Here’s a doozy in the theme of the racial wealth gap: households headed by white people who dropped out of high school have greater assets than those headed by blacks and Latinos with college degrees.
At Demos, where Matt Bruenig posted this graph, he writes:
The median white family with an education level below high school has a net worth of $51.3k, while the median black and hispanic family with a college degree has a net worth of $25.9k and $41k respectively.
You’re better off being a white high school dropout than a black or Latino college grad. Ouch.
Lisa Wade, PhD is an Associate Professor at Tulane University. She is the author of American Hookup, a book about college sexual culture; a textbook about gender; and a forthcoming introductory text: Terrible Magnificent Sociology. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Comments 8
Bill R — October 4, 2014
Another titillating headline and conclusion, data-poor graphics, and no attempt whatsoever at interpretation or explanation. Another thread designed to incite and confuse more than educate. This is tabloid rag material.
1. Why did you choose the "head of household" level of observation? Do ages of heads of households vary by race? Does net worth vary by age? Have you thought of this?
2. Why use net worth as the determinant of financial success? I'm sure you know your conclusion falls flat when earnings are the measure; so what's motivating you to select the particular measures you do?
Yes, it is still difficult for many blacks to succeed in America. This kind of post, essentially anti-intellectual bitching, tells us nothing.
obongo — October 4, 2014
niggers are shit
Dan — October 6, 2014
I'm wondering what would happen if the study adjusted out children of the extremely wealthy who dropped out of high school. I'm guessing the numbers wealth number for white drop outs would drop dramatically, and the claim that its generally better to be a white high school drop out than a black or latino college graduate would fall apart.
Sartorial — November 3, 2014
This upsets me. The production of knowledge is important to how we want to change the world and this writing is poorly done and reaches a simplistic and YES. A right conclusion. Statistically, without counting anything else in the kyriarchy if we look at race, whites always come off better.
Misleading statistics and unexplained context for the win! Ivory tower wins again.