A Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released this morning found that Most New Jerseyans are satisfied with the diversity in their hometown, even though a court determined that some levels of segregation in education and housing exist.
Twelve percent of voters say the schools where they live are segregated, while 73% say they are “a good mix.” Less than two in ten voters (19%) say they would like to live in a neighborhood with more racial and ethnic diversity, while 68% say they like things the way they are.
“There’s a real disconnect between outside measures of segregation and what residents perceive,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of Government and Politics at Fairleigh Dickinson, and poll director. “Voters in New Jersey just don’t believe that we have segregation here, so getting them to accept changes to address it would be a challenge.”
A majority of New Jerseyans (55%) say they live in a mixed-race neighborhood; 51% of White voters, 56% of Black voters, 67% of Hispanic voters, and 63% of Asian voters view their neighborhood as having a mix of races.
“By most measures, integration means that schools and neighborhoods look like the state as a whole,” said Cassino. “But voters seem to think that having a few families from different races or ethnicities means that a school or neighborhood is integrated, or at least integrated enough.”
Statewide, 68% of progressives, 62% of liberals, 73% of moderates, and 70% of conservatives said there’s racial balance in public schools.
“It’s surprising how little race matters in perception of segregation,” said Cassino. “Even the groups that are in the most segregated areas don’t necessarily see their schools or neighborhoods that way.”
Cassino suggests that candidates for governor might have a tough time making school segregation a campaign issue next year.
“Voters on the political left are a big part of the Democratic Party in the state, but changing school demographics in New Jersey would mean convincing a lot of moderates that segregation is real and needs to be addressed,” said Cassino. “Making dramatic changes without buy-in from moderates might invite a backlash.”
Last year, Mercer County Assignment Judge Robert Lougy slammed the state, arguing that government officials “intentionally failed to exercise their constitutional obligations and authorities to remedy segregation.”
Cassino cited testimony that “one in four Black students in the state and 1 in 7 Latino students are in schools that are 99% non-white.”
The Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll was conducted between April 1-8 with a sample size of 809 registered voters and a margin of error of +/- 3.5%.