Racial Discrimination Still Exists - Research Paper Example

? Racial Discrimination Introduction Racial discrimination is a matter of interest among scholars around the world. It israther surprising to note that despite the large number of studies which reveal that no race is intellectually superior to others; people love to believe in racial differences. The perceived differences are usually based on color, ethnicity, nationality, nation of origin, language, religion, and dress. A look into the reasons behind racial discrimination points towards biological, social, physical, psychological and historical factors. It becomes evident that while the oppressor enjoys considerable social, psychological, economic, and political advantages through discrimination, the victims pay a huge physical and psychological fee. In the modern world where geographical boundaries are disappearing every moment, the issue gains more public attention because it is not possible for cultures to remain totally isolated. Workplaces of present day are multicultural as organizations move out of their home counties. That means communication and cooperation of people from various places and cultures. Thus, the element of racial discrimination gains the attention of scholars. Defining racial discrimination Article 1 of The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) defines racial discrimination as “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, color, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life” (ICERD, 1966, Article 1). Similarly, The Oxford Dictionary defines racism as the belief that all members of a particular race have certain unique features, abilities, or qualities, which distinguish the race as inferior or superior to another race. Also racism can mean the prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism towards someone from a different race based on the belief that one race is superior or inferior to the other (Oxford Dictionary). Types of racial discrimination According to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, there are four different types of racial discrimination: direct, indirect, victimization and harassment. Direct racial discrimination One can say there is direct racial discrimination when one is able to show that one receives less favorable treatment than others based on racial identity. An example of such direct discrimination is visible in BBC v. Souster (2001) IRLR 150. Mr. Souster was a Rugby Special presenter of BBC Scotland. He raised the allegation that the company fired him because he was not Scottish. However, the response of BBC was that the issue of racial discrimination would not arise as both English and Scottish people possess British passport. In the dispute, the decision of the Scottish Court of Session was that just a common passport would not mean lack of racial discrimination. The court opined that there was separate national origin and hence there was a case of racial discrimination prima facie. Thus, one gains the broad understanding that discrimination is not always based on reality; but based on the perception of the discriminator. Indirect racial discrimination A look into the explanation given by Equality and Human Rights Commission proves that there are two categories of indirect racial discrimination. The first category is based on color or nationality, and the second is based on race, ethnic or national origin. Indirect racial discrimination often appears in apparently non-discriminatory requirements and conditions. To illustrate, a company may put forward such a condition for employment or promotion which only a particular racial group meets or which evidently denies chances for a particular racial group. A perfect example of this kind of discrimination is seen in Aina v. Employment Service (2002) DCLD 103D. In this case, the complainant was a Black African employee who applied for the post of equal opportunities manager in the organization he worked. However, the company had stipulated unknown to him that the applicants should be at higher grades than the complainant was. On scrutiny, it was found that there was no Black African employee at the grades required for the post. The employment tribunal held in the case that the complainant possessed adequate qualifications and skills for the post and that the requirement for additional qualifications was unjustifiable. Admittedly, the world is full of discrimination as one can see elements of discrimination everywhere. Counties usually impose conditions which do not have any grounds other than racial. To illustrate, Sikh people usually wear a headgear as stipulated by their religion. This turban usually faces ridicule and harassment in some Western nations. Similar is the case of the yarmulke worn by Jewish people. Victimization Victimization is the kind of discrimination one faces because one complained about racial discrimination or fought against racial discrimination. This often takes place in organizations when one is given tough tasks which are difficult to achieve. Such tasks which are unachievable do not appear racial discrimination on the first hand as other reasons like personal rivalry too lead to such issues. But they do get the tone of racial discrimination when the grounds are racial nature. Harassment Harassment is a common issue in the society. However, when the harassment is on grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, color or national origins, it becomes racial discrimination. Even if a person engages in unwanted conduct, he or she should not be harassed on grounds of race or ethnicity. A perfect example of harassment in the work place is the case of Anisetti v. Tokyo-Mitsubishi plc Case No. 60024/98. In the complaint, an