Overview of Economic, Health, and Human Rights Issues of Racial and Ethnic Minorities Martin Donohoe

Colonial Exploitation Christopher Columbus’ log entry upon meeting the Arawaks of the Bahamas: “They…brought us…many…things…They willingly traded everything they owned…They do not bear arms…They would make fine servants…With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”

Colonial Exploitation Cecil Rhodes (Rhodesia, Rhodes Scholarship, DeBeers Mining Company): “We must find new lands from which we can easily obtain raw materials and at the same time exploit the cheap slave labour that is available from the natives of the colonies. The colonies would also provide a dumping ground for the surplus goods produced in our factories.”

Exploitation leads to: Maldistribution of wealth and resources Environmental degradation Wars

Racial Disparities: Economic Median income of black U.S. families as a percent of white U.S. families approximately 60% (no change since 1960s) Minorities face higher levels of unemployment

Poverty and Hunger U.S.: 14.3% of residents and 20% of children live in poverty –Rates of poverty in Blacks and Hispanics = almost 3X Whites Poverty associated with worse physical and mental health

Income Inequality Lower life expectancy Higher rates of infant and child mortality Short height Poor self-reported health AIDS Depression Mental Illness Obesity

Functional Apartheid Segregated communities Stress consequent to ongoing racism and poverty Undocumented immigrants face constant threat of deportation, disruption of family and social relationships

Educational Apartheid High levels of de facto school segregation by race and SES Gross discrepancies in per-pupil spending and teacher salaries Achievement and graduation gaps growing Lower education = poorer health

Environmental Racism –Waste dumps/incinerators more common in lower SES neighborhoods –“Cancer Belt” (Baton Rogue to New Orleans) –Poor, African-Americans, and Hispanics more commonly exposed to lead, other toxins

Pesticides EPA: U.S. farm workers suffer up to 300,000 pesticide-related acute illnesses and injuries per year NAS: Pesticides in food could cause up to 1 million cancers in the current generation of Americans

Racial Disparities in Health Care Coverage Percent uninsured: –Whites = 12% –Asians = 17% –African-Americans = 21% –Hispanics = 32% –Undocumented immigrants = 0% (exception for emergency care exception) CA Proposition 189

Racial Disparities: Health Care Higher maternal and infant mortality Higher death rates for most diseases Shorter life expectancies Less health insurance Fewer diagnostic tests / therapeutic procedures

Health Disparities Among Latinos Higher rates of: –Overweight and obesity –Certain cancers –Stroke –Diabetes –Asthma/COPD –Chronic liver disease/cirrhosis –HIV/AIDS –Homicide

Racial Disparities in Health Care: African-Americans Equalizing the mortality rates of whites and African-Americans would have averted 686,202 deaths between 1991 and 2000 –Whereas medical advances averted 176,633 deaths AJPH 2004;94:

Exploitation: Post-WW II Human Subject Experimentation Tuskegee Syphilis Study Guatemalan Syphilis Experiment Drug trials in developing world Medical brain drain

Racism in the Criminal Justice System Persons of color are more likely than whites to be: –Stopped by the police (e.g., “Driving while black”) –Abused by the police –Arrested –Denied bail –Charged with a serious crime –Convicted –Receive a harsher sentence

Race and Detention Rates African-Americans: 1,815/100,000 –More black men behind bars than in college Latino-Americans: 609/100,000 Caucasian-Americans: 235/100,000 Asian-Americans: 99/100,000

Outside the U.S. Racial and cultural inequalities Poverty, famine, war Third World debt crisis

Foreign Aid In total dollars: U.S. #1 As a % of GDP, U.S. #21 U.S. Aid: Over 1/3 military, 1/4 economic, 1/3 for food and development

Foreign Aid 0.9% of the total federal budget, 1.6% of the U.S. discretionary budget Americans think that 24% of the federal budget goes toward foreign aid

U.S. Charitable Giving Approximately $250 billion/year – 2.5% of income –2.9% at height of Great Depression

Solutions Living wage laws –E.g., NY, LA, Chicago, and Philadelphia Education reforms More equitable distribution of medical research funds and health care dollars

Solutions Creation of healthier communities Stronger environmental and occupational and safety laws/enhanced enforcement

Solutions Single payer health care Improve status of women / access to reproductive health care Overhaul immigration policy Changes in law enforcement and sentencing

Fyodor Dostoyevsky “A society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens but by how it treats its criminals”

Solutions Vote: U.S. voter turnout low (139/172 worldwide) –Wealthy vote at almost twice rate of poor –Whites > Blacks > Hispanics –Old > Young –Property owners > Renters

Solutions Publicly financed campaigns and campaign finance reform Proportional representation Instant runoff voting/cumulative voting/range (rating) voting

Solutions Activism / Protesting / Whistleblowing Work in Groups

Primo Levi “A country is considered the more civilized the more the wisdom and efficiency of its laws hinder a weak man from becoming too weak or a powerful one too powerful.”

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