A comparison and contrast of the four major ethnic groups in the United States indicates that race continues to be a significant factor in economic achievement and status. Of the four groups (Asian-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and African-Americans) only certain ethnic categories of Asian-Americans enjoy a standard of living that is equal to whites. The degree of cultural assimilation that these groups have achieved is a factor in their upward mobility.
African-Americans in the 1990s are a diverse group, yet society often focuses on their similarities. Granted, blacks as a group tend to have lower incomes than their white peers. However, the black community exhibits the same class stratification as the white community: upper, middle, and lower. Members of the black upper class include the rich and famous such as celebrities, politicians, and literary figures, along with leading members of the professional class, such as doctors, lawyers, and executives. This group includes both those who have benefitted from inherited wealth and those whose gains have been based solely on personal initiative.
The black middle class is the growing, stable core of African-American professionals, civil service workers, and business owners. Their values reflect mostly those of their white counterparts regarding the importance of education, homeownership, and family. A significant difference is that members of the black middle class do not enjoy the same degree of financial security as whites. One reason may be the tendency of blacks to favor spending on consumer items and lifestyle enhancements: "They are concerned about respectability and want to maintain certain standards of living, often without adequate economic means."
About two-thirds of the black community can be classified as lower-class, although several distinctions exist within this group. The first segment is described as the working nonpoor. This...