For Today's Youth, Race Is Not an Issue

At times, the 2008 Presidential election campaign has been ugly. On top of the unfortunately commonplace personal character attacks in modern politics, Barack Obama's entrance into the global political theater has also shoved the issue of race into the spotlight.

Although the mainstream media proclaim the significance of race in the mind's of voters, I have always felt like today's youth were unaffected and unbiased. I decided to take a survey of more than 400 of today's young men and women: nearly half between 18 and 24 and the other half older than 24, from more than 25 states. As of September, 92% of the survey pool was registered to vote and 96% said they planned on voting. As it turns out, their responses proved my hypothesis correct: for today's youth, race is not an issue.

When asked outright as to whether race would have an effect on their vote for the next president, 89% said no. However, 76% stated that they thought race would have a heavy impact on the decision of other voters. So, interestingly, while they seemed to have confidence in their own decision to remain unaffected by the allegations of racial undertones cast out by the media, this confidence was not shared in others. It's as if today's youth realize the diversity of their voting block and the need for them to remain neutral to frivolous political banter. It's almost as if they're saying: "If not us, who will be the voice of reason?"

Nearly everyone surveyed, an overwhelming 98%, said they had no problem voting for a candidate of a different race than their own. Rather than focusing on the cosmetic details, younger generations are focusing on the attributes of the candidates that should be on forefront of the minds of all voters: qualifications, experience, and character. While 31% did say that ethnicity will be a reason why voters may vote against Obama, nearly the same amount (29%) said that his qualifications would also effect voters' decisions.

Still, regardless of what other voters will focus on come November 4th, young people are positive-minded and hopeful. They see the diversity of this year's electoral race as an advantage for the United States' position in the global community. The logic is subtle yet simple: not only will the world gain respect for Obama should he become a great leader, they will have respect for us as Americans for shattering barriers and electing someone for the right reasons. Undistracted by the hatred and bigotry, young people are having serious discussions about qualifications and experience. There are now generations of young people in America (and all over the world) who have come to understand and respect cultural and ethnic differences; and they're unafraid to be public about it.

Although one person surveyed felt that "some countries may be racist" when viewing a black man as President of the United States, most felt that our posture in international relations "will improve significantly" and "in a positive way".

As one respondent said, "the world will see that we've finally come out of the Dark Ages and maybe SOME Americans aren't so narrow minded after all . . . Electing Obama will help the US to regain international respect and credibility."

In fact, one person got straight to the point, saying that "other countries don't have the same racial hangups we have in the US." The overall sentiment is clear, "Americans, especially under Bush, have been perceived as arrogant, ill-informed and moronic." American youth are yearning for a leader with a "fresh perspective."

It's important to note that not everyone we surveyed supports Obama's candidacy; but still, the "reasoning NOT to vote for him has nothing to do with his skin color." Instead of entertaining mindless arguments about the racial implications of the election, young people want to know what the candidates "can do for the people to better our nation." Besides, whether you are supporting Obama or McCain, "what a person looks like has nothing to do with how he handles a situation." Well said.

Comments

[Heru1]

Your analysis is much too superficial to support your conclusion. I have yet to meet a racist in my lifetime who admitted. I suggest you look into research on automatic racism which goes beyond what people say their attitudes on race are. By the time they reach adulthood, most young racists have learned to deny it.

[Fenianheart]

As much as the MTV culture has made me cringe, I must admit that it has positively influenced the youth in the subjects of diversity and tolerance. I see racism and sexuality-based intolerance slowly but surely being phased out.

[southernsepia]

Ms. Wells may I call your attention to the young staffer who made the inflammatory claim that a 6'4 Bl.ack guy attacked her. What was she thinking if not race?

No people of color can afford to embrace the post racial mindset. Young Afri.can Ame.ricans ignore their roots and heritage at their peril. It is not meant to confine but to give strength and guidance. It is what has brought us to this place, intact through terrible times.

[mskitty71]

This younger generation has grown up watching and listening to MTV. From Sesame Street to sports, Myspace, and fashion, we have been raised with a multicultural view of the world. Being different is what makes us interesting not frightening. Through the use of today's technology, we have discovered that though we may come in different shades and from different walks of life, we have more in common than we are different!

[llisa]

Race is not an issue for this 53 year-old couple either. And if my open-minded parents were still here, they could cancel out my mother-in-law's vote.

But, I am sure there are plenty of young people for whom race is a pretty big issue. It mostly depends on the environment in which they were raised. My kids, my sisters and I, and even my parents (WAY back when) were raised to accept people as individuals and not as colors, religions, or cultures. We learned this by example.

I really do hope that the country is heading in a color-blind direction, but I sure have been discouraged by some of the things that this election has brought to light. It is not octogenarians shouting those nasty things at McCain and Palin rallies.

[robbie44]

Senator Obama has totaly trancsended skin color.....­..........­... he's a new world man .

[SocialistDistortion]

Race isn't the big problem for youth. The problem with the youth vote is that they just don't CARE. They care more about their ipods and xboxes.

Attention all young voters - Watch the below video. This will be your future under a McCain presidency. Maybe then you'll learn your lesson and get more involved.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVwUEABV9mg

[llisa]

I remember this vividly.

