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Problems of Racism in America Being one of the most multinational and multiracial countries in the world, the United States of America are deeply involved in a problem of racism. Historically, starting from the times of African slavery, the racial dilemma in America can be determined as the flow of relationships between blacks and whites. Within the time, black people became more forceful in claiming their social and civil rights, so, as a result, they started gaining minor position in the society and began suffering from the discrimination. Racial issues turned out to be dominating in all the matters related to concern of American authorities about people of other races, especially blacks, residing in the USA. In this country race and racial issues are everywhere.
Racism became a sort of national obsession. Mass media and politicians condemn it, students of universities are always vigilant for it, and churches sermonize against it. The government of the USA requires declaring of the race in the forms which must be filled out when applying for a visa. This leads to a big confusion for children of mixed families because in such cases they are expected to state particularly their blackness since there is no type of mixed race. This undoubtedly causes negative prospective for racial prejudice, even starting only with the visa issuing procedures, and statistically 80 % of annual immigrants to America are black or originated from mixed families. The nature of racism can be understood as follows.
It is usual for people to create stereotypes regarding to other members of surrounding society. And the tendency is to associate those, which are not alike and anyhow different, with something negative. This is common for anybody, for a person of any nation, race and confession. Racism is the presumption that the representatives of other race are superior to another, so racists proclaim members of their race are in social, moral, psychological and intellectual advantage, and that is why they deserve ranges of exceptional privileges. Racists accuse people of other races in misconducts, crimes, all the sorts of faults and stupidities. It is impossible for them to recognize positive and good qualities in people, which are unlike.
Racism is a particular type of obvious prejudice. Despite of continuing social and public efforts, legislative control of civil rights, mandated busing or magnet schools, racism still remains a big problem in United States. The Bill of Rights came into power about 200 years ago, but handling racism in America is yet a hard mission somebody can barely over take. Because of this, American community is very differentiated and segregated; people of different race prefer living apart from each other. In many cities, like New York or others, there are separated districts, inhabited with only black, white, Asian, Latino, etc. , people of the same ethnic origin try to conglomerate and stay together to protect themselves from racial encroachment. White people used to leave the territories, inhabitant by too many black people, and rich black families could reside in such abandoned places.
That is how some small towns of only white or black dwellers appeared. In some towns there is a common trick of increasing of the price for housing used for keeping financially pressed minorities away. There is a theory, raised by sociologist David Bush in his works, which supposes that since their early childhood citizens of America are programmed for inadequate behavior regarding to other people, and, in particular, regarding to representatives of other races. Known fact is that parents influence a lot on success or failure of their children by the manner they bring children up. Certainly, till definite degree, one can ascend above such program and follow own chosen way, but there are things which are steadily engrained in mind and hardly can be changed. So, some part of racism is naturally put in human being with the perception that different means worse.
Since the early times of history of the United States, white population has been dominating over people of other races. Non-white, especially black, ethnic groups have been enslaved and oppressed. That is why, till recent times, when speaking on the points of racism, it could be presented as repression and mistreatment from the side of white, so all resentment could be directed towards white skinned dictators. Black inhabitants were claiming white people in abuse, discrimination, aggression upon their liberties and rights, limitations in their opportunities in education and career by refusal in employment or rejection of giving good grades in schooling institutions. The fire of confrontation has been strengthening by low indexes of economical and social welfare of black community. But in the end of XX century a new tendency in racial problem began getting cleared, supported by public commentaries of mass media and specialists.
As for centuries white people were discriminating and trampling blacks under foot, they appeared to be directly responsible for all the misery and problems of black population of America. Poverty, destitution and indigence of other nations started to be taken as guilt and fault of white people, as the results of racial antagonism from their side. Such sorts of theories began appearing in press and literature, and sometimes they were quite a bit exaggerating. White community has been accused in prevalent voting for white candidates in elections, for occupying better positions in government and business structures. Supporters of this theory always tried to underline that there are many things and acts (like visiting racially differentiated clubs, creating of special communities in universities, etc. ), which are being done by white, used to be called display of racism, at the same time people of black race do not evoke such reaction of censure. Rising voices of oppressed colored ethnic groups blamed whites for denying and ignoring of their traditional and cultural particularities, for forcing to study English language.
