In 2011, nonwhite babies born in America outnumber white. Does this matter?

[BrainGlutton]

This WaPo story speculates on the future political effects.

The trend is likely to have a far-reaching impact on the country’s political alignment, the nature of its workforce and on its economic future. Predominantly white, older enclaves in the Northeast and Midwest will increasingly rely on an expanding population of young Asians and Hispanics in the West and Sun Belt to support Social Security and other retirement programs.

This CNN story more explicitly smells trouble for the GOP: ""Their voters are white, aging, and dying off."

Washington (CNN) -- When presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney appears before Latino small-business owners in Washington on Wednesday, he'll address a group whose explosive birth rates foreshadow a seismic political shift in GOP strongholds in the Deep South and Southwest.

"The Republicans' problem is their voters are white, aging and dying off," said David Bositis, a senior research associate at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, who studies minority political engagement.

"There will come a time when they suffer catastrophic losses with the realization of the population changes."

Over the next several generations, the wave of minority voters -- who, according to U.S. Census figures released this week, now represent more than half of the nation's population born in the past year -- will become more of a power base in places like Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. That hold will extend across the Southwest all the way to California, experts say.

The coming political revolution could result in a massive changing of the guard on nearly every level of government, potential cultural clashes, and the type of political alliances that are now considered rare.

Well, aren't they jumping the gun a bit? It'll take a generation for all those kids to grow up, and effects that happen on a generational time-scale can be ignored WRT any particular election cycle. And these nonwhite kids will assimilate to American culture (apart from those whose families -- American Indians, African Americans, a great many Latinos and not a few Asians -- have been in the U.S. centuries anyway, they're already part of American culture). And some of them will be conservative, or at least vote Republican, for various reasons.

My view is that hard-right conservatism, as distinct from the GOP, is doomed by demographics, all right, but, it's not a race thing, really. It's a generational-culture thing. Look at the 2011 version of the Pew Political Typology: The "Staunch Conservatives" have the highest average age of any of the groups -- and, when they die off, they will not be replaced. Their children and grandchildren just don't think the same way they do.

Anyone agree that a change in "racial" composition of the U.S. population necessarily translates to political realignment?

[BrainGlutton]

Mods, please edit title, I meant to say, "born in America," of course. Thanx. (Yes, yes, I know the human world as a whole has always had a nonwhite majority and always will.)

[Untoward_Parable]

Wealthy minorities need more poor people to be born than their own group to sustain their position within the power hierarchy. Whites should rejoice in all probability having more advantages than before in the US going forward.

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by Untoward_Parable

Wealthy minorities need more poor people to be born than their own group to sustain their position within the power hierarchy. Whites should rejoice in all probability having more advantages than before in the US going forward.

From The Next American Nation, by Michael Lind:

The chief danger confronting the twenty-first century United States is not Balkanization but what might be called Brazilianization. By Brazilianization I mean not the separation of cultures by race, but the separation of races by class. As in Brazil, a common American culture could be indefinitely compatible with a blurry, informal caste system in which most of those at the top of the social hierarchy are white, and most brown and black Americans are on the bottom -- forever. Behind all the boosterish talk about the wonders of the new American rainbow is the reality of enduring racial division by class, something that multicultural education initiatives and racial preference policies do not begin to address.

In the absence of sustained popular pressure from below or concern about America's international status, the white overclass has no incentive to combat Brazilianization in the United States. For one thing, any serious effort to reduce racial separation by class would inevitably mean higher taxes on the affluent -- not just the rich, but the politically powerful upper-middle class. What is more, the dominance of the white oligarchy in American politics is strengthened by the emergent dynamics of a polarized society. In a more homogeneous society, the increasing concentration of wealth and power at the top might produce a populist reaction by the majority. But in a society like that of present-day America where a small, homogeneous oligarchy confronts a diverse population that shares a common national culture but remains divided along racial lines, the position of the outnumbered elite can be very secure. This is because the resentments caused by economic decline are likely to be expressed as hostility between the groups at the bottom, rather than as a rebellion against the top. In the Los Angeles riot, black, Hispanic, and white rioters turned on Korean middlemen, rather than march on Beverly Hills.

