Jorge Rivas

Racial Income Gap Chronic Problem Even Before the Meltdown

The Applied Research Center has released its study, “Check the Color Line - Income Report” in conjunction with the Center for the Study of Social Policy. The report presents alarming data on persistent racial and ethnic income disparities at both the national and state levels, and proposes policy solutions to promote equality of opportunity immediately and for the next generation of American citizens and residents, who will add significantly to the diversity of the nation’s population.

“We found that the incomes of Black, Latino, and American Indian families still languish far below that of white families. Everywhere,” said Dominique Apollon, research director at the Applied Research Center, and one of the report’s chief authors. “We’re talking about a gap of $0.40 for every dollar at the national level.

The report concludes with a discussion of policies that can help improve the opportunities for people of color and improve conditions for all low-income families. These include policies that provide the resources needed in order to obtain and keep a job, policies to increase earnings and income retention and policies that will help build assets.

Download Check the Color Line 2009 Income Report (1MB)

Posted at 11:37 AM, Feb 17, 2009 in Economy | Permalink | View Comments