Multiracial Harmony in California

A recent northern California survey on racial stereotypes has left the chattering classes tongue-tied. Asians, for example, are three times as likely as whites to report that they wouldn't stand for it if a black or Hispanic moved in next door. Hispanics are about twice as likely as whites to say they wouldn't have a black neighbor and three times as likely to say they wouldn't have an Asian neighbor. Whites are supposed to be the big racists in this country, so commentators were reduced to wringing their hands over "how quickly immigrants learn racism in America." Some racial activists insisted that the questions were ambiguous. When asked whether blacks could pull themselves up to better positions if they worked harder, 65 percent of Hispanics agreed, followed by 58 percent for both blacks and Asians. Only 42 percent of the whites agreed; most dutifully blamed society for black poverty. When asked if Hispanics could get ahead if they worked harder, the percentages were similar except that an even larger number of Hispanics (72 percent) agreed. [Steve Johnson, Survey Finds Bay Area Tolerant of diversity, SJ Merc, 11/17/91, p. B1.] Hispanic activists were no doubt annoyed that their people weren't more worried about "institutional racism." If this survey shows anything, it is that of all the races in California, whites have been most successfully browbeaten into giving evasive answers on whom they would accept as neighbors and into pretending that non-whites can't get ahead no matter how hard they try.
Private black schools have gone the farthest (see sidebar). Some reject America, and teach their pupils that they are the African diaspora. Many teach patent nonsense, claiming that the ancient Egyptians and even King Solomon were black. Nevertheless, even if some of their material is ridiculous, Afro-centric teachers have recognized something that white teachers have forgotten: History has a point of view; it cannot be all things to all people.