[Marley23]

Originally Posted by BrainGlutton

Mods, please edit title, I meant to say, "born in America," of course. Thanx. (Yes, yes, I know the human world as a whole has always had a nonwhite majority and always will.)

Done.

[even sven]

Originally Posted by BrainGlutton

From The Next American Nation, by Michael Lind:

I'm having a hard time seeing how this could possibly be seen as a new situation.

[JBGUSA]

Originally Posted by BrainGlutton

This CNN story more explicitly smells trouble for the GOP: ""Their voters are white, aging, and dying off."



Well, aren't they jumping the gun a bit? It'll take a generation for all those kids to grow up, and effects that happen on a generational time-scale can be ignored WRT any particular election cycle. And these nonwhite kids will assimilate to American culture (apart from those whose families -- American Indians, African Americans, a great many Latinos and not a few Asians -- have been in the U.S. centuries anyway, they're already part of American culture). And some of them will be conservative, or at least vote Republican, for various reasons.

******************************
Anyone agree that a change in "racial" composition of the U.S. population necessarily translates to political realignment?

I heartily disagree. As more minorities become entrepreneurs, employers and homeowners their values and behavior will come to resemble today's whites.

[grude]

This is stupid hand wringing, there will be no shortage of conservative or right wing non-whites, they just won't be exactly the same as the current hard core republican base. They will just have to alter their campaign issues a little.

Archie Bunker copy cats are going extinct, oh no! Oh wait so what.

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by even sven

I'm having a hard time seeing how this could possibly be seen as a new situation.

Recognition of it as a problem is a new situation.

[Nava]

My first thought was "bet they're counting Latinos as not white, regardless of actual color".

Sometimes being right makes my eyes try to roll off...

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by Nava

My first thought was "bet they're counting Latinos as not white, regardless of actual color".

[shrug] "Race" is defined by social norms, not biology. Obama is half-black, half-white, therefore black.

[Nava]

Yeah, but the whole notion of Latinos as a single political block is as stupid as the whole notion of Latinos as being all the same shade.

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by Nava

Yeah, but the whole notion of Latinos as a single political block is as stupid as the whole notion of Latinos as being all the same shade.

Is the notion of their growth in numbers being a political threat to the GOP equally stupid, then?

[Untoward_Parable]

Originally Posted by Nava

Yeah, but the whole notion of Latinos as a single political block is as stupid as the whole notion of Latinos as being all the same shade.

It's all stupid but we know what were talking about when we distinguish these things. Pretending we don't see blacks as black even when they're mostly mixed or latinos as latino even when they have Spanish or other european blood isn't going to change the way almost everyone understands race in America and for the purposes of discussing demographics we have to group people the way the majority groups them, just because some Mexicans don't want to be grouped with Guatemalans is not a reason to not be able to talk about race in it's American context.

[Der Trihs]

Originally Posted by BrainGlutton

And some of them will be conservative, or at least vote Republican, for various reasons.

Very few, until the Republican party drastically remakes itself. There's plenty of conservative non-whites now who vote Democrat simply because of the deep, entrenched racism of the Republicans.

As has been said before, the Republicans have put themselves in a trap. They've become dependent on a narrow, fanatical racist & religious demographic that is dying out, while at the same time alienating huge numbers of other people who might otherwise vote for them. If they want those alienated voters, they'd have to jettison the bigots & fanatics; but if they give up those fanatics & bigots they will lose the next few elections at least while they try to convince people that yes, they really have changed. And a party is highly unlikely to commit that kind of purge and condemn itself to years "in the wilderness" before it's forced to. And given how much power those fanatics have in the party it's entirely possible that the Republicans can't throw them out anymore. I wouldn't be too surprised if the fanatics controlling the Republicans ride their collapsing demographics down in flames, and some other party becomes the new major right wing party. Especially if the wealthy patrons of the Republicans decide they are a losing proposition that can't be saved and decide to back a new party as their front man.

[Little Nemo]

I don't see why this should be a problem. So what if the average American in the future has a darker skin tone? It's like worrying about the fact that the average American has grown taller in the last hundred years. Being an American has nothing to do with physical attributes.

[florez]

Originally Posted by JBGUSA

As more minorities become entrepreneurs, employers and homeowners their values and behavior will come to resemble today's whites.

