Ethnic Differences

Sowell argues that often ethnicities are approached monolithically and ethnic minorities are treated almost exclusively according to their similarities, while acknowledging their differences becomes politically incorrect. One of the points of Ethnic America: A History is to emphasize ethnic differences in an attempt to explain why some immigrant groups have succeeded in the United States and why others struggle.

One profound contrast in the United States' history of immigration is the contrast between Jews and blacks. Blacks have been ruthlessly oppressed for centuries in the United States; they were originally deliberately taught to be dependent on their owners. However, after freedom, many blacks resisted developing the kind of culture that would help them to make progress in the United States—a culture often associated with whites that emphasized learning, hard work, saving, and family unity. As a result, Sowell (who is himself a member of this...