Who has the breakdown by ethnic group regarding welfare?

[The Backlash Cometh]

I have a young man here who believes that most of the people on welfare are black. I told him I'd get stats for him to show him otherwise.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. I'm looking...

not much yet except articles from journals I have no access too.

I'll keep at it...

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. tidbit of the history of the attitude

Therefore, the role of Government programs of poverty has been a tendentious affair in a "racial state" where a disproportionate portion of the population was of color. Here it is rather easy to find what our authors have called, "the racialization of gender deviancy." The rise of racial epithets such as the "Welfare Queens" and "Brood mares" were not used against white female recipients of Welfare. They became prevalent when Blacks, formerly excluded from Welfare programs, substantially in the Southern states where Blacks were overwhelmingly situated before the 1960’s, began to gain access to the Welfare rolls as a consequence of the Civil Rights movement. When Black share of Welfare programs reached the level of 40% in 1972, a political "crisis" was declared in public policy and a punitive regime of forced work began to supplant the "guarantee income" proposals of progressive Whites and Blacks as the preferred solution to poverty.

snip>

Conclusion:

Finally, a central theme of this paper is that "race" in the form of attitudes toward government programs such as Affirmative Action or Welfare has become a symbolic substitute for attitudes about Blacks and the nature of their social progress in America. Indeed, a recent article by Martin Gilens in the American Political Science Review, suggests that in the case of Welfare, the most powerful predictors of negative attitudes toward Welfare by Whites are negative attitudes toward race. ("Race Coding" and White Opposition to Welfare, ASPR, Vol. 90, No. 3, September 1996, pp. 593-604.) The probability exists that the same finding could be made about Affirmative Action. The clear undercurrent in both cases is that Blacks are the undeserving poor where Welfare is concerned and the undeserving beneficiary of employment where Affirmative Action is concerned, simultaneously, and this illogical feeling can only be understood as the product of understandable White anxieties over the future of their country, the basis of which is largely economic not cultural. The problem that afflicts America at this point in history has itself become racialized in and the behavior of the dominant political institutions reflect this in their product which not only has de-emphasized racial justice, but begun to use social policy as an instrument of racial punishment.
http://www.crge.umd.edu/publications/Intersection_97/walters.html

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Thanks.

I'll read it again in the morning.

[mntleo2]

13. Welfare Advocate Here!

I might add here that "deadbeat parents" should only describe the non-supportive parent as well. I mean by this the absent parent that refuses to financially support their own children, much less be there as parents. Sometimes this is because the parent is in prison, but often it is because they are off making another family or doing their own thing. As an advocate of welfare recipients, I can tell you that most welfare recipients are people who have *no* support from the other parent nor any extended family support either, Most recipient mothers were married and over 60% come from domestic violence situations.

I hope the poster above who works in the system does *not* see parents who are caring for their children as "deadbeats". These parents are raising the next generation and are working hard as parents! Until this country sees parenting as a full time job in itself, we are in essence saying that the toil and heartbreak of raising children is "doing nothing" therefore humans are worthless and our children are not worth the time and support to raise them. Animals are considered more! Also if parenting as doing nothing is the attitude, then we will also find it hard to get communities to support single parents who are struggling with all they have to maintain a home, give security, educate and guide kids and have the actual time to BE parents. Because we see parenting as "doing nothing" we will also have a hard time convincing corporations if parenting being "deadbeats," why should they allow or respect the things working parents need to sustain their jobs such as paid family leave, childcare assistance or anything other family support? We might also extend this attitude to our elders since they also need expensive care that their children could do if they had the support.

Because they respect the work of parenting, Venezuela is giving stay-at-home moms a wage for raising the next generation and other European countries give parents at least a year of paid leave to be parents. This is far more than anything this country is doing. These parents deserve more than being considered "deadbeats" for raising the next generation of soldiers, workers, and community activists.

I would ask even childless Americans: "Since you will have no family to do it, who is it that will help you at home, clean your streets, fight your wars, take your garbage, teach your nieces and nephews, doctor you, or change YOUR Depends when you are too old to do it???" Check out http://www.wroc.org and help parents advocate for better support so they can raise secure, loved children.

