America's massive racial wealth gap

White familes did poorly in the Great Recession, but the numbers are dramatically bleaker for black and Hispanic households  

Homeowners wait in line for a foreclosure prevention seminar in Florida
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The Great Recession afflicted much of America, but it hit some demographics harder than others. The Pew Research Center scrutinized the net wealth of different racial groups in 2005 and 2009, and found that the financial gap between whites and minorities has become increasingly "lopsided" (a "colossal understatement" on Pew's part, says Brian O'Connell at TIME). Pew adds that the wealth divide between white families and black and Hispanic households is bigger now than at any time since the Census Bureau began tracking such data by race in 1984. What's going on in America? Here, a brief guide:

Exactly how big is the wealth difference?

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