Racial progress. (Opinion Pulse).(population statistics)(Statistical Data Included)

People of all races overestimate the size of the black, Hispanic, and Asian populations in the United States. Whites, Hispanics, and Asians say that they are satisfied with their household income. Although blacks and Hispanics lag behind whites and Asians in household income, all groups gained ground during the 1990s.

Majorities of whites, blacks, Hispanics, and Asians are satisfied with their housing, and home ownership rates are rising. Whites are less likely than people of other races to live in integrated neighborhoods. Whites and Asians are more satisfied with their education than blacks and Hispanics are. Growing majorities of all these groups have a high school education or more.

Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians are more optimistic than whites that their children will enjoy a higher standard of living than their own generation. Young blacks and Hispanics have higher levels of optimism than young whites that their lives will be better than those of their parents. Blacks are more optimistic than whites that their incomes and local schools will be better ten years from now. Whites are slightly more optimistic about race relations where they live. Solid majorities of all groups believe in the American Dream.

 
Question: Now I'd like to ask you how the nation's population is 
divided among white Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans 
and Asian Americans. Just your best guess ...? 
 
Estimates of the size of various groups in the population by ... 
 
          White        Black        Hispanic     Asian 
          respondents  respondents  respondents  respondents 
 
   White      55%          60%          56%          54% 
   Black      29           37           33           26 
Hispanic      23           28           35           25 
   Asian      15           21           22           17 
 
Source: The Washington Post, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 
Harvard University, March-April 2001. 
 
Note: Table made from bar graph. 
Population share 
 
Actual: 
 
   White          69% 
   Black          12 
Hispanic          13 
   Asian           4 
 
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. 
Question: I'd like to ask you about some 
aspects of your life. Are you ...? 
 
           Satisfied with my 
           household income 
 
   White 
response          73% 
   Black          49 
Hispanic          64 
   Asian          68 
 
Source: Princeton Survey Research 
Associates for the National 
Conference for Community and 
Justice, January-March 2000. 
 
Note: Table made from bar graph. 
Question: Is your ...? 
 
           Total annual income 
           from all sources is less 
           than $40,000 a year 
 
   White 
response          41% 
   Black          68 
Hispanic          65 
   Asian          40 
 
Source: The Washington Post, Henry 
J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Harvard 
University, March-April 2001. 
 
Note: Table made from bar graph. 
Household Income (constant $) 
 
 Actual:     1990     2000 
 
   White   $40,100   $44,226 
   Black   $23,979   $30,439 
Hispanic   $28,671   $33,447 
   Asian   $49,369   $55,521 
 
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. 
Question: I'd like to ask you about some 
aspects of your life. Are you ...? 
 
            Satisfied with my 
            present housing 
 
   White 
response           91% 
   Black           77 
Hispanic           82 
   Asian           90 
 
Source: Princeton Survey Research Associates for the 
National Conference for Community and Justice, January-March 2000. 
 
Note: Table made from bar graph. 
Question: Do you ...? 
 
            Live in a racially 
            integrated 
            neighborhood 
 
   White 
response           44% 
   Black           61 
Hispanic           66 
   Asian           73 
 
Source: The Washington Post, Henry 
J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Harvard 
University, March-April 2001. 
 
Note: Table made from bar graph. 
Home Ownership 
 
 Actual:     1990     2000 
 
   White      69%      74% 
   Black      43       49 
Hispanic      41       46 
   Asian      --       53 
 
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. 
If you were asked to use one of these four names for your social class, 
which would you belong to ...? 
 
                White response     Black response 
 
                2000   1972-1973   2000   1972-1973 
 
Upper Class       4%      2%         4%      ...