Indian-born employee claimed that a Japanese firm made him feel ‘a second-class citizen’ in the company as he was excluded by the Japanese-speaking employees. As he managed to convince the tribunal that he was excluded from many tasks received a less favorable treatment than others, he was awarded a compensation of nearly 1 million pounds. Causes of racial discrimination – an exploration The most surprising fact is that American Psychological Association reveals that the exact reasons of racism are still unknown to the scientific world, and hence, the myriads of reasons provided are just speculations with high probability. Xenophobia as the cause Xenophobia is the fear of people who are different. The mere fact is that all people are xenophobic to some extent because all people feel uncomfortable living with people and circumstances which are totally different. When this element grows uncontrollably, there is racially-motivated violence (ILO, IOM, OHCHR). Admittedly, globalization and the consequent growth in labor migration have accentuated the problem. As a result of globalization, it has become necessary for certain developed nations to depend on the workforce from other nations. However, the problem is that the governments fail to address the social issues associated with such mass migration. The people who resort to migration are often unskilled or partially skilled poor people. Such people are often made use of by exploiting their labor, but are denied basic human rights including citizenship, food, education, and accommodation. This situation results in an increase in the already hostile attitude of the local populace towards the immigrants. Ethnocentrism as the cause Ethnocentrism can be considered as the tendency of judging other cultures based on the values and standards of ones own culture. As people often hold the belief that ones own culture is the best, deviations are considered as intolerable and mean. Admittedly, cultures can vary in dress, food, beliefs, walk, talk and every bit of life. Some cultures are highly religious while some are highly liberal; some cultures are totally vegetarian while some like Eskimos totally depend on meat and fish; some practice monogamy while some practice polygamy. According to Carignan et al, when these various cultures fail to identify the other, there arises racism and racial discrimination. The need for dominance as the cause – the historical side It is pointed out by scholars that at times, cultures engage in racial discrimination in order to ensure political, economic and social advantages. A perfect example of this situation is the life of Blacks in America. They were systematically exploited for decades on the ground that they were racially inferior. Thus, the Blacks worked in plantations and earned no wages for their hard work. Another example is the European colonization of Asia and Africa. This colonization and the consequent slavery have their effects even in the 21st century. Racism used by governments for systematic oppression Governmental use of racism for the oppression of certain groups has caused considerable blood-shed in human history. The best example is the regime of Hitler which killed and tortured Jewish population. In order to ensure that people remain fiercely loyal to him, Hitler introduced theories of Aryan supremacy, and the result was the cruelest treatment of a people in history. Similar was the case of Blacks in America for a period of time. As administration favored the dominant Whites, Blacks were deprived of their right to freedom, education, and vote. They had to fight bloody battles to attain the freedom they wanted. However, despite regulatory changes, the Blacks in America face the element of racial discrimination both overtly and covertly in their everyday lives. Reverse-racism and reverse discrimination The interesting fact here is that racism breeds racism. That means the population which is discriminated will develop adverse attitudes towards the discriminators. A perfect example is the high degree of discomfort an Arab citizen feels in the Western land and the same degree of hostility a Westerner faces in a Middle East nation. Though racism is introduced by one party, once started, it results in mutual hostility. Protectionist foreign policies and governmental efforts to control immigration It seems that races are divided along national and continental boundaries. So, when governments try to control immigration on the basis of national or continental boundaries, it seems that the decisions are based on racial grounds. To illustrate, the world population is usually divided into four races; White, Asian, Black, and Australoid. Though these are biological constructions, in the real society, race and ethnicity often receive social construction. To illustrate, there are divisions based on geographical area and religion, like Blacks, Whites, Asians, Latinos, Arabs and so on. Thus, the efforts by governments to control immigration from a particular area are often read along racial lines. Effects of racial discrimination in society Though the reasons still remain vague, the effects of racial discrimination are well-noted by researchers. It is found by scholars that Blacks, in general, possess poorer mental health, and the reason is the regular experience of racism followed by the accumulation of negative events from all spheres of life. Thus, more Blacks show symptoms of depression, anxiety and negative moods. In a groundbreaking study, it was found that racial discrimination has even more dangerous impact on the Black women in America. It was found that the Black women in America who had the experience of racism are at higher risk of heart disease and stroke. They tend to develop more plaque