Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — How will prejudice affect the presidential election? A Washington Post-ABC News poll finds both African Americans and Mormons face substantial prejudice in the country.
Fourteen percent of the nationwide voters surveyed in this poll said they would feel discomfort with a close family member marrying a black person.
It also found 20 percent would feel discomfort with a family member marrying a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Diversity instructor Irene Ota at the University of Utah says prejudice against these two groups is real.
"The Mormon population in the United States is low. There's a lot of misinformation out there, a lot of not knowing," she said.
Most people think you fear what you don't know. But really, you fear what you assume about what you don't know.
–Irene Ota
Ota says she's a bit surprised by the polling numbers when it comes to Mormons.
She would like to see more information on the respondents and what questions they were asked, although she has seen other data indicating similar stances toward African Americans.
"Most people think you fear what you don't know," she said. "But really, you fear what you assume about what you don't know.
Close Relative Marries a Mormon
| Comfort Level | Percent |
|---|---|
| Entirely comfortable | 49% |
| Somewhat comfortable | 25% |
| Somewhat uncomfortable | 13% |
| Entirely uncomfortable | 7% |
And it's usually the worst—you assume the worst about what you don't know."
She says it takes more education to overcome the prejudice, and people must be willing and want to learn more about others.
"People have to want to explore, examine, question, search for knowledge. It has to be them wanting to. They have to be motivated," she said.
The Post says views of the Mormon Church and of racial prejudice in the United States have evolved over the past four years.
