Massachusetts is known for being liberal, progressive and tolerant. It was, after all, the first American colony to offer public and higher education, home to many leading women suffragists, and the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. A new poll, though, suggests that minorities may be better off living in 18 other states than our fair Commonwealth.
The most recent poll from Gallup, conducted in all 50 states of 600 adults from June through December 2013, asked residents if they feel their state’s social climate as welcoming and positive for minorities. Massachusetts is the 19th most optimistic state in this regard with 84 percent of those polled replying in the affirmative. I mean, there was that whole bussing incident in the 70s and 80s, but we’ve come along way since then, right Boston?
It’s important to remember that this isn’t a measurement of tolerance, but rather a general perspective of how residents of each state view the socioeconomics yielded to minorities. Overall, that viewpoint isn’t too shabby. The national average is 83 percent, and Massachusetts sits comfortably just above that.
In general, every state’s resident views theirs as good for minorities. Residents of just 13 states had between 74 percent and 79 percent positive responses, the lowest being West Virginia with 74 percent. But then, perhaps maybe they feel the majority is better off somewhere else too.
Looking at the above map, you’ll notice that the states least confident in a positive social climate for minorities extends through the southern portion of Ohio River Valley and the southernmost tip of the Mississippi River Watershed. There are a few exceptions, though. You’ll notice similar sentiments resound in the Rocky Mountain states of Idaho and Wyoming, the Great Lakes Region’s Michigan, and New England’s own Vermont and New Hampshire.
Though not the sole reason, these specific areas are lacking in racial and ethnic diversity. It’s quite likely that they don’t perceive their state as being as advantageous to minorities as others, because they’re not as used to engaging with minority populations on a daily basis the way states like Texas, bordering Mexico; New Jersey, a gateway for immigrants; and Nevada, home to Sin City, do.
“Still, racial composition alone does not determine residents’ views of how hospitable their area is for minorities,” notes Gallup, “because a number of the more racially diverse states such as Florida, Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, and New York, fall near the average in Gallup’s ranking as a good place for minorities.”
