Which statement best illustrates de facto segregation in the United States?

• A. De jure segregation by law.
• B. De jure segregation through social practices.
• C. De facto segregation arises from housing patterns and personal choice.
• D. De facto segregation is a legal framework.

Answer: (C)

De facto segregation means separation that happens through everyday patterns of living and personal choices, not because laws require it. The statement that best illustrates this is that segregation arises from housing patterns and personal choice. In many places, where people live is shaped by economic differences, history of housing policies like redlining, access to credit, and the availability of affordable homes. These factors create neighborhoods that are largely one race, which in turn affects who attends which schools, where people work, and how communities interact. Even after laws banning explicit segregation, the physical and social landscapes kept populations apart because of where families can afford to live and the options they pursue.

The other ideas describe segregation in ways that don’t fit de facto reality. Legal segregation by law refers to de jure segregation, where the state enforces racial separation through statutes. Saying de jure segmentation occurs through social practices blends legal status with everyday behavior, which isn’t how de facto is defined. And describing de facto segregation as a legal framework contradicts its meaning as informal, practical separation.