"Today's whites"?.....oh, how special that will be!

[Untoward_Parable]

Originally Posted by florez

"Today's whites"?.....oh, how special that will be!

If they're really good at it they'll learn to sell their own people down the river just as well!

[JKellyMap]

Bad idea to buy stock in Coppertone? Decrease in melanoma rates?

[Gyrate]

Originally Posted by grude

This is stupid hand wringing, there will be no shortage of conservative or right wing non-whites, they just won't be exactly the same as the current hard core republican base. They will just have to alter their campaign issues a little.

This was my first reaction too. Unfortunately for the Republicans they have hitched their wagon a little too firmly to the anti-immigrant and anti-minority tribes. If they had any sense they'd be looking to woo the growing socially-conservative Latino Catholic population but they can't do that AND keep the Joe Arpaio crowd happy.

Eventually, when enough of the Archie Bunkers have died out, either the Republicans will lose any race/ethnic factors in their platform and they'll focus on the other social and economic issues or the Democrats will continue to become more conservative to capture any minorities who, absent the race issue, would more naturally be Republicans. At the moment the latter is happening. I'd like to think that there would then emerge a new left-wing party to take over the space vacated by the Dems, but then I'd also like a billion dollars and a pony.

[JBGUSA]

Originally Posted by Nava

Yeah, but the whole notion of Latinos as a single political block is as stupid as the whole notion of Latinos as being all the same shade.

And quite racist as well. So is assuming that blacks are always liberal. Many are quite conservative on certain issues, such as law and order, and gay marriage.

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by JBGUSA

And quite racist as well. So is assuming that blacks are always liberal. Many are quite conservative on certain issues, such as law and order, and gay marriage.

Nevertheless, the Dems can almost always count on their votes, because the Pubs persistently have nothing that appeals to them. That's just how it is, ever since the 1960s. Sad thing for the Party of Lincoln.

[JBGUSA]

Originally Posted by BrainGlutton

Nevertheless, the Dems can almost always count on their votes, because the Pubs persistently have nothing that appeals to them. That's just how it is, ever since the 1960s. Sad thing for the Party of Lincoln.

The blacks are making a sad mistake by letting the Democrats take them for granted. Groups or states that are either taken for granted or written off get nothing from the government. Swing voting blocs and swing states do a lot better.

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by JBGUSA

The blacks are making a sad mistake by letting the Democrats take them for granted. Groups or states that are either taken for granted or written off get nothing from the government. Swing voting blocs and swing states do a lot better.

They would make a way bigger mistake voting GOP. At least the Dems actually care about them sometimes.

[suranyi]

Originally Posted by JBGUSA

The blacks are making a sad mistake by letting the Democrats take them for granted. Groups or states that are either taken for granted or written off get nothing from the government. Swing voting blocs and swing states do a lot better.

The thing is, you're looking at it backwards. It isn't the blacks' (or Latinos') problem that they vote for Democrats rather than Republicans. They have their reasons, however misguided you think they are. If you are a Republican, you're the one with the problem because you have to figure out how to get their votes.

[Marley23]

Originally Posted by suranyi

The thing is, you're looking at it backwards. It isn't the blacks' (or Latinos') problem that they vote for Democrats rather than Republicans. They have their reasons, however misguided you think they are. If you are a Republican, you're the one with the problem because you have to figure out how to get their votes.

Right. It's true that it is not in the best interest of black and Latino voters (or anyone else) to have their votes taken for granted, but it's only a problem if they feel the two parties are making equally compelling arguments for their votes. If they are not, this is just a no-brainer.

[Ibn Warraq]

Originally Posted by BrainGlutton

[shrug] "Race" is defined by social norms, not biology. Obama is half-black, half-white, therefore black.

So is your contention that Eva Longoria, Andy Garcia, Charlie Sheen, and Cameron Diaz are "non-whites"?

Quite a few Hispanics would disagree.

Besides, there was a time when people thought the same of Catholics and non-Northern Europeans.

[The Other Waldo Pepper]

Originally Posted by Ibn Warraq

So is your contention that Eva Longoria, Andy Garcia, Charlie Sheen, and Cameron Diaz are "non-whites"?