in their carotid arteries than the women who did not have experience of racism (“The physical pains of discrimination”). \At this point, it is necessary to mention the theory of ‘John Henryism’ as developed by Sherman James. John Henry was a railroad worker who competed against a mechanical steam drill and died of a massive heart attack as a result of the strain. It is pointed out by the scholar that the Blacks who try to cope with the experiences of racism pay a high physical price through high blood pressure and hypertension (qtd in Neighbors et al, 71). Discrimination and workplace Despite years and years of studies, interpretations, and interventions, discrimination exists in workplaces. In a study, Pavalko et al pointed out that a discriminatory event at the workplace can have sever impact on a person’s blood pressure and self-assessed health. In another similar study, John pointed out that discrimination has adverse impact on the physical and psychological wellbeing of a person. In the article named The effects of race and worker productivity on performance evaluations, Marta Elvira and Robert Town reveal that performance ratings in a diverse employee population are influenced by race. It was observed that black employees generally received lower ratings than their white counterparts. Also, the study observed a relation between performance evaluation and the racial composition of the subordinate-supervisor pair. That means racial differences between subordinate and supervisor led to lower ratings. Thus, the biggest negative impact of racial discrimination at the workplace is the poor working atmosphere it can create. Admittedly, the modern workplaces are highly multicultural in nature and international firms can no more be isolated from other cultures. That means, if a company exhibit racial discrimination, it is creating an atmosphere of mistrust, suspicion, hostility, rivalry and resentment among the workers. This will affect communication and teamwork; the pillars of modern organizations. Another important effect of discrimination is the loss of focus and productivity. That means, the efforts to discriminate in the workplace becomes the matter of attention of only the victims but also various meetings. Thus, a lot of time and effort are wasted on a trivial issue. Also, there exists the trouble of the matter getting public. In this eventuality, the company will lose its reputation. Such international organizations are likely to face public wrath outside their home country and their products may be abhorred. Racial discrimination in schools According to studies, children bear the brunt of racial discrimination; and in fact, more than adults. According to Rochelle Oliver of PsychCentral, children who face discrimination are more prone to becoming depressed. The scholar reports a study which revealed that racism is a highly potent stressor in the life of minority children. The ironic fact is that despite years and years of discussions and analysis, American education system still remains as the breeding grounds of racism. Evidently, racism at schools is quite subtle and expressed in various ways which are rather difficult to observe. For example, people from different cultures will be made fun of for their clothes, food or physical appearance. Racism can also take the form of jokes about a particular cultural group, insulting language, making fun of different accents or names, exclusion of culturally different students from groups, favoring students of certain cultures more than others, expecting students from some cultures to perform better than others, and bullying. As already mentioned, it is difficult to identify the element of racism at schools. However, there are certain common symptoms exhibited by students who experience racism. Firstly, such students will show a considerable dislike towards going to school. Secondly, such students are likely to show troubles in concentrating in class. Thirdly, as the students are excluded, they exhibit trouble making friends at school. Yet another important effect is the growing dislike towards their own language, culture and parental values. Thus, such students dislike speaking their native language publicly in an effort to high their cultural identity. Lastly, such victims of racial discrimination tend to be aggressive or disruptive. Thus, when schools fail to identify and prevent racism effectively, students grow deeper and stronger in racism. Thus, schools worsen the situation instead of mitigating it. Racism statistics in the United States America has gained notoriety around the world for the high degree of racism it exhibits in Black and White relations. Despite sporadic efforts to curb the menace, most Americans see racism on an everyday basis. However, the ironic fact is that very few Americans are ready to accept that they are racists in nature. That means Americans recognize racism only when they are victimized, not when they victimize others. In a survey conducted by CNN U. S (dated Dec. 12, 2006), 49% of the Black respondents considered racism as a ‘very serious’ problem in the U.S. However, only 18% Whites possessed the view. However, the percentage of Whites and Blacks who consider themselves racially biased was just 13% and 12% respectively. The mere fact is that racism has mutated into various unrecognizable forms and has entered all aspects of public life in the U.S. Now, people get victimized and subject others to racism as they are unable to recognize the same. To illustrate, it was found in a National Fair Housing Alliance secret investigation that the real estate agents in the U.S tend to direct Whites to White neighborhoods and Blacks to Black neighborhoods. That means they are creating an artificial rift