How the United States copes with racial, ethnic, gender and religious minorities is important both in establishing public policy and in building strong social relationships.  These issues form the essential fabric of American life.  

In the near future, minority groups will constitute significant segments of the population, even majorities in some cases.  In those circumstances, the reference to minority status has more to do with social, economic and political standing than with numbers of individual group members.

Polling organizations focus considerable attention on the issues of discrimination, race relations, gender equity and ethnic concerns.  The survey questions and responses provide an important look into some of the most compelling issues of the present time.

In spite of acknowledged improvements for minorities in the United States inequalities still exist.
The perception of race relations reflects the various attitudes and opinions of each group.  Polling information provides a look into attitudes and opinions that are not available in other places.  It makes an excellent practical companion and interesting extension to the material found in textbooks.

The large number of questions in the Polling the Nations database demonstrates the significant focus on these issues.  By conducting keyword searches, it is easy to identify hundreds of questions and gain a better understanding of the attitudes of Americans on this subject.  The topics listed here provide a guide for beginning to search the database on this and related topics.

Affirmative action
African-American
Anti-Semitism
Asians
Blacks
Christians
Civil rights

Discrimination
Diversity
Islam
Jews
Ethnic groups
Hispanics
Immigration

Immigrants, illegal
Latinos
Muslims
Race
Race relations
Racial integration
Racial profiling
Racism