The term, racism, refers to an organized system that categorizes population groups into ‘races’, and uses this ranking to preferentially allocate societal goods and resources to groups regarded as superior (Bonilla-Silva 1996). Fundamental to racism is cultural racism that undergirds an ideology of inferiority that ranks some racial groups as inherently or culturally superior to others and supports the social norms and institutions that implement this ideology (Jones 1997). Racism often leads to the development of negative attitudes and beliefs toward racial outgroups (prejudice), and differential treatment of members of these groups by both individuals and social institutions (discrimination). Importantly, because racism is deeply embedded in the culture and institutions of society, discrimination can persist in institutional structures and policies even in the context of marked declines in individual level racial prejudice and discrimination. Moreover, negative racial stereotypes that are deeply rooted in mainstream culture can serve as an additional source of discriminatory behavior even among persons who may not be prejudiced. Considerable scientific evidence indicates that discrimination persists in multiple contexts of American society including housing, labor markets, criminal