between Blacks and Whites where communication and interaction are highly limited. Thus, they create an atmosphere where stereotyping can grow wildly. While racism in other nations is more overt in nature, the same is deep-rooted, covert, and expressed in a large number of subtle ways in the U.S. U.S legislation on racial discrimination In fact, there is a large number of federal laws aimed at preventing discrimination based on race. The first one is the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII of the Act prohibits any discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, and national origin. Similarly, there is the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. This act ensures that creditors do not discriminate applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, and national origin. Similarly, there is the US Code Title 42, Chapter 21. It prohibits any discrimination based on age, gender, national origin, religion, and disability in education, employment, access to public infrastructure, public services and various other settings. In addition, the Fair Housing Act intends to stop any racial, gender or religious discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing. Another important legislation is the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which aims to ensure equal voting rights to all races. It is followed by the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act which aims to ensure equality in access to relief operations. UN regulations on racial discrimination The Charter of the United Nations is centered on the fundamental principles of dignity and equality of all human beings. The UN works to ensure global participation in promoting respect for basic human rights and fundamental freedoms to all individuals without any disparity on the ground of sex, religion, race, or language. Therefore, the organization pays specific attention to the eradication of racial discrimination. The United Nations maintains a separate subsidiary called ‘Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’. According to the UN General Assembly Resolution 3379, “any doctrine of racial discrimination of superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust, and dangerous, and that there is no justification for racial discrimination either in theory or in practice” (United Nations…). It is a major UN response to racial discrimination by legal authorities around the world. The occupied territory of South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Palestine are the examples of ‘racist regimes’ by the General Assembly. The resolution specifically points that elimination of evils like colonialism, Zionism, foreign occupation, and apartheid are essential to completely dig up the roots of racial oppression. The Resolution 3379 was firstly accepted by the Soviet Union in 1975 and subsequently supported by Arab and African States. However, the UN General Assembly Resolution 3379 was revoked by Resolution 46/48. The UN General Assembly Resolution 3380 specifically addresses the suppression and punishment of the crime of apartheid. The Resolution states that apartheid violates the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations and hence the practice of apartheid is a crime against humanity. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (as qtd in Motilal and Nanda) is a UN declaration that specifically defines various rights and freedoms of human beings. It was declared on 10th December 1948 in Paris. It states that all humans are born free and therefore they have to be equal in dignity and other fundamental rights. The UN states that every individual is entitled to the provisions of this Declaration without any distinction on the basis of race, religion, sex, or nationality. It also holds the view that every individual must get equal protection of the law against all forms of discrimination or any incitement to those discriminations. Article 1 of the UDHR says that racial discrimination is the negation of human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Article 2 (1) states that no state, institution, or individual should make any discrimination on the ground of race in the treatment of persons or groups. Article 2(2) tells that no state shall use its legal authority to discriminate people on the basis of their race. As per the Article 2(3), special measures must be taken to ensure the full enjoyment of rights and freedoms of people belonging to underdeveloped racial groups. According to Article 3, race must not be a barrier for individuals in exercising their civil rights and getting access to education, religion, employment, citizenship, housing, and occupation. Article 4 indicates that states shall take effective measures to amend their policies and regulations that are likely to create a situation of racial discrimination. Article 5 is a continuation of the previous Article and it states that policies of racial segregation and apartheid must be put to an end without any delay. Article 6 holds the view that an individual’s right to participate in elections or take part in the government should not be affected by his race. Article 7 addresses the provisions which promote the protection of people by the state against physical harm and other violence. Article 8 deals with the elimination of racial discrimination in the field of teaching, education, and information with a view to promote intercooperation among nations. According to Article 9; individuals, groups, or organizations that discriminate people on the basis of race are subjected to punishment under law. Similarly, the United Nations give specific emphasis on the elimination of racial discrimination in workplace and school. To