Oppressed racial, ethnic and religious minority groups produce cultural artifacts and patterns that attest to their resistance. For example music on the U.S. and Mexico border works as "a tool of socio-political resistance," according to the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics. Musicians from Mexico's underclass use music to express political consciousness. Thus, the music produced by this section of the population is distinct from mainstream music of the dominant class.
Oppressed groups feel the effects of economic oppression for generations, even after formal systems of oppression. In 2004, the Urban Institute conducted a comprehensive study of economic disparities between racial groups in the United States. The Institute concluded that there remains a significant disparity between white Americans and racial minorities on major economic indicators such as family wealth, employment and access to food and housing.
Individuals of oppressed groups incorporate a sense of racial, ethnic, political or religious pride into their self-identity. These individuals, like the musicians on the U.S. - Mexico border, contribute to the social and political awareness of others in their community through art, literature and political rhetoric. Although oppression can result in psychological trauma, individuals of oppressed groups to retain psychological resources for healing. These resources include political solidarity, counterculture, and a strong sense of collective identity.
Health is correlated to social position, and groups that are oppressed or discriminated against experience reduced general health when compared to members of dominant social groups. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, women, the elderly and racial and ethnic minorities suffer from health disparities based on a number of indicators, including "frequency of... disease [and] how often... disease causes death."