Reviews
The Ethnic Myth: Race, Ethnicity, and Class in America by Stephen Steinberg, Eric William Lott
kuhkeke's review against another edition
4.0
Steinberg seeks to expunge popular, reductionist assumptions that emphasizes cultural explanations related to a group’s ethnicity and race to explain the successes and failures of such groups. He instead argues that we must first determine the sociohistorical contexts which allowed for upward mobility (in the case of Jews, Asians, or other noteworthy groups) or years of socioeconomic stagnation (blacks, Hispanics, Latinos). We’ve all heard these stereotypes before. Jews value education; that’s why they’re so successful. Blacks are lazy; that’s why they’re so unsuccessful.
Let me be clear, though. Steinberg does not dispute that Jewish people and Asians value education, but he insists that their “middle-class values” would not have bore fruit if other factors like economic power and opportunity weren’t there, too. Obtainment of quality education and upward mobility cannot happen if the circumstances aren’t right.
Ascribing one group’s achievements to their ethnic background and culture is an act of oversimplification. It overlooks pre-existing conditions that may have given the group a leg up. Furthermore, when we draw on the deficiencies produced in other racial groups, we are in effect turning a blind eye to the inequitable structures these individuals suffer through. Such thoughts are ultimately harmful because we insist that the least successful groups need to take matters into their own hands and aspire to work harder and be “better” when we could really be changing the institutions that oppress these individuals. Of course, these pursuits would be costly, but America is bound to suffer more if we continue to perpetuate class inequality and pit racial groups against each other.
Let me be clear, though. Steinberg does not dispute that Jewish people and Asians value education, but he insists that their “middle-class values” would not have bore fruit if other factors like economic power and opportunity weren’t there, too. Obtainment of quality education and upward mobility cannot happen if the circumstances aren’t right.
Ascribing one group’s achievements to their ethnic background and culture is an act of oversimplification. It overlooks pre-existing conditions that may have given the group a leg up. Furthermore, when we draw on the deficiencies produced in other racial groups, we are in effect turning a blind eye to the inequitable structures these individuals suffer through. Such thoughts are ultimately harmful because we insist that the least successful groups need to take matters into their own hands and aspire to work harder and be “better” when we could really be changing the institutions that oppress these individuals. Of course, these pursuits would be costly, but America is bound to suffer more if we continue to perpetuate class inequality and pit racial groups against each other.
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