Structural Racism Stole my American Dream...

 Hello, has the impact of forced adjustment to structural racism in the United States, altered the attitudes and behaviors of developing healthy relationships among African Americans (St. Vil, St. Vil, & Fairfax, 2019). One-third of African Americans are married and many desire to wed; however, the desire to be married does not account for the experiences of structural racism (St. Vil et al., 2019). Although the desire to marry is present, African Americans have the lowest rates of marriage, the lowest rates of marriage stability, higher rates of divorce, and higher rates of single parent headed households among other ethnic groups (St. Vil et al., 2019). The objective of this literature review was to emphasize how striving for the Patriarchal Nuclear Family Structure (male headed household) (PNFS) may have a deleterious effect on the wellbeing of many African American relationships, because throughout history this population has been exposed to policies and practices that promote institutionalized racism which challenges their ability to achieve the “American Dream” (St. Vil et al., 2019). Vacant esteem, ever present anger, and racist socialization are the key patterns of behavior that inhibit the development and the sustainability of healthy male-female relationships among African Americans (St. Vil et al., 2019). It is important for clinicians to recognize the connections between current behaviors and attitudes of African Americans, and historical and continual oppression which influences African Americans ability to achieve the “American Dream.” (St. Vil et al., 2019).

St Vil, N. M., St Vil, C., & Fairfax, C. N. (2019). Posttraumatic Slave Syndrome, the Patriarchal  Nuclear Family Structure, and African American Male-Female Relationships. Social work, 64(2), 139–146. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swz002