illustrate, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is monitoring Irish schools evaluate racial and religious discrimination issues. In a 2005 report, the CERD demanded Ireland to set up more nonreligious schools as the Committee found close link between racial and religious discrimination. In addition, the UN authorities monitor workplaces where the practice of racial discrimination is continuously reported. Today, the UN Committee gives great focus on the workplace related racial segregation issues reported in Australia. State governments have a statutory obligation to comply with the guidelines of the UN Committee. How to prevent racial discrimination? Evidently, racial discrimination is more common in employment sector, and hence primarily it is necessary to eliminate racial discrimination from employment sector. For this, employers must change their attitude towards race based employment discrimination. They must give preference to employees’ caliber rather than employees’ race. Employers must ensure that all job applicants get equal opportunity to attend job interview without any unfair rejection. In addition, employers have to make certain that candidates are not eliminated by the interview board on the ground of race. For this, it is advisable for business owners to form interview panel comprising of reputed and sincere officials. Employers may also examine the resumes and other details of rejected employees to make sure that they were not eliminated on the ground of race. In addition, they must evaluate the recruitment procedures, details of job advertisements, job descriptions, and individual specifications. Employers should also try to provide a healthy worksite environment to all employees without segregating them on the base of race. It is recommendable for employers to maintain an equal opportunity policy and communicate it to all staff and managerial personnel specifying the potential consequences of violating the policy provisions. In addition, employers may appoint an individual for monitoring and reporting workplace discrimination issues. While appointing the individual, employers must ensure that the candidate is acceptable to all staff and managers. Such a strategy would assist an employer to get more clear and accurate view of racial discrimination issues prevailing in his/her organization. A business owner should necessarily ensure that his employees are aware of the fact that harassment and victimization in the workplace are unlawful practices. Employers may collect discrimination evidences through staff attitude surveys and exit interviews. Finally, an employer must be willing to take exemplary actions even against his most productive manager if there is any evidence of racial discrimination. Similarly, it is possible to root out the evils of racial discrimination from schools if governments pay specific attention to students’ admission process. When school managements are given complete power and freedom to admit students, they may discriminate pupils on the ground of income, territory, or race. Hence, it is advisable for governments to exercise complete control over the admission process rather than allowing the school managements themselves to deal with admission. Undoubtedly, the active involvement of school management is necessary to completely eliminate this issue. The school management may form monitoring panels including senior staff members to ensure that teachers do not discriminate students based on race. This type of policy implementation from the base level (schools) would eventually lead to an entire social reform. In order to make changes in the society, it is vital to influence people’s attitudes towards race system. For this, it is recommendable for governmental authorities and other non-governmental interest groups to organize campaigns against racial discrimination. It would be a better strategy to employ celebrities from different races to create short films and documentaries depicting the evils of racial discrimination. Finally, governments and other responsible organizations have to take initiatives for providing different ethnic groups with the opportunity to mingle each other. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is obvious that racial discrimination still remains to be a high profile issue in the modern society despite all preventive measures taken by governments and other legal authorities. Racial discrimination exists in the modern society in four different forms including direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, victimization, and harassment. Lack of cultural awareness and education is the primary cause of racial discrimination. Racial aggressors are highly sensitive to ethnic norms and they consider race as a means of reflecting their social supremacy. The issue has far reaching consequences on a nation’s overall economy. Racial discrimination would adversely affect a country’s employment rate and this situation in turn would impede the overall economic growth of the country. In addition, extreme racial thoughts may lead to issues like corruption, assaults, homicides, and other forms of violence. As a result, governments may be forced to invest more in policing and other preventive mechanisms and this worse situation would ultimately lead to a cut in governments’ public spending. Furthermore, this issue would result in a gradual disintegration of human values. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has formed a number of regulative policies to prevent this issue. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN deals with the abolition of racial discrimination. Employers, governmental agencies, and other social interest groups can play a vital role in eliminating racial discrimination from the global society. Works Cited CNN U. S. “Poll: most Americans see lingering racism in others”. (12 December 2006). Web 10 May 2012< http://articles.cnn.com/2006-12-12/us/racism.poll_1_whites-blacks-racism?