Racial Attitudes and Actions Survey, 2006

1
Racial Attitudes and Actions Survey, 2006

• Charlotte Kunkel, PhD
• and Carissa Sojka, Research Assistant
• Luther College

2
Goals of Survey

• Measure change in attitudes over time
• -Last survey completed in 1990
• Capture actions as well as attitudes
• Measure attitudes about immigration

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The Survey

• Questions replicated from 1990 survey
• -Old style, retained for comparison
• Questions included from National race survey
• -Bonilla-Silva, leading sociologist on racial
  attitudes
• Questions included from MN immigration survey
• -2004 MN Community Project
• Final version 8 pages, 120 questions

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Olmsted County

• Background
• Changing landscape of population
• Increasing numbers of peoples of color, including
  immigrants and refugees
• East Africans
• Eastern Europeans
• Latinos

5
Sample Population

• Stratified Random Sample
• -Over-sampled target populations
• -Low tenure
• -Rural households

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Distribution

• 2278 surveys were distributed by mail, addressed
  to any householder over 18
• First mailing, postcard reminder, second mailing
  in late summer 2006
• Eight bad addresses eliminated
• 343 surveys returned
• 15.1 response rate

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Who is the Sample Population?

• Some basic demographics
• -94 of respondents were white
• -63 were women
• -74 were parents
• -98 had high school diplomas or higher
  educational level,
• 24 were educated beyond college or university
• -81 claimed to live in a city, 19 claimed to
  be rural
• -65 lived in the county for 10 years or more
• -the median annual income was over 60,000
• -the average respondent was 48.8 years old,
• 27 were over 60 years old

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What did we find?

• The Good News People were supportive of
  diversity
• I think its a very positive thing.
• All races are welcome to enter the USA yes we
  must be concerned to care for all no matter what
  their races or creed.
• It is a wonderful development to have the
  increased opportunities to interact with people
  from other places.
• I would like to see more of an increase in the
  minority population. I feel that it is important
  to expose children to people of many
  nationalities and cultures.
• I think an increase in the minority population
  will make Olmsted County a better place to live.
  People will be familiar with others who are
  different from them and hopefully more open
  embracing other cultures.
• I think it is a positive.
• The community I live in needs more diversity!
• I welcome it!
• I think diversity adds a great sense of culture
  to Rochester Olmsted County.
• Diversity is good. It is important for us to
  learn about other cultures and back grounds in
  todays world. We need understanding.

9
People believe things are improving.

• Racism has become a lot better, but I feel it
  still exists. I dont believe racism continues to
  be bad for groups who have been here for many
  years but is targeted at new minority groups
  people are not familiar with.
• Not as bad as I was growing up but it still
  exists. Now with every new race that comes to our
  country they are treated bad because they dont
  adapt to the new society.
• On the whole, I think racism is declining. I see
  it especially (as a decline) in my childrens
  generations, but even among my generation it is
  much less than I remember growing up. I credit
  tolerance and diversity teaching in schools
  or a community for the significant decline.
• We have come a long distance, but as new racial
  groups enter our community there is a need for
  new communication and new understanding. 

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Do Actions reflect diversity?

• 80 said NONE of 3 closest friends of another
  race
• 78 said NONE of 3 closest co-workers of another
  race
• 75 said NONE of 3 closest neighbors of another
  race
• 50 said daily interactions include NO ONE of
  another race

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The NOT-so-Good News

• Attitudes towards Blacks have declined
• Attitudes toward Somalis are more negative than
  toward Bosnians
• Attitudes toward Somalis are more negative than
  toward Blacks

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People in the following groups are naturally
more violent than whites
13
Whites generally perform better in school
because of natural abilities compared to
14
People in the following groups tend to maintain
their property as well as whites do
15
People in the following groups tend to work for
a living rather than live off welfare
16
I think it is important to have goals or quotas
for hiring and promoting people in the following
groups
17
I think it is OK for whites to go on social
dates with people in the following groups
18
I think it would be OK if a member of my family
brought a member of the following groups home to
dinner
19
I think it is ok to marry members of the
following groups
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Racial Progressive Index

• Do you support Affirmative Action?
• Do you support interracial marriage?
• Do you think institutional racism exists?

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Immigration Progressive Index
Agree Immigrants are -Contributing to cultural
diversity -Hardworking, valuable
contribution And strongly disagree
with Immigrants are -Hurting quality of life by
putting big demands on our public
schools -Hurting quality of life by draining
resources from whole community
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Anti-Immigration Sentiment

• Absolutely. The crime rate has increased since I
  moved to the twin cities in 97 and moved back to
  Rochester in 03. When you read the Olmsted County
  court records in the paper at least half if not
  more are not American names.
•  I have seen what has happened on the East Coast
  specifically in the Washington DC metro area.
  Whole neighborhoods have become Hispanic.
  Shopping areas in formerly all whites areas have
  become little Latin Americans.
•  If you come to America, please speak the
  language (English)! Before we know it, English
  will not be the native language anymore.
•  Our health care is so expensive and many
  immigrants get free care at Olmsted County Public
  Health. My workplace has spent time and money to
  give English classes to those that cant speak
  English, while the rest of us did not even
  receive a raise the last 2 years.
•  The Somalis seem to have many problems within
  their community. They are affecting other
  community members not in a positive way.
•  In certain areas, housing cost have gone down,
  crime has increased, violent crime seems to be in
  the media more, group fights seem to happen more,
  immigrant groups are involved, fighting in the
  high schools usually involve these groups.
• There are too many in welfare, and are draining
  the channel in food shelf down to almost nothing
  some months. Need to have special teachers to
  teach the children. Need to learn English and use
  it daily. Need to look for jobs and work them
  when they have a job. Just because they can make
  more on welfare than working is not right for it
  is taking away from people who cant work for
  illness etc.

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Conclusions

• Some people, a minority, value increasing
  diversity and see progress.
• The 2006 Attitudes and Actions Survey shows
  increased anti-Black sentiment since 1990 on 7/10
  questions measuring old-fashioned racism.
• Increased racism is conflated with anti-Somali
  attitudesattitudes that are not similar to the
  comparison immigrant group of Bosnians.
• Immigrant sentiment is mixed at best.
  Quantitative data show more immigrant
  progressives than racial progressives, however
  overwhelming majority of respondents are
  NOT-at-ALL progressive.
• Qualitative data suggest significant
  anti-immigrant sentiment.
• Anti-immigrant sentiment is socially acceptable
  and is racialized.