Consider, too, the Fantastic Four movie, where Jessica Alba was cast as the blonde sister of Chris So-Freakin'-White-He-Could-No-Foolin'-Play-Captain-America Evans.

And then there's the coverage of the Trayvon Martin case: how is George Zimmerman described? Well, it's -- kind of been all over the place.

[Ibn Warraq]

Originally Posted by The Other Waldo Pepper

Consider, too, the Fantastic Four movie, where Jessica Alba was cast as the blonde sister of Chris So-Freakin'-White-He-Could-No-Foolin'-Play-Captain-America Evans.

And then there's the coverage of the Trayvon Martin case: how is George Zimmerman described? Well, it's -- kind of been all over the place.

Moreover, according to poll after poll almost 40% of all Hispanics view themselves as white.

As for Zimmerman, in my experience, when you have an anglo name and speak English without a trace of an accent, unless you're really, really dark-skinned, most people consider you and treat you as white.

I think any white people terrified of this development are simply being ignorant.

Besides, this isn't going to lead to any dramatic political realignments. Asian-Americans and Hispanic Americans tend to vote far more along class lines than either Black or "White" Americans do.

[The Other Waldo Pepper]

Also, remember how the interracial kiss on STAR TREK in the late '60s was a big deal? A they-were-mind-controlled-and-you-can't-even-see-their-lips-touch kiss?

How often did I LOVE LUCY draw nary a peep for having a Cuban dude spank his misbehaving white wife fifteen years earlier?

[BlinkingDuck]

Originally Posted by BrainGlutton

[shrug] "Race" is defined by social norms, not biology. Obama is half-black, half-white, therefore black.

Way back when...I had job where I spent part of the time as a 'coder' of respondent open end data. Hey, it was the entry level job

Part of this was coding race. So, people would check 'other' under race and type in 'half black/half white' to which I would dutifully code as 'Black'. Hey, don't glare at me...those were my instructions.

There was a Japanese woman who worked at the same place and, one day, was curious about what I was doing. She saw the example above and asked why I didn't code that person as White. I don't know, I said...I'm just following what I was told* She was very skeptical of this...saying in no uncertain terms that this was WRONG.


Being the mischevious person I am, a few hours later I called her over. She did not know that I had typed this in..."Half Black/Half Japanese". I asked her that I didn't have instructions for this and should I code this person as Black or Asian?

Without skipping a second...she immediately said "Black".


* Despite nefarious racial theories...I found out the TRUE reason was that Blacks didn't answer surveys as frequently as Whites and so coding nebulous cases as Black made the sample look better.

[BlinkingDuck]

Originally Posted by Der Trihs

Very few, until the Republican party drastically remakes itself. There's plenty of conservative non-whites now who vote Democrat simply because of the deep, entrenched racism of the Republicans.

As has been said before, the Republicans have put themselves in a trap. They've become dependent on a narrow, fanatical racist & religious demographic that is dying out, while at the same time alienating huge numbers of other people who might otherwise vote for them. If they want those alienated voters, they'd have to jettison the bigots & fanatics; but if they give up those fanatics & bigots they will lose the next few elections at least while they try to convince people that yes, they really have changed. And a party is highly unlikely to commit that kind of purge and condemn itself to years "in the wilderness" before it's forced to. And given how much power those fanatics have in the party it's entirely possible that the Republicans can't throw them out anymore. I wouldn't be too surprised if the fanatics controlling the Republicans ride their collapsing demographics down in flames, and some other party becomes the new major right wing party. Especially if the wealthy patrons of the Republicans decide they are a losing proposition that can't be saved and decide to back a new party as their front man.

There was a Latino comedian that my family and I went to see that had a routine on this. He said many Latinos are more Republican than most Republicans and would flock to the Republican Party in a heartbeat if allowed.

That is what will happen in the future. The Republicans will jettison their racist and nutjob part...will suffer for a few years and then be a true party of fiscal conservatives as their main platform. The jettisoned group of nutjobs will be vocal for some years but fade away to 3rd party status. It will happen IMO. It truely is a case of having to destroy their Party in order to save it. If they don't do it, they will fade to 3rd Party status.