Motherwork IS work!

My 2 cents

Cat In Seattle

[Erika]

2. Why would you even deal with someone like that?

That's beyond me.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. He's a young man, still.

He's clay in my hands. I want a shot at molding him.

[Catherine Vincent]

3. Why did the subject come up?

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. My son came home from college and we had his best friend over

for Thanksgiving dinner. I always knew "L" was a little bit racist, but he's a little bit progressive too, without realizing it. He thought he was a libertarian, until I told him the things that libertarians believe in. Gave him lots of things to think about.

The thing is, my son is jumping into the conversation. He's listening. So, if I make a good point, it will sink in. I need to try because my son goes to a conservative college, so I only have four days to offset some right-wing influences.

[Gormy Cuss]

7. 38% as of 1999. SEE CORRECTION

This is for AFDC/TANF only, what most people think of as welfare.

CORRECTION: Hispanic has been trending up as non-Hispanic White (30%) and African-American have been trending down. Twenty years ago the numbers For African-American and non-Hispanic White were nearly equal.

See Table II.
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/leavers99/race.htm#fig1

African-Americans have the highest poverty rate, but in absolute numbers non-Hispanic whites have the highest count. See Table I, above link.

There is also the General Assistance/General Relief type of welfare. I can't find demographics for that at the moment.



ON EDIT: I apologize for the inaccurate trending comment. I blame the tryptophan.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. I imagine it's going to be worse since Katrina

[Jamastiene]

10. I hope you find those stats.

Good luck in talking to this young person and changing his mind.

[MaraJade]

11. I worked for 33 years in the Pennsylvania Department of

Public Welfare. For many years, I prepared the federal CMS (HCFA) 64 and 2082 statistical reports.
I also received reporting information from other states.

The truth is that the vast majority of people getting welfare in the US are white people (Caucasians).
Of that majority, over 50 percent are children. And before the racists get busy, the vast majority of
people on welfare, black, asian, hispanic or white, are CHILDREN under age 15. At the present time, the
majority of welfare dollars go to the support of KIDS not cared for by support of dead-beat parents, or kids
supported by the welfare system in general.

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. Thank you for your response.

[mntleo2]

16. What Did You Mean By "Deadbeats"?

...if you are referring to the absent parent as being a deadbeat, perhaps you have a point. But if you are referring to the people doing the parenting as deadbeats, I am glad you do not work for my state, LOL. Over 60% of parents raising their children alone are women from domestic abuse situations. Over 80% were married and the other parent is not helping them to raise the child. Sometimes absence and lack of support is because the other parent is imprisoned and cannot be there, but often it is because they refuse to contribute.

Motherwork IS work. Raising the next generation is contributing to our society ~ IF you are supported in that very daunting job. I posted above why. No active parent is a deadbeat IMO!

Cat In Seattle <---radical welfare advocate who has been there and done that with the System and found it horribly broken. Sometimes by elitist case managers who do not have a clue about low income women's lives.

[Greybnk48]

14. "Don't Believe The Hype"

There was a book that provided this info that came out in 1993 (I believe). Sorry, can't remember the author, it's been too long. It showed that contrary to stereotype, at that time, most people on welfare were white, single females with children.

[Oilwellian]

15. Here's a good table....albeit kinda old

AFDC - OVERVIEW -
Race of Parents
Fiscal Year 1993
Back to the table of contents
Go to the Administration for Children and Families home page

Go to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services home page

Percent distribution of caseload
by race of natural or adoptive parent
--------------------------------------------------------
Native
Cases White Black Hispanic Asian American

U.S. total 4,981,250 38.3% 36.6% 18.5% 2.9% 1.3%

Alabama 51,559 26.4 72.9 0.2 0.3 0.1
Alaska 12,129 49 6.9 1.5 2.7 40
Arizona 69,997 35.2 9.7 39.7 0.5 14.8
Arkansas 26,565 41.8 57.4 0.5 0.1 0
California 859,284 28.5 17.4 36.9 10.3 0.7
Colorado 42,543 43.8 15.1 38.3 1.6 0.9
Connecticut 57,315 32 36.2 30.2 0.8 0.1
Delaware 11,397 28.7 64.7 6.6 0 0
District of Columbia 24,783 0.2 98.6 1 0 0
Florida 254,006 36.5 47.5 15.2 0.6 0
Georgia 141,279 27.8 71.3 0.5 0.4 0
Guam 1,498 2.4 0.3 0.3 97.1 0

