Ethnic group and Discrimination Essay

The issue on racial discrimination continues to prevail in developed countries although in subtle manner. Minority groups in United States have had a turbulent history fighting against ethnic group discrimination by the whites. In this paper, I choose to focus on the African America perspective on their fight against prejudice, segregation and racism. The first blacks to arrive in America were slaves. They were brought there against their own will contrary to other immigrants in the land of opportunity. Terms like Negroes were used to refer to black slaves and from the onset, prejudice remarks were used on them. It is documented that black slaves were seen to have similar attributes to dumb animals hence inferior. In fact, whites held that Negroes ranked between chimpanzees and human being. Its not clear as to where and when racism started or why but a clear definition of racism exists it means exclusion, division, restriction of any kind based on skin color, race, ethnic origin or nationality It is indeed a shame to see that the society has imposed the three ills of society upon Blacks Americans. The Blacks have and continue to experience segregation prejudice and discrimination even today. During the period of colonialism and slavery, blacks were not privileged to attend school inorder to keep them down form any form civilization. They were thought to endure and fight all kinds of discriminations either on basis of skin color, in life style, social class, academic, criminal justice and economic circles. (Karenga, 2002). In retaliation, the blacks Americans have also propagated Afro centric ideologies against whites which emphasis their superiority. Seemingly, it is fair for blacks to habour feelings of oppression and dislike against whites and other minority groups because these racial ideologies are deeply rooted in society. The weight of past negatively against blacks is a big challenge felt up until today. The effects have not worn off and hence blacks continue to log a step behind whites not because they are ‘lesser’ being but society has a way of pressurizing them to stay at their place i. e. second citizens. In the past, African Americans have faced challenges of security employment and have shaky single headed homes. Thus, they are poor. The whites on the other hand, get preference in well paying jobs, hence a form of discrimination. Perhaps, the blacks are the most segregated community in America. This is because of the quality of housing and congestion in black concentration neighbourhoods. It is common to find premium pricing in real estate, which ensures that Black Americans do not afford spacious homes to live in. Even those who make it to purchase prime property face a degree of segregation in the white neighbourhood. As a result, infant mortality is high and health issues are common in black neighbourhoods. At the same time, crime rates and violent crimes occur among teenagers as they try to fight for survival in poverty-stricken homes. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and other black heroes realized these disconnect and lead black liberations movements aimed at bringing to advance in life. (Amnesty International, US Domestic Human Rights Program, 2004). These discrimination prevent African American from attaining the ‘American dream’ since blacks stand out sharply than any other minority group, their color has often been used to dictate the quality of housing, education, service or products that they will given (Kitano, 1997) often it is low quality. Similarly in the criminal justice arena, prejudices and racial profiling persist. Perceptions or rather misconceptions about police action as accidental shooting, use of force, slow response and so on are constructed by blacks to be a racist conspiracy and segregation. ( Karenga, 2002). Due to these underlying prejudices and racist ideologies, reverse discrimination, policies have been formulated to try to correct historically oppressed groups in the Diaspora. This is seen in cases where jobs are reserved for black candidates even where there are qualified whites to fill the position. This is the same policy used to propel affirmative action and boost women participation of women in state affairs. Despite the noble cause behind this policy, it has not gained ground sufficiently owing to the connotations of pity and sympathy stringed to it. Similarly, it goes against the equal protection clause of the fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the civil rights Act, 42 (Amnesty International, US Domestic Human Rights Program, 2004) Other forms of discriminations against the African Americans include redlining. This practice dates back to the 1930s where banks took survey on residential areas to determine the level of security and hence their real estate value and thus award loans. Neighbourhoods inhabited by blacks were regarded as insecure and thus not eligible for loans. As such, blacks were segregated directly from acquiring mortgage loans, which in turn ensured that they had access to rich suburbs with decent housing. This form of discrimination was fought and overcome after the Fair housing Act 1968. This law guarded against any kind of redlining based on skin color, race, ethnicity, gender and so on (Amnesty International, US Domestic Human Rights Program, 2004) The community reinvestment Act 1977 also put blacks and other minority groups a step ahead in fight against racial segregation. Racial discrimination against blacks affects their presence in the labor market. The opportunity structure in the labor market is one that ensures that blacks dominate the cheap labour pool in occupation such as gardening, janitors’ waiters and so on. In addition, historical influence of past black discrimination forms a culture whereby blacks do not enroll for long-term educational training (Karenga, 2002). Similarly, black resided in urban outskirts where employment opportunities were limited and economic activities few. (Kitano, 1997) thus causing a dual market to form. Moreover, employers also prefer to employ workers from so-called ‘superior’ races, until they exhaust their supply. All these forces create a dual market one, which is discriminate against blacks. The advancement of black people within social and career circles is limited owing to discrimination on racial lines. Women are particularly subject to this glass ceiling. Notably, the expression used ‘glass† means that this form of discrimination is unwritten and unofficial yet real. It is commonplace to see a high black achiever unable to advance in career just because of gender or racial bias. In terms of promotions, most employers prefer superior races. Conclusion Personally, I do not identify with any ethnic group. I identify with the human race Blacks, whites, Asians stereotyping prejudice and discrimination ultimately resorts to hate speech and violence against groups. Often than not, these prejudices are reinforced for scapegoats inorder to justify own failures. It is worthless to hate each other and in extreme cases resort to genocides just because of differing color and nationality. Once humanity can accept that there is no superior person, area only then can we pride ourselves of true intelligence and harmony in the world.