There are many common stereotypes in the U.S. One of them is that recipients of food stamps – including those who abuse the privilege – are Hispanic or black. Ultimately, food stamp recipients are not often referred to as white. However, according to the USDA’s 2013 fiscal year report, only 26% of food stamp recipients are black while 40% are white.
American culture will have most people believe that people who commit fraud aren’t white – they’re often referred to as black or Hispanic. However, recently, over 30 people were caught for food stamp fraud in Brushton, NY.
All of those people were white. The population of Brushton is approximately 480, with over 99% of the population being white. The food stamp “capital” has a similar ratio of white to black residents: Owsley County in Kentucky is 99.22% white. Additionally, the majority of people in Owsley are Republicans, although it’s unknown what the political affiliation of the Brushton population is.
The owner of the Brushton store has been charged with misuse of food stamps and third-degree grand larceny. In the end, this isn’t so much a racial issue as it is a problem with misconceptions.