90% of African Americans, and almost 90% of Asian Americans favor using the budget surplus to provide healthcare coverage for the poor. Nearly nine in ten Jewish and Arab Americans, along with 85% of Italian Americans are also in favor of the government using the surplus to take care of the healthcare needs of the working poor and children in America. d. Increasing the minimum wage by $1 an hour over the next two years. An increase in the minimum wage is a top priority of all the groups with more than four in five supporting an increase. e. Prosecuting teenagers 14 to 16 as an adult if have committed a violent crime using a handgun. Again, there is broad agreement on this issue. Italian, Arab, and Jewish Americans are slightly more likely than the other three groups to want tough laws when dealing with 14 to 16 year-old offenders who use a gun when committing violent crimes. Also, 80% of Asian Americans, 78% of Hispanic Americans, and 74% of African Americans favor tough prosecution of teenagers. ~ 32 ~

34 f. Putting a limit of $1,000 on campaign contributions in all elections. Jewish Americans lead the other ethnic groups in supporting limits on campaign contributions. Three in four (75%) support a $1,000 cap on campaign contributions. They are closely followed by 71% of Italian Americans and 70% of the Arab Americans. More than 65% of Asian Americans, 64% of African Americans and 58% of Hispanic Americans also support the cap on contributions. g. Passing new gun control laws. There is significant support across the board for new gun control laws from all groups. Asian Americans are most in favor, while Italian Americans are least in favor. h. Imposing the death penalty for particularly heinous crimes. More than three in four (78%) Italian and Asian say they are in favor of using the death penalty as a punishment for terrible crimes. They are followed by about 70% of Jewish, Arab, and Hispanic Americans also in support. Although African Americans did show support for the death penalty, they are the least supportive, with less than 65% agreeing with this method of punishment. i. Revising the income tax code so that every individual pays a flat tax regardless of his/her income. Close to 60% of Jewish Americans are opposed to a flat tax. More than half of Asian Americans, 48% of Hispanic Americans, and 40% of African Americans are also opposed to a flat tax. More than half of Italian Americans are in support. ~ 33 ~

35 j. Local school boards have a right to restrict the teaching of topics, such as evolution. Localizing the authority over what topics are taught at the school board level is not a popular issue with these ethnic groups. More than 75% of Jewish Americans oppose allowing local school boards deciding what can and cannot be taught in schools. A majority of all other groups agree. k. Racial preferences in hiring or college admissions Close to 70% of Hispanic Americans and more than 64% of African Americans oppose taking into account racial preference when hiring or admitting students to a college. In addition, 87% of Italian Americans, 80% of Jewish Americans, 76% of Asian Americans and 75% of Arab Americans are also opposed to racial preferences. l. The United States should unilaterally ban underground testing of nuclear weapons. Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans are most in support of a unilateral ban of nuclear weapons testing. More than 67% of Jewish Americans, 65% of Italian, Arab, and African Americans also support a unilateral U.S. nuclear test ban. m. The government should impose stricter regulations and tax penalties on factories that release harmful pollutants into the air. There is overwhelming support across the board for getting tougher with polluters, with more than nine in ten in each group supporting stricter regulations and penalties. ~ 34 ~

36 n. Strengthening the Social Security and Medicare system. More than 90% of all groups showed strong support for a federal focus on these two important retirement benefits. African Americans and Jewish Americans are among the most supportive. o. Allowing individuals to invest a portion of their Social Security pension in personal retirement accounts. Again, there is strong support across the board for allowing private investment of Social Security funds. p. Active United States participation in the global free trade agreements Asian (84%), Hispanic (83%) and Arab Americans (80%) are most supportive of U.S. participation in global free trade agreements. They are followed by Jewish (76%), Italian (70%), and African Americans (69%). ~ 35 ~

37 Table 33. Issue Support (Agreement) Issue School vouchers (2) 52.0(3) Allow patients to sue HMO Use surplus for health insurance (4) Increase minimum wage by $1 in 2 years Treating year-olds as adults if used a gun $1,000 campaign contribution limit New gun control laws Death penalty Flat tax School boards can restrict subjects taught Racial preferences in hiring/college admissions U.S. unilaterally ban testing of nuclear weapons Government impose strict regulations/fines on polluters Strengthening Social Security and Medicare Allow individuals to invest part of payroll taxes Active U.S. participation in global trade (2) Bold numbers indicate groups that support a position to a much greater degree than other groups. (3) Italicized numbers indicate the groups whose support for a particular issue is significantly lower than the other groups. (4) Shaded categories are those where a near consensus exists among the groups. ~ 36 ~

38 The Question of Abortion Table 34. Abortion Position Pro-choice in all instances Pro-choice except for late-term abortion Pro-life in all instances Pro-life except for rape and incest Pro-life except for life of mother Total pro-life Total pro-choice Jewish Americans are the most pro-choice, with more than 60% saying that it should always be up to the woman whether she should get an abortion. Least pro-choice are Hispanic Americans. The group with the most pro-life attitude is Hispanics 16.5% are opposed to abortion in all cases, and 64.5% define themselves as pro-life in particular cases. Between 43%-54% of Asian, Italian, Arab and African Americans term themselves pro-life. Only 18.5% of Jewish Americans would describe themselves as such. ~ 37 ~

39 Table 35. Exceptions to Supporting Abortion Issue Ban abortion except for life of mother Notify parent if under 18 wants abortion a) Banning all abortions, except for the life of the mother. More than 60% of Hispanic Americans are supportive of a ban on abortion, except in cases where the life of the mother is in danger. About 50% of Arab Americans support the ban, except for life of mother. More than 75% of Jewish Americans are opposed to a ban except in cases of risk to the mother, followed by 50% of Italian Americans. Almost half (48%) of African Americans and 47% of Asian Americans are also opposed. b) A physician should be legally required to notify parents of a girl under the legal age who requests an abortion. More than four in five (82%) Hispanic Americans, close to 80% of Arab and Asian Americans, and 77% of African and Italian Americans all support the notion that a physician be legally required to notify the parents of a girl under the legal age who is seeking an abortion. Less than half of Jewish Americans support it. ~ 38 ~