PRRI Research Reveals Need for Anti-Discrimination Language
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced in March it is revising its mission statement to remove anti-discrimination language. The proposed draft of the new HUD mission statement removes references to "inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination."
A March 5 memo addressed to HUD political staff, Amy Thompson, the department's assistant secretary for public affairs, explained that the statement is being updated "in an effort to align HUD's mission with HUD Secretary Ben Carson's priorities and that of the Administration," according to The Huffington Post.
Going forward, the new HUD mission statement will read: "HUD's mission is to ensure Americans have access to fair, affordable housing and opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency, thereby strengthening our communities and nation."
There is a need for this anti-discrimination language based on findings from PRRI's American Values Atlas "Who Sees Discrimination? Attitudes on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Race, and Immigration Status " which reveals national attitudes towards discrimination, including breakdowns by race, political orientation and religion.
White Americans are divided on the discrimination African Americans face
– 50 percent of white Americans believe blacks face a lot of discrimination, 47% say this is not the case
– 63 percent of white young adults (age 18-29) agree blacks face a considerable amount of discrimination
– 32 percent of Republicans believe blacks face a lot of discrimination in society, compared to 58 percent of political independents and more than three-quarters (77 percent) of Democrats
– Only about four in ten (41 percent) Republicans say immigrants experience a lot of discrimination in society, compared to roughly twice as many Democrats (78 percent) and nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of independents
Minorities agree on the realities of discrimination
– Majorities of black Americans (85 percent), Hispanics (66 percent), mixed-race Americans (64 percent), and Asian-Pacific Islander Americans (55 percent) say blacks face significant levels of discrimination today
– Close to six in ten white (57 percent) and API Americans (59 percent) say immigrants face a great deal of discrimination. About two-thirds (66 percent) of mixed-race Americans, roughly three-quarters (74 percent) of black Americans, and eight in ten (80 percent) Hispanics also believe immigrants face a lot of discrimination.
Most Americans believe minority groups experience a lot of discrimination in the U.S. today
– Roughly six in ten Americans believe immigrants (63 percent), transgender people (62 precent), gay and lesbian people (58 percent), and blacks (57 percent) face a lot of discrimination in the country today.
– Nearly one-quarter (24 percent) of the American public do not believe black Americans, immigrants, or gay and lesbian people experience a lot of discrimination, 16 percent believe only one of the three groups experiences a lot of discrimination, and 18 percent say two of the three groups face a great deal of discrimination.
– More than four in ten (42 percent) Americans say all three groups experience a lot of discrimination.