Hawaii 18,339 21.8 1.5 1.1 66.9 0
Idaho 7,938 82.2 0.3 9.8 1.2 6.2
Illinois 231,262 29.2 59.5 10.4 0.6 0
Indiana 73,012 55.2 34.9 2.7 0.4 0.2
Iowa 36,672 84 11.2 2.7 1 0.6
Kansas 30,179 65 25.5 6.6 1.2 1.6
Kentucky 82,799 81.4 17.6 0.2 0.6 0.1
Louisiana 90,019 18.6 80.6 0.3 0.4 0
Maine 23,854 97.5 0.7 0 1.2 0.4
Maryland 80,199 26.8 70.1 0.6 0.7 0.1
Massachusetts 114,441 49.7 16.4 24.8 4.3 0.2

Michigan 229,584 46.1 48.7 3.3 0.9 0.8
Minnesota 64,145 64 17.9 4.8 6.8 6.3
Mississippi 60,079 16.5 83 0.2 0.2 0.1
Missouri 89,906 53.6 45.5 0.2 0.6 0
Montana 11,738 67.2 0.3 2.7 0.3 28.7
Nebraska 16,746 62.6 24.4 6.4 1.8 4.8
Nevada 13,006 56.1 32.1 8.2 0.8 2.5
New Hampshire 11,021 84.5 1.5 1.2 0.6 0
New Jersey 125,930 22.1 47.4 29.7 0.7 0
New Mexico 31,279 22.4 5.2 59.1 0.4 12.7
New York 432,788 24.3 32.7 33.9 0.6 0.5

North Carolina 130,736 33.6 63.3 0.9 0.2 1.7
North Dakota 6,494 60.6 2.9 0.9 0.3 35.3
Ohio 257,903 59.4 37.8 2.1 0.6 0
Oklahoma 48,483 57.9 27.6 2.5 0.5 11.5
Oregon 42,591 82.8 7.7 5.8 1.5 2.1
Pennsylvania 205,435 49.2 41 8.2 0.9 0.3
Puerto Rico 60,709 0.5 0.1 99.1 0 0
Rhode Island 22,191 59.6 14.3 15 10.6 0.2
South Carolina 53,314 21.4 76.4 0.2 0 0
South Dakota 7,203 43.9 1 0 0.7 54.5
Tennessee 107,865 47.6 51.3 0.2 0.2 0

Texas 278,657 22 35 42.6 0.3 0.1
Utah 18,443 76.6 1.8 14.4 1.5 5.6
Vermont 10,009 97.1 1.6 0 0 0.6
Virgin Islands 1,082 0.9 34.1 13.7 0 0
Virginia 73,650 30.5 65.7 2.7 0.8 0.2
Washington 101,310 69.6 10.1 8.7 6.6 4.3
West Virginia 41,383 88.7 8 0 0.1 0
Wisconsin 79,989 47.3 37.8 6.6 4.8 2.8
Wyoming 6,509 78.1 1.5 10.1 0 10.3

Source: National Integrated Quality Control System, FY 1993.

http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/afdc/reports/1994/overview/ovrvw30.htm

(There's more information provided in the link above)

As you can see in the overall totals, there are more whites than any other ethnic group who are in need of welfare benefits.

Having worked in Head Start for many years, I have found there's a great misunderstanding about your common welfare recipient. The majority of people who need welfare are the working poor. If you use food stamps, you're a welfare recipient, if your children are on Medicaid, you're a welfare recipient. If you receive aid for childcare, you're a welfare recipient.

The Head Start program I worked for served 650 children. On average, only 20% of the heads of households in our program stayed home...usually because of a younger sibling and the inability to secure childcare that prevented the parent from working. I will say this again....the majority of welfare recipients are THE WORKING POOR.