Contrary to the expectations of many individuals in the United States, race and ethnicity are not the same. Although both race and ethnicity are connected in the fact that both are socially constructed in modern times, race and ethnicity did not originate under similar circumstances. Race is more concrete and not dynamic, ultimately causing one’s race to be solidified in an individual’s early stages of development in society. Race was originally created in order to oppress certain individual’s in society and allow one group of individuals to be seen as superior and other groups as inferior, thereby proliferating oppression and establishment of distinctions between the in-group and the out-group. Race was not created as a way to understand the
The two stories illustrate that African-Americans are not given an equal chance in terms of gaining opportunities for a successful life. However, it may be possible that one key factor among all can develop a whole problematic image on success and why White Americans think of the African-American society as to not having the capability for a chance towards success. At the time, the economy could have been at a huge disadvantage for the African-Americans because majority of them did not have the chance to rise up from it in terms of creating revenue for themselves. The whole world around them built this image and it is hard to come out of when no one can give opportunities for them to improve and grow. Harlon L. Dalton expresses how unfair the
However, seeing race as more than something you are born with, but rather something thrust upon you at many different points in life is a good way to start. The racial profiling of African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans has been built into society throughout history through discriminatory traditions, assumptions and amplified stereotypes. Today, contemporary forms of mass media both enlightens people to and exemplifies the problem of racism in the United States. Just like the classic game of Jenga, one by one, race is consistently picked apart and manipulated as generations upon generations find new ways to define it. Just like the classic game of Jenga, every different race- the blocks in the game- is imposed on society as independent from one another.
This week, the readings point the spotlight at the some of the depressing hardships that the African-American population frequently experience. In “Naughty by Nature”, Ann Ferguson covers the different perceptions that society has of colored boys. David Knight’s work “Don’t tell young black males that they are endangered” seeks to explain the differents outcomes of African-American youth that arise when society constantly oppresses them. The last article by Carla O’Connor, “The Culture of Black Femininity and School Success”, focuses on the image of African-American woman that is created as a result of them attempting to preserve in a system that opposes them.
Society is a dangerous and ruthless beast. A person’s wish to belong in society can ultimately be their demise to not only their financial stability but as well as their social status which is ironic, for the actions they take to belong only further separate them from society. These actions are particularly common amongst poor folks as they wish to be a part of society, but their poor financial decisions to spend all their earnings on exquisite items only drags them further away from society’s acceptance. In Tressie McMillan Cottom’s Reading, “The Logic of Stupid Poor People”, She describes her life as an African-American child born into a poor family who were able to manage their funds wisely and live comfortably while families similar to her’s, but to only manage to dig themselves into deep and unforgiving caverns of financial debt. I agree, for I have witnessed many cases of poverty stricken people drag themselves further into financial debt all for useless status symbols.
Reflection Précis 1, Race and Ethnicity Part I: During the last lecture sessions, Dr. Jendian talked about appreciating diversity, race, ethnicity, and racism. In his lecture, we learned that many people believe that race is something biological. However, the true reality is that race is a social construct and not a biological one. For example, in the documentary Race: The Power of An Illusion, we were able to understand that there are more variations among people in the same “race” than with people from another “race.” However, physical differences, for example, the most obvious skin color, has created prejudices against minority groups.
In the article, “Breeds of America: Coming of Age, Coming of Race,” which was first published in the Harper’s magazine, William Melvin Kelley recalls his “confusing” childhood of being a colored citizen in the United States. He begins his memoir by portraying a simple skin comparison with his friends. An Italy kid was blushed because he had a same brown skin color as Kelly does under the sun. Kelly raised a question about that blush: why would brown skin make the Italy kid embarrassing? Then Kelly introduces the unfair collision of race and culture.
This is evident when he asks Ron Hall, “I heard that when white folks go fishin they do something called ‘catch and release.” Denver Moore continues to explain himself by saying, “…it really bothers me that white folks would go to all that trouble to catch a fish, then when they done caught it, just throw it back in the water.” Ron Hall and Denver Moore overcome each of their prejudices by an investment of time with one another. The time each man invested in this unlikely friendship taught Ron Hall and Denver Moore to look beyond the surface and go deep to the heart. As I read the story of Ron Hall and Denver Moore overcoming their mindsets and prejudices, I was reminded of my own story of meeting a homeless man.
The Fight Against Colorism in African American Communities Colorism is defined as a practice of discrimination among African Americans against other African Americans because of their skin complexion, for instance being too light or too dark. Colorism plays a large role in the low self-esteem in the African American community, from individuals, relationships, and employment. Colorism can cause psychological effects. Children are more affected because skin biased develops at a younger age.
Throughout my childhood, I never recieved many direct messages regarding my racial identity. I was never truly exposed to the idea of racial identity until the age of around 11. The sheltered community I grew up in, Hinsdale, was 94% Caucasian when I was born. In turn, many of the male adults in Hinsdale were, and still are, in the center margin. This created a general silencing regarding race, teaching me that I am not supposed to discuss race, which is evidently false.
One of Tatum’s points in her essay “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria” is understanding racial identity development. As black children are growing up, they start to experience things other white kids do not. As little girls start to grow up, they start to compare themselves to other girls, particularly white girls. Tatum states that, “When their White friends start to date, they do not. The issues of emerging sexuality and societal messages about who is sexually desirable leave young black women in a very devalued position” (378).
Every country on this beautiful sphere that we call earth has its own view on society. All countries around the world views America as being the land of the free and the land of being able to express yourself, but their just looking through a microscope .Whether those countries know it or not America has flaws. One of Americans biggest flaw is racial discrimination against people of color. When Jim Crow laws were introduced in the 1890’s it had a lasting effect on people of color socially, mentally, and their opportunities.
In this society, many judgements are made about people from different backgrounds. This causes many problems between people of other races. Racism can be shown in multiple ways such as by using overt and covert racism. In the two stories “The Stolen Party” by Liliana Hecker and “So What Are You, Anyway?” by Lawrence Hill, there are many examples of racist stereotypes.
Normally, the more educated the lady, the more probable she is to wed. Yet, a school taught black lady is not any more liable to have a spouse than a poor Caucasian lady with scarcely a secondary school certificate. With regards to shaping a family, black ladies are not profiting from cutting edge training — nor are they passing those advantages onto the cutting edge. His contentions lie in the sexual orientation unevenness inside of the African American group — where two African American females move on from school for each one African American male. In spite of this irregularity, there is still huge social weight on dark ladies to just marry black men — to "support" the race and manufacture solid black families.
The story represents the culmination of Wright’s passionate desire to observe and reflect upon the racist world around him. Racism is so insidious that it prevents Richard from interacting normally, even with the whites who do treat him with a semblance of respect or with fellow blacks. For Richard, the true problem of racism is not simply that it exists, but that its roots in American culture are so deep it is doubtful whether these roots can be destroyed without destroying the culture itself. “It might have been that my tardiness in learning to sense white people as "white" people came from the fact that many of my relatives were "white"-looking people. My grandmother, who was white as any "white" person, had never looked "white" to me” (Wright 23).