Therefore, the object of American racism has been conditionally changed, now some amount of white population started feeling prejudice of the society concerning their views and behavior with people of other races. Under the circumstances, the National Association for the Advancement of White People (NAAWP) was established as an opposition to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Now both organizations are protecting the rights of correspondent racial groups and both are being blamed in racism from each others side. That is why racism became now two sided street. Definitely, now it is not only the point between black and white people, there are representatives of racism in any races. And it could develop that deeply only in such country as America, with its variety of opportunities and contradictions.
Racism can become a base for absolutely unrelated effects. Business and desire of making money is one of the prevalent tendencies in modern American society. Therefore, a racist boss can employ well-qualified black individual, knowing that black people are known as hardworking. Moreover, without fear he will place such specialist over his white subordinates, because image of racist can damage his potential for success in business in front of competitors or own employees. Problem of racism in America requires analysis and more of special attention from sociologists. Many questions require a prompt answer.
How to create a community in the situation, when social groups are avoiding each other? How to reestablish the trust of citizens in broken relationship? How to encourage people to become more opened and tolerant to each others cultural and ethnic specifics? Differences between races are evident and natural, and it is also obvious that an individual feels more free and comfortable in the group of similar people because they have plenty of common things. There is nothing much of discrimination in this. That is why, for example, the percentage of divorces in interracial families is considerably higher than it is for the couples of the same race.
From one point of view, there is a definite lack of academic studies on problems of racism and discrimination in modern scientific research literature. Authors frequently refer to racial points but do not try to analyze them with social or educational purposes. There was even certain tend of denial and avoidance of race matters in American literature, which can be partially explained by national conceit and literate approach to writing, it is difficult to talk about it honestly and with opened mind. Such denial of the necessity to examine, to study and to cure the problem of racism brought to particular aggravation of the situation during the last decade. Racism was still spreading and children were going on facing the same frustrations, which their parents had suffered before. But undoubtedly there was a range of books and writings, which acknowledged racism and made attempts to investigate its nature and features.
In such works, as Aboriginal Peoples, Racism and Education in Canada by P. Chart rand or Racism Runs Through Our Society by E. Larocque, the researches made attempts to define racism and present it like prejudice, which causes inequality of relations. A good research work on racism was carried out by the British Columbia Teachers Federation Group, specialists of which discovered several existing forms of racism, like conscious and unconscious, personal and cooperative, systematic and spontaneous, etc.
Sociologists J. Archibald and C. Union revealed in their work Honoring What They Say: Postsecondary Experiences of First National Graduates that the most dangerous form of racism is almost unconscious, which creates no conscious connection between thoughts or principles, and action itself. For experts the most important point was to explore social context of racism. In the work An Historical Overview of the Application of the Race Concept in Social Practice by M.
Castagna and G. J. S. Dei, the authors study racial concept as social category and, in particular, the way race becomes instrument of discrimination and unequal power.
To investigate this very point, many researches tried to compare racial differentiation with sexual, religious, professional, economic, or political variety of social groups and analyze the relations between such groups. The conclusion was that the race, gender and class are belonging to such indexes of human classification, which primarily define people, and they fundamentally influence on ones social life and interpersonal relations. After such researches many specialists started admitting racism as a comprehensive problem, which affects on normal existence of many segments of population of America. Objects of racist attacks have limited opportunities in education or career; they are feeling misused and lose their hopes for future success. Specialists determined some of the most frequent forms of racial aggression, which can be classified as verbal and psychological abuse, together with systematic discriminatory assaults. Verbal abuse is supposed to be very insulting and offensive.
Psychological abuse means placing objects of racism in awkward situations, making them feel disgrace and shame. Such acts like boycotting or placing into other sort of social isolation, giving lack of attention, social support or expectations, are also among the methods of psychological mistreatment. And the main goal of the researches is to offer some means to improve the situation and soften the relations between races. All the specialists together declare that the first step on this way is realizing that racism is a real problem of America and that it must be solved as soon as possible. Many researchers offer to prepare and launch in all educational institutions a number of anti-racism educational programs, courses or lectures. For the sake of fast and successful recovering, every single person in the country must get involved into the fight against racism in one or another form.
