Hello all,
Here are some thoughts in response to the discussion re: Racial Life Expectancy:
For an excellent discussion of the Canadian perspective see Grace-Edward Galabuzi’s 2006 book: Canada’s Economic Apartheid: The social exclusion of racilized groups in Canada. Canadian Scholar’s Press Inc. ISBN 1-55130-265-9.
Galabuzi writes:
“According to 1995 Statistics Canada data, 35.6% of members of racialized groups lived under the poverty line, compared to 17.6% in the general Canadian population; the rate of poverty is twice as high. [In some urban areas and among some groups of racialized group members, the rate is three to four times as high]. In 1996, the rate of poverty among racialized group members in Canada’s urban centers was 37.6%, compared to 20.9% for the rest of the population. While we are not able to disaggregate the data further, the picture is even worse when one looks at particular racialized groups. Research has indicated that such is the case with racialized women, single-parent groups, and certain ethno-racial groups.
…Poverty rates were particularly high among recent immigrants, signaling the failure to translate internationally obtained skills to the equivalent compensation. During the past two decades, low-income rates have increased among successive groups of newly arrived immigrants. In 1980, 24.6% of immigrants who had arrived during the previous five-year period lived below the poverty line. By 1990, the low-income rate among recent immigrants had increased to 31.3%. After peaking at 47% in 1995 [!!! my emphasis], the rate fell back to 35.8% in 2000” (Galabuzi, 2006; p. 17; see complete reference above).
Grace-Edward Galabuzi refers to these developments as the racialization of poverty, and presents clear arguments that the income inequity situation for racialized groups in Canada is indeed worsening. Numerous authors have already connected the dots from poverty to compromised health status, decreased access to the goods and services of society, and so on. “Racialized groups face other social patterns such as sustained school drop-out rates; the racialization of the penal system; the criminalization of the young; and the racial segregation of urban low-income neighborhoods. These conditions have created a deepening social marginalization unprecedented in modern Canadian society” (p. 18).
It is very difficult to make sweeping inferences about the relevance of life expectancy without this larger context. As Benjamin (Executive Director of the American Public Health Association) points out in the recently posted article ‘Racial Life expectancy Gap Narrows,’ infant mortality rates are a much more sensitive indicator of global social and economic conditions among the races. Infant mortality rates continue to be significantly higher for families who are living in poverty, as well as racialized families. As Galabuzi points out, there is a consistent historical and statistical link between racialization and poverty.
Life expectancy for Canadian Aboriginal peoples (First Nations, Metis and Inuit) has improved, but their health status is much worse than that of Canadians as a whole. Infant mortality rates among First Nations on reserve and Inuit are 2-3 times the overall Canadian rate. In Canada, racialized peoples are ‘making gains’ on very few, if any, indicators.
Best of the spring season to you,
Elizabeth
Dr. Elizabeth McGibbon, PhD, RN
Associate Professor
School of Nursing, Faculty of Science
Marguerite Hall
St. Francis Xavier University
PO Box 5000, Antigonish, NS
CANADA
B2G 2W5
Fax: 902-867-1285
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-----Original Message-----
From: Social Determinants of Health on behalf of Robert C Bowman
Sent: Tue 3/20/2007 11:56 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [SDOH] USA: Racial Life Expectancy Gap Narrows
Don't believe that a gap narrows because of improvements in just one group.
My review of the demographics is that whites are more distant from the
major population centers, benefit the least from the centralization going
on, and have the greatest declines in education, income, and opportunity.
All of these are measured by social, geographic distance from the major
medical centers or the major urban concentrations.
The most intense forms of poverty remain lowest income, minority, rural or
urban. However the entire white group is shifting down, as are all
populations in the world most distant and different from those concentrated
in top levels of influence. With the shifts in income and education and
opportunity go health care coverage, types of jobs, and more.
Remember 47 - 51% of the Asian population of the United States is located
in top income quartile locations with medical schools, only 20% of the
total population, 23% of black population, 31% of the Hispanic population,
and 17% of the white population. This is just a 51 county area with 57
million people and only 1% of the land area of the United States, areas
that control major segments of states with the most electoral votes.
There are also attitudes and behaviors that come from the most educated and
professional of all nations that come to the United States. These attitudes
provide important influences as in Dade-Miami Florida with 51% foreign
born, California with 23% foreign born, Florida, Texas, and New York.
Whites are no longer a good marker of progress in education, income,
health, or other areas. It will take decades to realize this however.
Measuring against Asian populations would be the appropriate gold standard
using race or ethnicity, but Eight Americas already demonstrated these gaps
and few would be able to handle the work that would be needed with gaps
between all other groups and Asians in America.
Race markers are getting more and more difficult to use or understand.
Class measures are getting to be better indicator. Not that racial barriers
do not exist, but fast rising Asian, Hispanic, black, and other populations
and all with foreign born components (outside of populations adding Central
American immigrants) are making gains relative to whites as a group.
The United States will also take much time to realize that education and
opportunity for the concentrated higher income groups in other nations
allow others to move to the United States and do better than most
Americans, especially if speaking reasonable English and if moving in to
America to stay with established "family" (broad definition) to ease the
transition. Immigration policies insure that only those with greater
education and professional training gain entry, other than those who come
illegally and they usually come in desperation and not as much to welcoming
"family" members.
Robert C. Bowman, M.D.
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