[florez]

[quote=BlinkingDuck;1509418Part of this was coding race. So, people would check 'other' under race and type in 'half black/half white' to which I would dutifully code as 'Black'. Hey, don't glare at me...those were my instructions. [/QUOTE]

This made me remember instructions I was given to fill out forms as a volunteer intake worker at a partly state funded homeless shelter, years ago in California. "Always list the child as the same race as the mother", and this rule was cut and dry no matter what; and of course it gave me cause to chuckle on many occasions.

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by BlinkingDuck

The jettisoned group of nutjobs will be vocal for some years but fade away to 3rd party status.

Or simply, physically, die off.

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by Ibn Warraq

Besides, there was a time when people thought the same of Catholics and non-Northern Europeans.

Yeah, go home, Sheriff Arpaio! Italians ain't white! We're still getting used to the damned Irish!

[Little Nemo]

Originally Posted by BlinkingDuck

Way back when...I had job where I spent part of the time as a 'coder' of respondent open end data. Hey, it was the entry level job

Part of this was coding race. So, people would check 'other' under race and type in 'half black/half white' to which I would dutifully code as 'Black'. Hey, don't glare at me...those were my instructions.

I used to have a job like that. I did security interviews for incoming prisoners. I had to fill out a list of questions and one of them was "Ethnic group?"

Nobody gave me any instructions, so I adopted a simple policy. I asked the guy what ethnic group he was and I wrote down whatever he said. If he said he was black, that's what I wrote down. If he said he was white, I wrote that down. If he said he was black and white or bi-racial or mulatto or mixed or American or human or negro or colored or bilalian, I wrote that down (and, yes, those were all actual answers I received).

My only two objections were I didn't want any long and complicated answers, so if a guy told me "well, my mother was mostly white but her grandmother was from someplace in Asia - Korea or maybe Manchuria - and my father was part black and part Hispanic plus maybe a little bit American Indian but I'm not sure what tribe" I would tell him he had to summarize that down to a few words. And no changing your mind. If somebody told me something, I'd go ahead and write whatever down whatever it was. No take-backs when somebody said he was just joking. "Too late, Kowalski, you said you were Chinese and I wrote that down - in ink. So from now on, you're officially Chinese."

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by Little Nemo

I used to have a job like that. I did security interviews for incoming prisoners. I had to fill out a list of questions and one of them was "Ethnic group?"

Nobody gave me any instructions, so I adopted a simple policy. I asked the guy what ethnic group he was and I wrote down whatever he said. If he said he was black, that's what I wrote down. If he said he was white, I wrote that down. If he said he was black and white or bi-racial or mulatto or mixed or American or human or negro or colored or bilalian, I wrote that down (and, yes, those were all actual answers I received).

My only two objections were I didn't want any long and complicated answers, so if a guy told me "well, my mother was mostly white but her grandmother was from someplace in Asia - Korea or maybe Manchuria - and my father was part black and part Hispanic plus maybe a little bit American Indian but I'm not sure what tribe" I would tell him he had to summarize that down to a few words. And no changing your mind. If somebody told me something, I'd go ahead and write whatever down whatever it was. No take-backs when somebody said he was just joking. "Too late, Kowalski, you said you were Chinese and I wrote that down - in ink. So from now on, you're officially Chinese."

And the chosen classification is binding on which ethnic prison-gang you join, of course? That could make for some interesting scenes . . .

[JBGUSA]

Originally Posted by BrainGlutton

They would make a way bigger mistake voting GOP. At least the Dems actually care about them sometimes.

I hope you're kidding about the Democratic Party "really caring". About as much as McGovern really cared about the rehabilitation of the mentally ill. Until he booted a recovered Thomas Eagleton from the ticket for a prior episode of depression.

Originally Posted by suranyi

The thing is, you're looking at it backwards. It isn't the blacks' (or Latinos') problem that they vote for Democrats rather than Republicans. They have their reasons, however misguided you think they are. If you are a Republican, you're the one with the problem because you have to figure out how to get their votes.

What policies have the Democrats really given the blacks that have helped them?

[Little Nemo]

Originally Posted by BrainGlutton

And the chosen classification is binding on which ethnic prison-gang you join, of course? That could make for some interesting scenes . . .

No, they had their own recruitment standards.

