ÌÇÐÄVlog´«Ã½

Annual Racial Attitudes Study Released

AndersonThe majority of blacks and Hispanics believe they are treated “not very wellâ€� compared to whites, and both blacks and Hispanics report having been victims of unfair treatment in common situations during the past 30 days, according to data collected in ÌÇÐÄVlog´«Ã½LR’s annual racial attitudes survey released today. Year eight of ÌÇÐÄVlog´«Ã½LR’s annual study, Racial Attitudes in Pulaski County, presents data collected by a telephone survey. This year’s survey focused on attitudes related to values, social conflict, and trust. This year, the survey of Pulaski Co. residents also included the Hispanic perspective. ÌÇÐÄVlog´«Ã½LR Chancellor Joel E. Anderson initiated the project in 2003, saying annual studies would provide the kind of research and data needed to improve black/white relations in Pulaski Co. – one of the biggest factors impacting the progress and future of the state. Anderson hosted a morning conference in ÌÇÐÄVlog´«Ã½LR’s Donaghey Student Center’s Ledbetter Hall for local leaders to discuss the findings. Marion Humphrey, retired Pulaski Co. Circuit Court judge; Vivian Flowers, director of recruitment for diversity at ÌÇÐÄVlog´«Ã½MS; and Maricella Garcia, director of Catholic Charities Immigration Services in Little Rock, participated in a reaction panel. Other findings from this year’s report include:
  • Blacks, whites, and Hispanics are most likely to rate marriage as “very importantâ€� over any other value.
  • Blacks and Hispanics are more likely than whites to say living a religious life or being wealthy is “very important.â€�
  • Nearly three in four Hispanics say newcomers to the U.S. strengthen American customs and values.
  • Blacks are more than three times as likely as Hispanics to say the president shares “a lotâ€� of values with them.
  • Blacks consistently perceive more social conflict and greater degrees of social conflict than whites and Hispanics.
  • Blacks perceive lower levels of conflict between blacks and Hispanics than Hispanics do.
  • Hispanics perceive fewer conflicts in their relationships with whites than they do in their relationships with blacks.
  • Blacks perceive the greatest degree of conflict between the rich/poor, the young/old.
  • Hispanics perceive the lowest degree of conflict between the rich/poor, the young/old and immigrants/those born in the United States.
  • Blacks are most likely to identify themselves as Democrats, and Hispanics are most likely to identify themselves as Independent.
  • Blacks and Hispanics are more likely than whites to believe opposition to Obama’s policies is due to racism.
  • Blacks and Hispanics trust others to a lesser degree than whites.
  • In general, whites from outside Little Rock trust others to a lesser degree than whites within Little Rock city limits.
  • Blacks, whites, and Hispanics trust the people at their place of worship more than they do any other group of people.
  • Blacks are the group least likely to trust their own racial/ethnic group “a lot.â€�
  • The majority of blacks and Hispanics believe they are treated “not very wellâ€� compared to whites.
  • Both blacks and Hispanics report having been victims of unfair treatment in common situations during the past 30 days.
  • Approximately one-third of blacks, whites, and Hispanics say they had not interacted with friends of a different racial/ethnic group at home or outside the home during the last year.
  • Blacks and whites engage in more social interaction with each other than they do with Hispanics.
In establishing the study, Anderson said ÌÇÐÄVlog´«Ã½LR is a “keeper of the flame on the subject of race,â€� recognizing that issues of race relations remain a barrier to social and economic progress in Arkansas. The study was funded entirely by ÌÇÐÄVlog´«Ã½LR to provide information, enhance thoughtful discussion, and improve race relations in the community. Reports are available at no cost and may also be obtained at ualr.edu/racialattitudes.