Example research essay topic: Race Relations In Howard Beach Ny - 1,374 words

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Race Relations in Howard Beach, NY Introduction What is racism? For hundreds of years there has been establishing inequality in the relations of people belonging to different races (race discrimination). First of all, lets briefly examine what do race issues mean. As defined by various encyclopedias, race issues cover race, racism, racism hatred and affirmative action. Media sources deny that there is a racism problem in NYC.

Does racism exist in the modern American society? African-American children in New York are more likely to be treated as unable to study than white American children. Racism is a social prejudice. It does exist in relation to group of people and is based on physical characteristics (such as skin pigmentation, typical features, hair texture, speech, manners and other ethnic characteristics that are easily noticed and dont reflect biologically important qualities such as ability or capability). Racism is an ideology, which uses formal difference as a basic reason to refuse in equal attitude toward certain group of people based on so-called scientific, biological, ethical or moral characteristics. Racists consider those people primarily being inferior.

Lets examine Howard Beach within the terms of racism. Howard Beach: General Information As provided by Howard Beach Website, Howard beach is an all-residential community only 25 blocks wide and 9 blocks long (n. p. ). The community is a combination of private homes and condominiums, old and new buildings, and garden apartment complexes. Population of Howard Beach mainly consists of Italian and Jewish people. Demographic Profile Fact Sheet According to Census Bureau (web), population of Howard Beach reaches 27, 269.

Race: White 93. 31 % Black 1. 07 % Asian 3. 27 % American Indian 0. 05 % Other 2. 30 % Hispanic 9. 76 % Howard Beach Community Fact Sheet According to Howard Beach. com website (web) Language spoken at home: Speak only English 20312 German 143 Yiddish 434 Greek 173 Italian 2422 Spanish or Spanish Creole 1355 Ancestry: Austrian 466 English 288 German 1937 Irish 2484 Italian 10707 Polish 1610 Russian 1566 United States or American 739 Race or Hispanic origin groups 1846 Howard Beach Case Modern America faces many social problems. Racial issues serve as the source of constant social tension. New York was always known for its complex political life. Howard Beach accident was the first case that managed to bring worlds attention to racial issues in New York City.

On December 19, 1986, four young men (Michael Griffith (23), Cedric Sandiford (36), Timothy Grimes (18), and Curtis Sylvester (19) traveled by car. Due to car accident their car was broken and they had to walk to get help in Howard Beach. A group of young white men (John Lester, aged 18, Scott Kern, aged 18, and Jason Lane, aged 17) saw the three of them who had stopped in a pizza parlour to get something to eat (13. Ethnic and racial groups in the USA Waters, n. p. ). One of the men, Lester, the leader of the white group, exclaimed: theres niggers at the pizza parlour.

Lets get them The group of white people started to beat the black men. Griffith and Sandiford undertook attempt to escape but in vain. Griffith, severely beaten, dove through a three-foot hole in the fence and staggered onto the parkway. He was struck and killed by an automobile (n. p. ). The fact was that black people were attacked by the group of whites only because they were black and walking on a public street in an all-white neighborhood (n.

p. ). The media immediately described it as a threat to American Dream. Media sources treated it as one of the most violent and emotional interethnic conflicts. Black / white conflict was something new for Howard Beach as it seemed that racial issues never had an influence on life of Howard Beach community. However, the violence within the context of accident is related to questions of inadequacy and racial definition mainly within the Italian American community. Lets revert to the history of Italian immigrants to the United States of America.

As far as we know, the immigration of Southern Italians to the United States gave birth to various racial conflicts. Southern Italians were often treated as the inferior race, as different race, probably, not as different as African Americans but still the race that never achieves full acceptance far away from their motherland. Probably, this element results in their violent reaction toward the visibly different subject that becomes the mirror image of their own oppression (Guineas n. p. ). Italian Americans seem to be black-identified; they act as minorities involved in the struggle for survival. Italian American community feels its insecurities regarding their own position as ethnics (Guineas n.

p. ). Social exclusion of Italian Americans from representation in society influences their attitude towards inferior racial group (African Americans), includes them in the dominant's violent coercive apparatus and heightens the aggression against African Americans. Race as it relates to Howard Beach So, what are the influences of race as it relates to Howard Beach, NYC? Some people consider that racism is quite peculiar to people to the extent xenophobia is peculiar to them. Racism and class prejudice tend to mask each other (Guineas n. p. ).

People are afraid of something they do not know or somebody who doesnt look like them. Really, the members of Howard Beach community dont look alike. Although they are all people and they are all citizens of the same country, they are different. They are individuals.

However, when we speak about xenophobia, we claim that xenophobia is spontaneous and sporadic. Racism supposes common attitude to the problem and common point of view. Etienne Bulbar once said that racism is a kind of universalism. Really, racism in the broad sense of this word is hierarchic division of the mankind.

It is a kind of division into species and subspecies, subordinated by hierarchic position. The members of community often badly treat people that are different. Such ethnic and race discrimination is also the reason of unequal access to medical services. No wonder that blacks and minorities have considerably lower level of medical and other social services. The same we can claim speaking about the system of education. Besides, the correspondence of idiosyncrasy of whites and non-whites is also significant.

What about the representation of minorities by local media sources? Although modern media sources at least try to involve the minorities, the whole portrayal is far from truth. The fact is that the minorities are still represented in a wrong way obeying the old stereotypes. Although the majority of Howard Beach community will positively answer the question whether the multiculturalism should be enhanced, the minorities that are so visible on Howard Beach streets and shopping and health care centers are so invisible on television screens.

The Howard Beach minorities seem to be under-represented in a wrong way. People often portray the minorities as aggressive and emotionally unbalanced, in comparison to whites. Future Analysis The community of Howard Beach starts to respect cultural differences of other people. They acknowledge other members of their community who speak different language and respect the diversity of traditions.

Besides, there are many organizations aimed to improve the representation of minorities. These organizations (or networks of federal, state, governmental, local organizations and NGOs) make considerable efforts to protect the rights of Howard Beach minorities and to provide them with equal rights. Together with governmental programs they create opportunities to advance the participation of the racial minorities in commerce, science and technologies. In conclusion I would like to underline that Howard Beach community is changing quickly. New generation grows more racially diverse and, therefore, the minorities in Howard Beach will have greater influence on development of society in general and Howard Beach in particular.

Bibliography: Census Bureau Retrieved June 30, 2006. web Howard Beach. com website. Retrieved June 30, 2006.

web Spike Lee's Guineas. "If I was six feet tall, I would have been Italian: " Differentia Issue 6 / 7, 1995. Retrieved June 30, 2006. web Waters, Mary C. 13. Ethnic and racial groups in the USA.

Retrieved June 30, 2006. web

Research essay sample on Race Relations In Howard Beach Ny