Abstract Details

African Americans are often viewed as a monolithic group in the United States because Black people generally have been subjected to the same racism and prejudice throughout American society. While African Americans have had many similar experiences in the United States, their opinions on the current political, social, and economic worldview may differ based on ethnic groups. The author chose to closely examine the extent to which family history and decade of one’s arrival (or one’s family’s arrival) to the United States, and the region from which one (or one’s family) originated, might influence the current political, social, and economic worldview of adolescent and adult Americans who self-identify as Black. In order to study the effects of these variables, I administered surveys to 146 African American adults in suburban New York City. The online survey consisted of four parts. These parts included views on economic success, law enforcement, current events, specifically the Black Lives Matter Movement, and Black representation in American society. Ultimately the study found statisAmerican Blacks: The Power of Representation Cayla Anne-Eloise Midy tically significant differences between region/ decade of arrival and societal world views. There were also gender gaps. Introduction Although Black Americans, Caribbean Americans and Africans carry similar emotional baggage from years of oppression (Jackson & Cotharn, 2003), Black Americans are more attuned to discrimination than Afro-Caribbeans. Many Caribbean Blacks believe that their ethnic status garners more respect in the United States and that stereotypes directed towards Black Americans do not apply (Head & Thompson, 2017). Additionally, Afro-Caribbeans tend to report higher levels of internalized racism1 (Molina & James, 2016). A word about the terminology used in this `paper. After conversations with Professor Marsha Gardener, chair of the Black Studies Program at Adelphi University, the 1 Internalization of racial oppression by the racially subordinated 24 

Reference

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