In chapter 19 of the textbook, the author of the article “The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: Racialized Social Democracy”, George Lipitz, asserts the idea that Whiteness is prevalent everywhere, but it has become invisible.  White has become the norm, and there ar certain privileges that one is entitled to being a part of the white race, greater access to economic building blocks of success in our country, for example.  And, for some reason, it is assumed that the reason why the social and economic gap between whites and all other minorities exists because of some fault on the part of the minorities, and not on the part of white people.  He goes on to explain that the gap between whites and Blacks, especially, was widened and solidified since Reconstruction era legislation that put Blacks and other minorities at a disadvantage.  Do you think this gap is finally closing, as it seems that more ethnic groups are becoming socially mobile, as a whole?  Or, do you think that it only seems that the gap is closing, and we have not really made any progress as a nation in terms of closing the economic and social gap between the majority, whites, and all other minorities?  Are Blacks and other ethnicities still at a adisadvantage when they go to apply for houses or colleges, for instance?