_s=PM:US> Carignan, Nicole et al. “Racism and ethnocentrism: social representations of preservice teachers in the context of multi and intercultural education”. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 4(3) (2005). Elvira, et al. “The effects of race and worker productivity on performance evaluation”. Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, (2001). 40, (4). 571-590. “International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination” (ICERD). United Nations, (1996). Web 10 May 2012 http://www.hri.org/docs/ICERD66.html Joan, Arehart-Treichel. “Europeans report work factors that impact their mental health”. Psychiatric News, ( 2007), 42(20): 20. Print. ILO, IOM, OHCHR, International migration, racism, discrimination and Xenophobia, Web 10 May 2012 http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/migrant/download/wcar.pdf Oxford Dictionaries. Web 10 May 2012 http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/racism?q=racism The physical pains of discrimination. The Situationist, 2007. Web 10 May 20121 http://thesituationist.wordpress.com/2007/07/15/the-physical-pains-of-discrimination/ Motilal, Shashi & Nanda, Bijayalakshmi. Human rights, gender and environment. India: Allied publishers Pvt. Ltd, 2006. Print. Neighbors et al. “Race, ethnicity, John Henryism, and depressive symptoms: the national survey of American life adult reinterview”. Research in human development, 4(1&2), 71-87. Print. Oliver, Rochelle. “Minority children feel psychological stress of racism”. PsychCentral, (2010). Web 10 May 2012 http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/05/02/minority-children-feel-psycological-stress-of-racism/13416.html Pavalko, et al. “Does perceived discrimination affect health? Longitudinal relationships between work discrimination and women’s physical and emotional health”. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 44, (1 ) (2003): 18-33. United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Web 10 May 2012 http://www.unesco.org/webworld/peace_library/UNESCO/SAD/MD2P3I1.HTM Draft Introduction Racism is gaining more public attention as national boundaries disappear as a result of globalization Defining racial discrimination The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Article 1) “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, color, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life” Oxford Dictionary- The belief that all members of a particular race have certain unique features, abilities, or qualities, which distinguish the race as inferior or superior to another race. The prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism towards someone from a different race based on the belief that one race is superior or inferior to the other Types of racial discrimination Direct racial discrimination – discrimination visibly identifiable - BBC v. Souster (2001) IRLR 150. Indirect racial discrimination based on color based on race, ethnic, national origin - Aina v. Employment Service (2002) DCLD 103D Victimization Harassment- Anisetti v. Tokyo-Mitsubishi plc Case No. 60024/98 Causes of racial discrimination Xenophobia – fear of people who are different (ILO, IOM, OHCHR) Ethnocentrism- judging other cultures based on ones own culture (Carignan et al) The need for dominance- American Blacks, European invasion of Africa and Europe Racism used by governments for systematic oppression- Hitler Reverse racism – abhorrence towards the oppressor Governmental efforts to control immigration Effects of racial discrimination In society- both physical and mental effects on the victims (“The physical pains of discrimination”), (Neighbors et al, 71). Workplace- increased blood pressure and self-assessed health (Pavalko et al), poor performance ratings when racial difference in subordinate-supervisor pair (Marta Elvira and Robert Town), loss of focus and productivity. School – victims more depressed (Rochelle Oliver), American education system is the breeding ground of racism Victims exhibit depression, aggressiveness, violence, poor academic performance, dislike to attend school, trouble making friends, dislike towards first language, home country, and culture. Racism statistics in the United States America is notorious for racism 49% of the Blacks and 18% Whites consider racism as a ‘very serious’ issue (CNN U.S) Very few people think they are racists US legislation on racial discrimination Civil Rights Act of 1964 Equal Credit Opportunity Act US Code Title 42, Chapter 21 Fair Housing Act Voting Rights Act of 1965 Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act UN regulations on racial discrimination The UN works to ensure global participation in promoting respect for basic human rights and fundamental freedoms Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination- special subsidiary UN General Assembly Resolution 3379: “any doctrine of racial discrimination of superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust, and dangerous, and that there is no justification for racial discrimination either in theory or in practice” The Universal Declaration of Human Rights How to prevent discrimination Priority to employment sector – caliber more important than race Sincere and racially neutral interview panel Healthy work environment Need public campaigns to change the attitudes in society Efforts to increase interaction Conclusion Governments should take even stronger and more effective measures to reduce racism. 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