This book is a study of the relationship between ethnicity and socioeconomic status. it is the first to empirically study both the white and nonwhite underclass. Jiobu uses United States census data on twenty ethnic groups including specific white groups and specific nonwhite groups. Using the 1980 national census, which contains information on ancestry for the first time, Jiobu demonstrates that it is possible to define ethnic groups in new ways, such as drawing a distinction between race and ethnicity.

Ethnicity and Inequality tests numerous theories and examines several important questions for ethnic relations: What is the demographic structure underlying the various groups? How can ethnicity, sex, and inequality be explained? Who gains from ethnic inequality? The author concludes by outlining a way to draw the diversity of findings under a single theoretical umbrella.