Thinking GloballyRace as Caste: A Report fromSouth AfricaJerome: Wow. I’ve been reading about racial caste in SouthAfrica. I’m glad that’s over.Reggie: But racial inequality is far from over ....At the southern tip of the African continent lies South Africa,a country about the size of Alaska with a population of about54 million. For 300 years, the native Africans who lived therewere ruled by white people, first by the Dutch traders andfarmers who settled there in the mid-seventeenth centuryand then by the British, who colonized the area early in thenineteenth century. By the early 1900s, the British had takenover the entire country, naming it the Union of South Africa. In 1961, the nation declared its independence from Brit-ain, calling itself the Republic of South Africa, but freedom for the black majority was still decades away. To ensure theirpolitical control over the black population, whites instituted the policy of apartheid, or racial separation. Apartheid, writ-ten into law in 1948, denied blacks national citizenship, own-ership of land, and any voice in the nation’s government. As a lower caste, blacks received little schooling and performedmenial, low-paying jobs. White people with even averagewealth had at least one black household servant. The members of the white minority claimed that apart-heid protected their cultural traditions from the influence of people they considered inferior. When blacks resisted apart-heid, whites used brutal military repression to maintain their power. Even so, steady resistance—especially from youngerblacks, who demanded a political voice and economic opportunity—gradually forced the country to change. Criti-cism from other industrial nations added to the pressure. By the mid-1980s, the tide began to turn as the South Africangovernment granted limited political rights to people of mixedrace and Asian ancestry. Next, all people gained the rightto form labor unions, to enter occupations once limited towhites, and to own property. Officials also repealed apartheidlaws that separated the races in public places.The pace of change increased in 1990 with the release from prison of Nelson Mandela, who led the fight against apart-heid. In 1994, the first national election open to all races made Mandela president, ending centuries of white minority rule. Despite this dramatic political change, social stratifica-tion in South Africa is still based on race. Even with the right to own property, one-fourth of black South Africans and halfof young black adults have no work, and 45 percent of thepopulation lives below the country’s poverty line. The worst off are some 7 million ukuhleleleka, which means “mar-ginal people” in the Xhosa language. Soweto-by-the-Sea may sound like a summer getaway, but it is a shantytownwithin the city of Johannesburg that is home to hundreds of thousands of people crammed into shacks made of pack-ing crates, corrugated metal, cardboard, and other dis-carded materials. Recent years have seen increasing signs of prosperity; some shopping centers have been built, andmost streets are now paved. But two-thirds of families liveon $6,500 or less annually and the poorest 10 percent offamilies lack electricity and indoor sewage systems. In some neighborhoods, women line up to take a turn at a single wa-ter tap that serves as many as 1,000 people. Jobs are hard to come by, with an unemployment rate of about 25 percent forall adults and 33 percent among young adults.South Africa’s current president, Jacob Zuma, who hasbeen president since 2009, leads a nation still crippled by itshistory of racial caste. Tourism is up and holds the promiseof an economic boom in years to come, but the economy isstill dominated by the white minority. The country can breakfree from the past only by providing real opportunity to all itspeople.What Do You Think?1. How has race been a form of caste in South Africa?2. Although apartheid is no longer law, why does racialinequality continue to shape South African society?3. Does race operate as an element of caste in the UnitedStates? Explain your answer.
Thinking Globally
Race as Caste: A Report from
South Africa
Jerome: Wow. I’ve been reading about racial caste in South
Africa. I’m glad that’s over.
Reggie: But racial inequality is far from over ....
At the southern tip of the African continent lies South Africa,
a country about the size of Alaska with a population of about
54 million. For 300 years, the native Africans who lived there
were ruled by white people, first by the Dutch traders and
farmers who settled there in the mid-seventeenth century
and then by the British, who colonized the area early in the
nineteenth century. By the early 1900s, the British had taken
over the entire country, naming it the Union of South Africa.
In 1961, the nation declared its independence from Brit-
ain, calling itself the Republic of South Africa, but freedom
for the black majority was still decades away. To ensure their
political control over the black population, whites instituted
the policy of apartheid, or racial separation. Apartheid, writ-
ten into law in 1948, denied blacks national citizenship, own-
ership of land, and any voice in the nation’s government. As
a lower caste, blacks received little schooling and performed
menial, low-paying jobs. White people with even average
wealth had at least one black household servant.
The members of the white minority claimed that apart-
heid protected their cultural traditions from the influence of
people they considered inferior. When blacks resisted apart-
heid, whites used brutal military repression to maintain their
power. Even so, steady resistance—especially from younger
blacks, who demanded a political voice and economic
opportunity—gradually forced the country to change. Criti-
cism from other industrial nations added to the pressure. By
the mid-1980s, the tide began to turn as the South African
government granted limited political rights to people of mixed
race and Asian ancestry. Next, all people gained the right
to form labor unions, to enter occupations once limited to
whites, and to own property. Officials also repealed apartheid
laws that separated the races in public places.
The pace of change increased in 1990 with the release
from prison of Nelson Mandela, who led the fight against apart-
heid. In 1994, the first national election open to all races made
Mandela president, ending centuries of white minority rule.
Despite this dramatic political change, social stratifica-
tion in South Africa is still based on race. Even with the right
to own property, one-fourth of black South Africans and half
of young black adults have no work, and 45 percent of the
population lives below the country’s poverty line. The worst
off are some 7 million ukuhleleleka, which means “mar-
ginal people” in the Xhosa language. Soweto-by-the-Sea
may sound like a summer getaway, but it is a shantytown
within the city of Johannesburg that is home to hundreds of
thousands of people crammed into shacks made of pack-
ing crates, corrugated metal, cardboard, and other dis-
carded materials. Recent years have seen increasing signs
of prosperity; some shopping centers have been built, and
most streets are now paved. But two-thirds of families live
on $6,500 or less annually and the poorest 10 percent of
families lack electricity and indoor sewage systems. In some
neighborhoods, women line up to take a turn at a single wa-
ter tap that serves as many as 1,000 people. Jobs are hard to
come by, with an
all adults and 33 percent among young adults.
South Africa’s current president, Jacob Zuma, who has
been president since 2009, leads a nation still crippled by its
history of racial caste. Tourism is up and holds the promise
of an economic boom in years to come, but the economy is
still dominated by the white minority. The country can break
free from the past only by providing real opportunity to all its
people.
What Do You Think?
1. How has race been a form of caste in South Africa?
2. Although apartheid is no longer law, why does racial
inequality continue to shape South African society?
3. Does race operate as an element of caste in the United
States? Explain your answer.
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