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An analysis of Census data found that in Queens, N.Y., the median black household pulls in $51,836, while the average white household gets by on $50,960.

However, one should be sure not to make too much of this finding in terms of America's longstanding racial struggles -- the difference is at least partly attributable to a concentration of foreign-born blacks in Queens. Also, the article quotes an economist that the wealthiest Queens whites may have moved to the suburbs recently, further shifting the numbers.

Many explanations for the typical whites-over-blacks income gap have been proposed over the years, from the legacy of racial slavery to failed government policies to dysfunctional culture to intractable IQ differences to continuing discrimination (which undoubtedly happens to some degree). The fact that African immigrants make more than American-born blacks gives some credence to the first three of those -- immigrants suffer from continuing racism and, if they exist, biological IQ differences (though "intractable" can include environmental influences too), yet they seem to be doing quite well for themselves.

Robert VerBruggen blogs at http://robertsrationale.blogspot.com.

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