The article examines the positions of US ethnic groups in the labor market, among small and medium-sized business owners, and in the education system, revealing a complex set of reasons for the low social mobility of the majority of African Americans and Latin Americans. significant attention in the work is given to affirmative action plans aimed at increasing the number of representatives of Asian, African and Latin American races in state institutions, universities and private companies. A separate section is devoted to the examination of the cultural codes of ethno-racial groups and the stereotypes in the assessment of their abilities and mentality, as well as their representation at management levels in production sectors. The section analyzes racial theories and social movements that have become widespread in the country, which have designated one of the lines of division in American society. A separate section examines the cultural codes of communities of color in the United States, as well as stereotypes in assessing their abilities and mentality, the influence of these judgments on their professional growth, as well as their representation in management roles in production. The relevance of studying racial issues in the United States stems from the growth of political and cultural movements across states, motivated by the feeling of injustice faced by communities of color, which does not meet their civil rights and social interests. The final section of the article examines the results of surveys among African Americans, in particular focusing on whether structural or individual sources of racism are perceived as the greatest problem for them.