People, especially teenagers and young men, must be offered to replace racist ideology with something different, which would distract their attention and occupy their time and mind. Such methodical researches and social investigations can rarely gain interest of general public of readers. That is why the influence of popular literature on forming or influencing on racial principles of people becomes very important. The majority of writers do not try to focus on hard psychological sides of the problem, they prefer showing the situation as it is in American society, supplementing it with philosophical analysis of the conditions or literary speculations on the point. There is a range of other popular books written with polar social function, dedicated directly to problems of racism in America, like the following ones. A book of Joseph Band Dismantling Racism: the Continuing Challenge to White America offers the revision of current situation in fighting against racism.
Written by David K. Super, a book A Country of Strangers: Blacks and Whites in America presents a sociological review of a great variety of the existing problems between black and white residents of the United States. James Waller in his book Face to Face: the Changing State of Racism across America analyses the forms of old and modern racism. A collection of articles The Gospel in Black and White: Theological Resources for Racial Reconciliation, edited by L. Dennis, contains commentaries and observations of black and white Christian scholars, their imaginations of how can religious principles influence on problem of racism. In addition, a book of Mary Ann French and Barbara Matthias 40 Ways to Raise a Non-Racist Child helps parents to protect children from illness of racism since early years.
A book of American specialists in sociology and history Stephan and Abigail Thernstrom America in Black and White: One Nation, Indivisible presents one of the most systematic researches and contains chronological review on changes in the life of black people in America for the last 50 years. The book is written in quite optimistic and hopeful tone, the Thernstorms show that racism as a social disaster is slightly decreasing. They refer to rich statistic, presented in the book, and state that the attitude of white people towards black is growing wormer, that white and black people are more willingly making friends and visit the same church. According to Thernstorms, 66 % of people can fall in love with people of other race, and it includes 85 % of white people under 24. They show that economical conditions of black people in America are getting considerably better. 50 % of black families receive middle-class income and are owners of their houses. But the problem the Thernstorms find out to be important is in education.
They state that statistically a usual white student is three and a half years ahead of a usual black in mathematics, five and a half years ahead in science and four years ahead in reading. Studying together can be damaging for both children. The authors worn that this problem must be solved not by way of separation, they offer to remove the responsibility for balancing of educational expectations regarding all the children from the schools and replace it into families by intensifying and deepening of primary teaching. Not only literature and writing touches racial problems. There are the points of racial discrimination and social relations between races in modern cinema art.
For example, a recent movie Human Stain with starring Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman also refers to matters of racial dependence. A book of Philip Ross was taken as a base for the plot for the movie: it is a story of Coleman Silk, a light-skinned black man, who progressively passed the American racial separation, recreated himself as a white and started living as a white Jew, became a classic professor of a university. He wanted to live independent life and not to be a representative of his race, being discriminated and abused. But the irony is: he created a lot of his own sort of bias, his own prejudice and racism, which were so fearful for him in youth. Racism compromises social and personal morality of America. If Americans really desire to stop racism, they have to start with removing it from their own minds.
They must learn how to be more patient and understanding to special features of each other, how to look into heart and soul, not on the color of skin. They must get rid of old stereotypes and try to overcome old programming regarding social position and estimation of own dignity. And then it would become much more comfortable and pleasant to live in this wealthy and prosperous country, and everybody would enjoy being a proud American. Bibliography: Bush D. The Psychology of Racism in America. Self growth.
Retrieved October 7, 2004, from the World Wide Web: web Denis V. S. , Hampton E. Literature Review on Racism and the Effects on Aboriginal Education. National Working Group on Education. Retrieved October 5, 2004, from the World Wide Web: web Frum D. Telling a Different Story of Racism in America.
The Financial Post. Retrieved October 5, 2004, from the World Wide Web: web Racism in America. Planet Papers. Retrieved October 4, 2004, from the World Wide Web: web Racism in America: Has American Idol Changed the Face of White America? ANN News. Retrieved October 4, 2004, from the World Wide Web: web Sider N.
G. and Talley M. Ending Racism in America, One Conversation a Time. Footpath. Retrieved October 7, 2004, from the World Wide Web: web
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Research essay sample on Problems Of Racism In America
