Racism and Ethnicity in the United States
A race is a difference in the biological nature of people. The primary cause of this difference though is based on phenotypic traits. The physical appearance of individuals has been used to judge and cause separation amongst the whites and the blacks. Segregation of races has made some group of people in the USA look much inferior compared to others (Desmond et al, p 44). The superiority is based on economic status, class and power. This disparity has caused an exploitation of some group of people lower in the hierarchy. It has also led to the belief that apart from the difference in physical appearance; some races are biologically more capable than others. This notion is drawn from the fact that some communities of people have been able to make more accomplishments than others. This essay though, aims at addressing the issue of race and ethnic prejudice on the immigrants in the United States.
Unlike in races, where the comparison is mostly on the physical appearance, ethnicity is inborn and can hardly be changed (Rose, p 37). People of the same ethnic class share common ancestry and have the same culture. Small ethnic groups usually face prejudice from the majority who are the dominant power-holders. From the discrimination amongst people, it can be stated a race is a social reality and not biological phenomenon. No race gives one more capability than the other; as a matter of fact human beings are 99% homogeneous (Desmond et al, p 58). Any disparities amongst them are based on gender.
The racial and ethnic aspects have resulted in a sort of hierarchy in the American people. Some races are held in esteem and are ranked highest in the hierarchy. Typically, in racial classifications in the United States, the white people are listed first, and blacks ranked last, in between are the rest of the people like the Indians. The basis of this stratification is a factor in the economic ability and power. When the immigrants came in they had to fit themselves in a social class that best suited them (Andrew & Barlow, p 101). As long as the social and economic disparities exist, the discrimination continues, and the hierarchy is maintained. The prejudice against the minority increased, and hence it was hard for a community to change the status and climb the hierarchy. In his study though, Banton stated that superiority among groups may be innate (Desmond et al, p 163). Banton further argued this is purely nature and does not come up as a result of the difference in race or ethnicity.
In the current world setup, racial and ethnic differences have been settled to a large extent, and all the Americans have embraced and appreciated the need for unity. The majority of the American population has access to entirely all the resources and has been given their fair share of the American dream as advocated by Dr. Martin Luther king. Although many blacks still do not believe discrimination will end, majority of the whites are confident about the matter and believe situation improves each day. However, there are those racial stereotypes that until now are full of prejudice of the blacks. They insist that the white holds extreme advantages over the blacks (Rose, p 32). They attribute the difference to the high intelligence of the white people.
References
Barlow, Andrew L. Between Fear And Hope: Globalization And Race in the United States. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2003. Print.
Desmond, Matthew & Mustafa E. Racial Domination, Racial Progress. McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print.
Rose G. Discrimination: Sick Individuals and Sick Populations. Wiley & Sons. 2002, 14:32–38.
