Linguistic Profiling and Fair Housing

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the notes on linguistic profiling and fair housing, including hyper-segregation, legal history (Rumford Act, Prop 14, Fourteenth Amendment, Civil Rights Act), FHEO, protected classes, discriminatory practices, and the linguistic profiling research led by John Baugh and colleagues.

Hyper-segregation

A condition where large urban Black neighborhoods are densely concentrated near other all-Black neighborhoods; Massey notes 41% live in hyper-segregated areas and another 18% in high-segregation areas.

Tyranny of the majority

A political concept describing how the will of the majority can oppress minority rights; used in the notes to discuss Prop 14 and the protection afforded by the Bill of Rights and Civil Rights laws.

Rumford Fair Housing Act (1963)

California law prohibiting racial discrimination in housing practices.

Proposition 14 (1964)

California ballot measure intended to revise the state constitution to allow discrimination in housing; passed but later declared unconstitutional (violated the Fourteenth Amendment) by courts, with the U.S. Supreme Court affirming in 1967.

Fourteenth Amendment / Equal Protection

Constitutional guarantee that states provide equal protection under the law, used to strike down discriminatory housing measures like Prop 14.

Civil Rights Act of 1968 / Fair Housing Act

Federal law expanding protections against housing discrimination and protecting additional classes in housing access.

Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO)

HUD office that enforces federal fair housing laws and seeks to ensure equal access to housing for all Americans.

Protected classes (Fair Housing Act)

Race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and handicap; discrimination based on these categories is prohibited in housing.

Discriminatory housing practices (examples)

Prohibited actions include refusing to rent or sell, making housing unavailable, charging different terms or deposits, discriminatory advertising, blockbusting, and similar practices based on protected status.

Linguistic profiling

The practice of inferring race/ethnicity or other characteristics from a person’s speech or accent and using that information to discriminate in housing and other domains; studies show people can be identified from very brief utterances.

John Baugh

Sociolinguist who demonstrated language-based discrimination through experiments (e.g., phone inquiries about apartments) across dialects like AAVE, Chicano English, and SAE.

Dialects studied (AAVE, ChE, SAE)

African American Vernacular English (AAVE), Chicano English (ChE), and Standard American English (SAE) were used to study how dialects influence housing access and perceptions of speakers; findings show dialect-based discrimination and the recoverability of ethnicity from speech.