Self-segregation
Self-segregation refers to the phenomenon where individuals or groups choose to associate primarily with others of similar racial or ethnic backgrounds, leading to the formation of racially or culturally homogeneous neighborhoods, schools, or social circles. Despite significant strides in racial integration following the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, many American institutions remain segregated, raising questions about the reasons behind this separation. Some experts argue that self-segregation among minority groups is a response to ongoing racial discrimination and a perceived lack of acceptance from majority groups. This voluntary clustering can sometimes lead to beneficial outcomes, particularly in educational settings, where minority students may thrive in environments tailored to their cultural identity. However, the implications of self-segregation are debated—while some view it as a rejection of broader societal integration, others argue it provides necessary support systems for marginalized groups. The conversation surrounding self-segregation is complex, involving issues of choice, community, and the residual effects of historical discrimination. Overall, self-segregation presents a paradox, as it can serve both as a protective measure for minority communities and a barrier to greater societal cohesion.
Self-segregation
The racial integration of American institutions was an important part of the 1960s Civil Rights movement. However, many neighborhoods, schools, and social and religious organizations continued to be segregated even after laws enforcing segregation disappeared. Some observers have maintained that this is largely a result of self-segregation by minority group members, sparking debates over the extent and desirability of self-segregation.
Racial segregation by law, also known as de jure segregation, was common in the United States until the Civil Rights movement. Since the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the integration of American institutions has been a major goal for many governmental organizations and concerned citizens. However, the end of segregation by law did not produce the end of actual segregation. In their influential book American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making of the Underclass (1993), sociologists Douglas S. Massey and Nancy A. Denton offered evidence that American neighborhoods were becoming more racially segregated over the course of the twentieth century. The National School Boards Association reported in 1989 that a majority of African American schoolchildren were attending racially segregated schools. Even when residential areas and institutions were integrated, many White and Black Americans associated primarily with members of their own racial groups.
Given this continuing racial separation, the issue of self-segregation became a topic of debate on several points. First, observers have disagreed as to what extent continuing segregation was a product of self-segregation rather than of continuing racial discrimination. Second, it is often unclear whether minority group members are more likely than White individuals to avoid social contact with outsiders. Third, some commentators have argued that self-segregation is undesirable and destructive for minority group members and for American society in general, while others have held that voluntary segregation can often be beneficial.
In American Apartheid, Massey and Denton pointed to residentially segregated neighborhoods as evidence of continuing systematic discrimination in American housing (Fair Housing Act and discrimination). However, sociologist Orlando Patterson responded that African Americans tended to live in majority Black neighborhoods as a matter of choice. Because school districts are based on residential areas, if Patterson is correct, segregated schools, as well as segregated neighborhoods, would be largely a product of voluntary self-segregation.
Some of those who object to the continuing segregation of American society have criticized minority group members for clustering in their own neighborhoods or friendship groups. However, according to a study of college students by University of Michigan scholar Sylvia Hurtado, White students are more likely than African Americans, Mexican Americans, or Asian Americans to voluntarily segregate themselves. Therefore, minority self-segregation may be a response to a real or perceived lack of complete acceptance by White individuals. When minority members do engage in self-segregation, they often do so in order to overcome disadvantages. In her book Blacks in College (1984), for example, Jacqueline Fleming reported that African Americans in majority Black colleges showed more academic progress and higher graduation rates than African Americans in majority White colleges. In the first decades of the twenty-first century, experts noted that America was subtly and slowly self-segregating. Massey's Categorically Unequal: The American Stratification System (2007) documents this process.
Bibliography
Anderson, Elizabeth. The Imperative of Integration. Princeton UP, 2010.
Carr, James H., and Nandinee K. Kutty. Segregation: The Rising Costs for America. Routledge, 2008.
Chang, Alvin. "White America Is Quietly Self-Segregating." Vox, 31 July 2018, www.vox.com/2017/1/18/14296126/white-segregated-suburb-neighborhood-cartoon. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.
Fleming, Jacqueline. Blacks in College. Jossey, 1984.
Loevy, Robert D. The Civil Rights Act of 1964: The Passage of the Law That Ended Racial Segregation. State U of New York P, 1997.
Schroeder, Oliver, and David T. Smith. De Facto Segregation and Civil Rights: Struggle for Legal and Social Equality. Hein, 1965.