In the study of labor economics, we have a fascinating experiment designed and conducted by Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan in 2003. To test for labor market discrimination, the two economists collected hiring ads in newspapers that required different levels of skills in Chicago and Boston. According to the requirements in these ads, Bertrand and Mullainathan randomly generated some 2500 resumes in different batches representing people of different skill levels.
Within each skill level, however, these fictional people’s qualifications were highly similar except for one thing: the sounding of their names. The economists investigated the name frequency data calculated from birth certificates of persons born in Massachusetts from 1974 to 1979. They selected the most recurring, typical white sounding names for males (Brad, Brendon, Geoffrey, etc) and females (Allison, Anne, Carrie, etc) as well as those for African American men (Darnell, Hakim, Jermaine, etc) and women (Aisha, Ebony, Keisha, etc). Then they again randomly assigned these names to resumes in the different batches and sent them to the hiring companies
The outcome of the experiment was shocking. Within each resume batch, those with white sounding names received a general 50% higher callback rates compared to their counterparts. In addition, through data analysis after the experiment, Bertrand and Mullainathan discovered that being white mathematically equals eight additional years of work experience considering experience an indicator of callback rates.
What the Bertrand and Mullainathan experiment demonstrates is the White privilege in one of its many aspects. Earlier in our class we were engaged in an active conversation regarding the nonexistence of White heritage celebration, which was an enlightening experience. I do understand how some of my Caucasian friends and classmates feel frustrated for not having a generally specified timeframe on the calendar to express their pride and identity like many other ethnic groups. Let’s explore why.
If we examine closely, these groups that do enjoy an ethnic week are the ones who have been historically oppressed and underrepresented. People in these ethnic groups, as I am one of them, do understand many of the racist practices in American history are now nothing more than a record in our official textbook. We also would like to put aside our ethnic identities and think more of individual people than races. We can’t. While I believe that people in the ivory tower have completely abandoned the practice of racism, society as a whole constantly fails us by functioning the opposite way. We all have heard or witnessed injustice. African and Latino/Latina Americans on average are pulled over more often for unfounded reasons. Black people experience more tailing by security at stores. And Chinese American scientists are red-flagged and considered potential spies because of their cultural heritage. Shocking as these stories are, many of us experience them in our everyday life, which is frustration we can explain to nobody. Because of the lack of social and political representatives in the United States, ethnic weeks are our valuable venue to commemorate the struggles we have endured and gain ourselves social visibility. We need a time and space to show that we are also civilized, cultured and proud members of this country.
Why don’t we also have a White heritage week as well since they are even the majority of the national population? In fact we do. Besides the one ethnic week, the other 51 weeks on the calendar are White heritage weeks. From the moment we enter first grade, all we observe and practice is the mainstream White culture and standards. White Americans live and breathe their intangible White privilege deeply rooted from this country’s history. What are some examples of this privilege? Consider the ethnicity of all the US presidents and the fact that more than 35% of the UC student population being white versus less than 5% being black, just to name a few. With this White privilege based on unjust historical resources accumulation and reallocation, the message sent out by an official White heritage week could be potentially hurtful to people in underrepresented groups.
I look forward to a world where everyone truly sees everyone as equal individuals. In that world, ethnic identity may probably be a non-existing issue. But our world is not quite there yet. So here we are going on celebrating our ethnic roots and struggles in our designated weeks on the calendar.
Works Cited
Bertrand, Marianne and Sendhil Mullainathan. "Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination." National Bureau of Ecomoic Reserach. July, 2003.
2 comments:
This is an engaging and informed follow-up to our class discussion, and I especially appreciate how you balance our need to recognize history with our desire to 'move on' and attempt to get 'over' certain historical effects. This is a tricky process indeed. Colleen's question of "guilt" is a vexed one, because it does raise the specter of reverse discrimination and undeserved legacies—but, as Rick rightly notes, "our world is not quite there yet." Indeed, the world will never get “there” if ‘there’ is understood as a final destination. One of the most difficult and delicate matters is to comprehend living in an historical process rather than outside of History. What we think of as ‘historical shifts’ take place gradually (and often painfully or just messily), and are only seen as having happened neatly or abruptly in retrospect. In the presence of history, we may feel guilt, frustration, or utter confusion—and this is precisely why we should keep learning, which means practicing increased sensitivity and hesitancy before any seeming quick fix solution or simple answer to the questions of history.
Great anaylysis, Ricè®°...and hey, you're reassuring I'm not gonna change my first name then ... lol if pride is what I gotta give up for call back, I'll let them go.
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