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... hem? We take their land by force as well. President Roosevelt called these Hispanics savages due to the prevailing differences. Due to the events above and the stereotypes whites hold about those who appear different, the US is still firmly held the concept of Racism. Hopefully by educating newer generations on the harsh realities they will see where our forefathers have erred.
People are making strides in the right direction but there are more people still walking backwards than impedes that process. The AAA has suggested to the Office of Management and Budget that the 2010 Census should not contain the category of race, instead it should use a term like ethnicity. As was mentioned in class this is just a new catch phrase that implies the same racial over tones. People are trying to make a difference, but what will really help? As the American Physical Anthropologists statement on the biological aspects of race states all humans belong in one group homosapians. People understand that differences among people stem from heredity, the environment, and society.
If environments are different, then people will adapt, as they need to. Physical characteristics may appear different as a result. With all that is known how is it so hard to re-educate people. As I stated earlier, many groups have been discriminated against throughout history of America. When racism and discrimination occur, groups that appear similar will bond together because as the saying goes, there is strength and safety in numbers. If blacks bond because of similarities and for safety, why is this viewed as a problem?
The reason is that whites see their unity as a threat to their society. Many times I have either been in conversations or listened to people talk about how black people show a tremendous bond with each other. Often I have thought it was amazing that a black student could walk into a university and not know anyone, they can then attend a black student union meeting and within a meeting have contacts and a circle of acceptance. After reading Optional Ethnicities by Mary Waters, I began to see things in a slightly different way. She says that black students have the positive attraction of being around other black students who share some cultural elements, as well as the need to band together with other students in a reactive and oppositional way in the face of racist incidents on campus. (Walter, 434).
It made me upset in a way that society today is still wrapped in race so much that these students feel that they have to protect themselves. I do not blame them at all because what has ever been shown to make them feel safe or wanted? Nothing. Black students have their ethnicities thrown at them through slurs, slang's, and dirty looks. It is not an optional ethnicity for them the way white students can self identify.
If by chance a black student makes friends in a clique of white students, then they may have conflict with other students for acting too white. Another example of this optional ethnicity is shown in June Jordans, Report from the Bahamas. Jordan comes face to face with a white woman that tells her she is lucky because the has a cause. Poverty, Police, violence. Discrimination in general. (Jordan, 38). This shows that her heritage causes people to think that because she is black and has to deal with these types of things that she enjoys this.
Since when has anyone that has been discriminated against enjoyed it? Jordan also brings up the picture of the black waiter bringing drinks into the water. She sees this as him in a way acting in a white way. This causes conflict within her that black people seem to have to take service jobs because higher level whites see them as only qualified for that job.
I use the word qualified as a transition to Moores Racist Stereotyping and the English Language. Moore made many relevant points in this article. It is true that not only what we learn directly affect how we view race, but also the way people speak affects us. I have made references to them and to us throughout this paper.
I begin to question how else to say things without being too wordy or not being able to say the right thing. Obvious day to day slang and slurs have left my vocabulary. I was raised in a prejudice household where blacks were niggers and Hispanics were spics. I never realized how ignorant these terms were until my senior year.
I was in home room and I was speaking to on of my best friends, Le Ron and I made a comment regarding a jungle bunny. I did not know this was bad, I was raised that way and I though my Dad was the all knowing person. Luckily I had been a friend with Le Ron for well over a year, and I did not get my ass kicked. He explained that I should know what I am saying before I say it. That is when I decided to rethink my vocabulary. This article is another one of those instances where if I really want to be respected for what I have to say, then I need to think of better ways to say things.
His section on politics and terminology make you realize how deep the white influence is. To call someone economically disadvantaged compares that situation to what the ideals of a white society holds. In all actuality, the term economically exploited makes much more sense. It is ironic how a phrase will get another wheel spinning. Economically exploited can easily make reference to black athletes. In Breaking the Taboo by Jon Engine, many facts about athletics are brought up.
If you turn on Sports Center on ESPN, and clips of all major sports are shown. As it is stated in the article you will see a disproportionately large number of black athletes. Engine makes the claim that it is because in general blacks are just better athletes. This reflects views from colonial times that blacks are closer to being animals than whites. In Masculinities and Athletic Careers, Messner holds a different view. He says that blacks will strive with all effort to make it to the pros.
He also says that this is due to the way the educational system stereotypes their teachings. When you are in elementary through high school you learn of all the great white people that have so positively influenced society. In sports black students can be themselves and take out any frustrations that day to day white life can cause. It is not that blacks are closer to animals, it is that socialization is different for people.
White society says hey white kid go to school, go to college, and start a career. It is not that is does not say the same thing to blacks, but it is shown in a different way. If a black student / athlete can succeed in a profession that allows them to utilize gifts they might possess, then why strive for education by the books. Chances are they will see majority of white professors and white students and be taught white education while having their culture and history constantly portrayed as inferior. As I stated above that blacks feel the burden of a white education Arturo Madrid states that Hispanics feel it as well. In Missing People and Others Joining Together to Expand the Circle, Madrid states that in words what many students of minorities feel.
He says that Despite the operating myth of the day, school did not erase my otherness. It did try to deny it, and in doing so only accentuated it. (Madrid, 24). He says that people try to flee otherness. White society says act as white as possible and it might accept you.
What happens though is many will embrace this but due to skin color, accent, dress, and the idea that you might not really be white will often shut the door in your face. If society does not slam the door literally in your face, it will at least put a screen door up to slow you down. In Covers The Myth of Latin Women, she describes how her style of dress got her ostracized by the girls in class at career day. By dressing in her typical dress clothes, she was shunned for her heritage.
The screen door was up. She was looking in through the door at White World. Even when she went to read a poem in her professional career, because she was Hispanic, she was deemed as the waitress. It seems that it does not matter how hard someone strives if they do not happen to be white. With hundreds of years of stereotyping, bigotry, and racism it seems difficult to believe that it will ever end. Hopefully it will, but maybe it wont.
The only thing I can do is strive to show people why I feel that way that I do about this topic. If I make my points straightforward and have information to back it up, then someone will be influenced. In turn they may influence someone else. It is a step by step process that can only occur on stride at a time. Bibliography:
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Research essay sample on Day To Day Black Student