The official reason for this was because we had a certain finite number of "festivals" during the year. So we wanted to ensure the ones chosen were the ones most relevant to our population. No point in scheduling a Cinco de Mayo event if we only have five prisoners of Mexican ancestry. But if we have a hundred Dominicans and Jamaicans, we should schedule an Emancipation Day festival in August.

The unofficial reason was simple intelligence gathering. Same reason we'd maintain records of how many prisoners ate meals every day, how many went out to the yard, how many went to sick call, how many packages were mailed to prisoners, etc. We spent a lot of time gathering data and watching for patterns.

[Little Nemo]

Originally Posted by JBGUSA

What policies have the Democrats really given the blacks that have helped them?

Well, Democrats seem to feel they've helped blacks. And blacks seem to feel that Democrats have helped them.

So if you know otherwise, you apparently haven't succeeded in convincing the people involved.

[gunnergoz]

The demographics may be changing, but the economics favor the whites. The political system has been deliberately skewed over the past 30 years to reflect the power of their dollars. Voters can vote all they like, but for a long time to come they'll be voting the issues and the candidates that the wealthy (mostly white) segment of the population chooses as relevant to their needs. My two bits, your mileage may vary.

[suranyi]

Originally Posted by JBGUSA

I hope you're kidding about the Democratic Party "really caring". About as much as McGovern really cared about the rehabilitation of the mentally ill. Until he booted a recovered Thomas Eagleton from the ticket for a prior episode of depression.

What policies have the Democrats really given the blacks that have helped them?

You still don't understand. It doesn't matter if the Democrats have policies which have helped blacks. It only matters that blacks THINK that Democrats have policies that have helped them. And that is what they think, by and large, whether that perception is true or not.

This isn't true just for blacks, of course. Everybody votes for the party that thinks serves them best, and would need convincing to change their minds. It's a little condescending to say that blacks don't know what's best for themselves.

[Blackberry]

Originally Posted by Ibn Warraq

So is your contention that Eva Longoria, Andy Garcia, Charlie Sheen, and Cameron Diaz are "non-whites"?

I don't know about the rest of them, but Eva Longoria? Who considers her white?

[suranyi]

Originally Posted by Ibn Warraq

So is your contention that Eva Longoria, Andy Garcia, Charlie Sheen, and Cameron Diaz are "non-whites"?

Quite a few Hispanics would disagree.

Besides, there was a time when people thought the same of Catholics and non-Northern Europeans.

They're white AND Hispanic. Race and Hispanic/non-Hispanic are orthogonal. As the US Census Bureau says, a Hispanic person can be of any race.

[I Love Me, Vol. I]

Originally Posted by Little Nemo

I don't see why this should be a problem. So what if the average American in the future has a darker skin tone? It's like worrying about the fact that the average American has grown taller in the last hundred years. Being an American has nothing to do with physical attributes.

[Obligatory Bulworth quote]

"All we need is a voluntary, free-spirited, open-ended program of procreative racial deconstruction. Everybody just gotta keep fuckin' everybody 'til they're all the same color."

[/Obligatory Bulworth quote]

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by suranyi

Everybody votes for the party that thinks serves them best . . .

No, many vote for the party they think serves their ideas best.

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by Little Nemo

The unofficial reason was simple intelligence gathering. Same reason we'd maintain records of how many prisoners ate meals every day, how many went out to the yard, how many went to sick call, how many packages were mailed to prisoners, etc. We spent a lot of time gathering data and watching for patterns.

What reason?

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by JBGUSA

I hope you're kidding about the Democratic Party "really caring".

It's entirely true, based on my past experience in the Young Dems, and occasional party involvement since then. Never encountered a whisper of cynicism or insincerity in that area.

Originally Posted by JBGUSA

What policies have the Democrats really given the blacks that have helped them?

The Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, for starters. Neither could've happened without LBJ.

[grude]

Originally Posted by BrainGlutton

What reason?

Finding hidden cyborgs?

Hmm prisoner#95440 hasn't eaten anything in three weeks, move in team!

[Ibn Warraq]

Originally Posted by Blackberry

I don't know about the rest of them, but Eva Longoria? Who considers her white?

Why wouldn't she be considered white?

Would you argue that Jennifer Esposito and Marisa Tomei aren't white?