I have feared all along that a new draft will have to be started. Our soldiers are spread too thin and re-deployed again. And why would anyone new volunteer, since they now know that the US will not give them adequate and timely medical care, education opportunities, money enough to care for their families, etc. And they will never be released from the military till they are dead or maimed too badly to go back to war.

A never-ending war (plus possibly several new ones) is totally unacceptable.

I am proud to know a lot of young people who are very involved in this election. But, I do believe that this would be a sobering clip for anyone of any age to watch.

[S1m0n]

Every generation says that about the one before. It's never true.

[egal]

That's B.S.

The younger generations are more active in school, volunteering, exctracurricular local issues, and just about everything else than old people.

It's hard to think your call to action has any validity when WE'RE the ones basing our decision on facts and policie and YOUR assumption of our ennui or apathy is based on nothing more than the MSM and older peoples' penchance for lying and fearmongering about the youth much as many are about Obama. Facts say, today's younger adults and older teens CARE EXCESSIVELY. We're less violent; more helpul; more responsible; more community-­supporting­; more open-minded; more engaged.

We're phenomenally involved in this political race and many local ones, and a mere modicum of research proves us far more involved with the society around us than older generations were or are now. The only reason those of us old enough to do so haven't voted before this is that they thought all the choices sucked, and didn't see any one as notably worse than the others. Yeah, they were horrifyingly wrong, but believing self-serving politicians are all equally terrble choices is an entirely different thing from NOT CARING.

This time, the need for action is obvious and has mobilized us in droves--as the footsoldiers to the cause of getting our nation (back) on track.

[tomjones44]

being in that 18-25 group, I cannot understand how race is even an issue. I obviously know that it is for some, but I can't see a logical reason for it, other than fear. Today's youth have grown up through BUSH, and we're pretty immune to fear mongering by this point.

[wakeup804]

Maybe someday, everyone will view our country as the youth do. This election is so much bigger than complexion.

[Danigirl65]

I love that saying:

"This election
is so much bigger
than complexion"

I wish the Obama campaign would embrace it - trust me, I've heard about many people who are voting for Obama in spite of his skin color because they cannot bear 8 more years of the ignorant white guys (and this is coming from ignorant white guys).

[tomjones44]

haha someday, the youth will be everyone in the country, so it's probably going to happen

[kylennblack]

I'm one of the forgotten generation X-er's and things started to shift when we were kids.

[ladyv]

I actually have really come to enjoy my Gen X position. I am pleased by/for the twentysomethings and can translate for and reassure the older people. It's interesting because I can remember the deliberation with which "multiculturalism" was implemented in public schools and the groundbreaking work done in entertainment by people like Norman Lear because while I was a child and thus part of the impressionable youth that those forces hoped to influence positively, I also remember the anxieties expressed by people opposed to all of it, their obsession that there was some sort of AGENDA being pursued. And now I just laugh because, guess what? Yes, there was an agenda, and yes, it's paying off! The twentysomethings have no sense of themselves as having their reality intentionally adjusted because it's just the way things always were for them, so it became reality.

[mr jellyneck]

An Obama presidency won't be the end of racism in this country, obviously. But it would be a good indicator of progress, not just for black Americans but all races and ethnicities, within our country, and for all Americans and how we're viewed elsewhere.

Cowboys have hurt our image.A smart black man (and his family) who is a product of our country will heal it.

[BlueAsh]

Great article! Very refreshing!

The talking heads need something sensational to get people's attention. If it is not race, it'll be something like "abortion" or "China" or "Russia."

Four decades of work by Civil Rights activists and fair-minded citizens, which has led to civil rights education in schools and equal rights in the workplace, has indeed changed this country. And the triumph of the Obama campaign will put the final nail on the coffin of the ugly chapter in US history.

[ToonMoene]

I tend to put that the other way around:

For today's race, youth is not an issue.

Otherwise, why would McCain even try ?

[Bruce Tenenbaum - Huffpost Blogger]

You didn't need to do a survey. All you needed to do was to turn on MTV.

The young are leading the way on the issue of racial diversity. The world is changing. It already looks nothing like the world I grew up in and that was miles ahead of the world my parents grew up in. Twenty years hence we will no longer be discussing this issue.

[vicenteduq]

Race, Racials and Raciality are of increasing importance but in a positive way, and not only as violence, aggression or hate. Racism still lives but other conceptions appear in Youthful and some Old Minds.

Pollsters, commentators and bloggers, prepare yourselves for many hours analyzing Race and Racials in future elections or in marketing tasks.

Lots of People that look "perfectly" Anglo have a Hispanic last name. Many new friends "confess" to you that they have Latino ancestors or Native American Indian ancestors.

It is estimated that a Big Proportion of Americans, mainly in the South, have Black ancestors. The older your family in America the more likely to have Black genes.

So there may be an antiBradley effect lurking in the shadows. I suspect that many "perfectly looking" Anglos or "Whites" have some ancient family story of persecution, segregation, or bullies against an ancestor and are very antiBigotry and don't buy the racial fears. Things were not easy for Italians and Irish many decades ago.


http://raciality.blogspot.com/

http://milenials.blogspot.com/


Vicente Duque