Cohort and Prejudice: Whites' Attitudes Toward Blacks, Hispanics, Jews, and Asians

Recent cohorts have been shown to be less prejudiced than their elders, at least toward blacks. This study addresses two questions: Has this tendency continued among most-recent cohorts of adults? and Does it extend to prejudice toward other ethnic minorities? Using data from a national sample, I focus on stereotype and social distance attitudes pertaining to blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Jews. In general, results indicate that cohorts born alter World War II tend to be less prejudiced than prewar cohorts toward each of the four minorities. But most-recent cohorts of Americans show no tendency to be less prejudiced than their immediate predecessors born since World War II, and most-recent cohorts residing outside of the South actually tend to be more prejudiced than their elders.