A new Rasmussen Reports national phone and online survey finds that Americans believe black people are more racist than white people. Hispanics and Asians, the poll shows, are less racist.
Seventy percent of American adults said they think the term “racism” refers to any discrimination by people of one race against another. Just 16 percent say it refers to only discrimination by white people against minorities. Fourteen percent are not sure.
Fourteen percent of those surveyed said they believe most white Americans are racist. Twenty-three percent believe most black Americans are racist. Just 10 percent say most Asians and Hispanics are racist.
In 2013, a survey found 15 percent considered most whites to be racist and 37 percent believed most black Americans were racist.
One positive – solid majorities do not think most Americans of any race are guilty of racism. However politics leads to part of the problem.
Democrats (22 percent) are twice as likely as Republicans (eight percent) and those unaffiliated with either major party (11 percent) to say most white Americans are racist. Thirty-three percent of Republicans think most Black Americans are racist, compared to 22 percent of unaffiliated voters and 16 percent of Democrats.
In terms of defining racism, 72 percent of whites, 75 percent of other minorities and 52 percent of blacks believe the term refers to any discrimination by people of one race against another. Thirty-three percent of black Americans believe racism refers only to discrimination by white people against minorities.
Those under 40 are much more likely to believe most whites are racist.
