An American Dilemma Summary

Niebhur’s fundamental argument regarding racism is that is one that does not stem from economic instability or unrest. Niebuhr claims that the issue of racism derives from the intrinsic human qualities of pride, stubbornness, and power (Niebuhr 29A). Arguments to back any claim that racism is economically rooted is refuted and Niebuhr insists that Gunnar Myrdal, who wrote An American Dilemma, which claims that the rising economic gap between socioeconomic factions augments the racial friction between them (Niebuhr 29A). Niebhur goes on to counter this by stating that our current ability to coexistence as a people is met with economic stagnancy and rising racial conflict, so it is illogical to conclude that while our economic standings are stagnant, the latter will be rising
(Niebuhr 29A).
After addressing this fallacy, Niebuhr explains that it is one of deeper concern; the issue of racism cannot be fixed by making it an economically even playing field for all races in the country (Niebuhr 29A). Solidifying his argument, Niebuhr tells us that we are merely creatures; we must engage religious empathy and logical enlightenment across cultures to finally banish racism from its roots. On the same hand as Niebuhr, my personal argument claims that racism is not solely economically reliant, but rather, influenced, and mostly dependent on assimilation and traditional beliefs. Throughout the civil Rights movement in the 1950’s, blacks were faced with immense amounts of de facto racism (racism not condoned by law) and this caused them to moved out of the south and into more urban and developed areas in both the south and north; however, the sheer amount of migration “led to significant increases in…segregation” (Tushnet 1). Despite this, man’s intrinsic sense of self-worship and entitlement does not end there. Consider Roosevelt signing Executive Order 9066 in February of 1942, which was “the mass forced removal of
Japanese citizens on the West Coast” (Niiya). Regardless of their criminal history, then current occupation, or family, if they were Japanese they were deported. The quintessential display of mindless racial oppression, Executive Order 9066 today is an embarrassment to the United States government as it was a rash and callous decision that had no economic impetuses, but ones of fear and concern following D-Day. Lastly, consider the economic status of cities in the United States; of the top 100 poorest cities, 66 are in the South and belong to states that were once part of the Confederacy while the remaining 44 are in any other states (US Census 2014). It is assumed that blacks were oppressed because they were economically isolated; they were virtually forced to go to neighborhoods in which they poverty dwelled and segregation blossomed. They have been forced out of cities such as Austin and in turn, “the city is most of all segregated by wealth” (Vincent). Despite this claim, blacks have only been in situations of such oppression because of intrinsic racism in man; pride and de facto elitism in combination with racism economically has debilitated them and kept their head underwater. As a result, racism is not solely economically motivated, but rather, instilled through de facto tradition and kept alive through economic strata in society and the unfailing pride that man has for themselves and people like them; a constant war is battled between races and the undying sense of entitlement and separation keeps the goal of coexistence so close yet so far.