Addressing U.S. racial history divides Americans

Plus, migrant encounters at U.S.-Mexico border, views of free college tuition, and who travels abroad August 14, 2021 Weekly Roundup The latest findings from Pew Research Center · Subscribe ↗ Deep divisions in Americans’ views of the nation’s racial history – and how to address it The public is deeply divided over how far the nation has progressed in addressing racial inequality and how much further it needs to go. These divisions are evident in opinions about the country’s history of slavery and racism: 53% of U.S. adults say increased attention to that history is a good thing for society, while 26% say it is a bad thing and 21% say it is neither good nor bad. Partisan and demographic divides on this question are wide. Americans who say a lot has to be done to ensure equal rights for all split over whether many laws and institutions need to be ‘completely rebuilt’ Black adults overwhelmingly say White people benefit from advantages because of their race; White adults are divided Migrant encounters at U.S.-Mexico border are at a 21-year high The U.S. Border Patrol reported nearly 200,000 encounters with migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border in July, the highest monthly total in more than two decades. The number of monthly encounters had fallen to 16,182 in April 2020 but has risen sharply since then. In July, most encounters resulted in migrants being apprehended and detained in the U.S., rather than expelled to their home country or last country of transit. From May: Most Americans are critical of government’s handling of situation at U.S.-Mexico border Democrats overwhelmingly favor free college tuition, while Republicans are divided by age, education Around six-in-ten U.S. adults (63%) favor making tuition at public colleges free for all Americans, while 36% oppose the idea. Black, Hispanic and Asian adults are more likely than White adults to favor making college free, as are younger adults when compared with older adults. Republicans are broadly opposed to making college tuition-free, but the idea draws more support from younger Republicans and those without a four-year degree. Most Americans have traveled abroad, although differences among demographic groups are large Americans are gradually returning to international travel, though at a much lower level than before the pandemic. While most Americans have traveled abroad at some point in their lives, the number of countries they have visited varies widely. And who travels – and how much – also differs substantially across demographic groups, with income playing a decided role. Congress is off to a slow start in 2021, much as it has been in previous years As of this week, the total legislative output of the 117th Congress stands at 36 laws, only 30 of which we classify as substantive. Going back to 1987, the current Congress is tied for the fourth fewest laws enacted – and fifth fewest substantive laws – in the first eight months of its two-year term. That doesn’t mean Congress has done nothing of significance, but a lot of potentially major legislation is stalled in the evenly divided Senate or moving slowly through the legislative process. Decoded: Developing survey questions on sensitive topics in India From our research 75% The share of Black Americans who say increased public attention to the history of slavery and racism in America is a good thing. Support Pew Research Center In times of uncertainty, good decisions demand good data. Please support Pew Research Center with a contribution on the Center's behalf to our parent organization, The Pew Charitable Trusts. DONATE Newsletter preferences View in browser Unsubscribe Facebook Twitter Instagram Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank. As a neutral source of data and analysis, Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. © 2021 Pew Research Center