Racism - Thanks to Culture - Essay Example

Carol Mao Shifu English 015S September 12, Racism: Thanks to Culture The rational man has claimed that there is equality in the world he lives in. History, however, has shown otherwise. A quick look at how society has developed since man became civilized will show that no matter how progressive society has become through the years, man has still managed to look down on and treat others differently, especially those who do not share the same skin color. Although only a small number of academics today see themselves as racist, prejudice over people of color or different beliefs is still found almost everywhere, although less threatening and pervasive as it was centuries ago. The concentration camps in Germany (United States, n.d.) and the status of African Americans in the U.S. from the 17th century up until the American Civil War (History.com, 2009) are two of the most prominent examples of racism. Even if the unfair treatment of African Americans was not as tragic as the injustice afflicted on the Jews, the preference shown over the colored citizens of America was, and curiously still is, a big social issue. Disappointingly, the development of society into a more advanced group of people in terms of thought process and behavior did very little in stopping how some individuals continue to think they are more superior than everyone else. In other words, despite the introduction of technology into society – another feather in the cap for rational man – some form of racism is still observed today, albeit not as destructive or demeaning as in the time of Hitler (United States, n.d.) or the period of slavery in North America (History.com, 2009). Racism starts when one unit of man sees itself as above the other groups of men. In the beginning, all men can belong to a big organized group. For instance, in the USA there are Asians, Mexicans, African Americans, Americans, etc. living together. As the relevant forms of communication and understanding are observed, the culture specific to this area of the world is continually nurtured. As a result, the whole group is stable, its behaviors and practices organized and firmly established. Therefore, to suppress this culture would be difficult. Independent and strong-willed, Americans have already proven to the world that no other group can dominate or rule over them. (White, D., 2002-11) Within America, however, it is a different story. The history of the United States is proof that suppression of a group can be achieved. When a particular group steps forward and tries to be the dominant unit in a society, it consequently represses another group’s cultural practices. This behavior is what leads to racism. The suppression, for example, of African Americans or Black Americans during the 17th century resulted into a division between whites and blacks. Instead of living freely in America, the colored people during this era were regarded as slaves, expected to work for the rich white upper and middle-class Americans. (History.com, 2009) These people were oppressed, their educational and recreational activities as limited as possible because the white people considered this learning as a tool to empower their slaves. (Sambol-Timboco, K., 2004) A more contemporary example is how many Americans think that New York’s stop-and-frisk rule promotes racial profiling. Implemented in an aggressive attempt to thwart crimes, the law came under much controversy as police enforcers seemed to focus more on people of color, creating feelings of distrust among the minorities. (Huffington Post, 2013) These and other similar incidents in American history show just how suppression of a group does have an impact on the members’ lives, affecting the growth of these individuals in society. Only a small number of people today would acknowledge that they are racists. This can be attributed to the fact that the idea of racism is a negative concept in all societies. (Brondolo, E., et. al., 2008) After the emancipation of the blacks, America prided itself in becoming a non-racial group. In fact, as the succeeding decades will show, this society opened its doors to other races, becoming a melting pot of a variety of races. (Tandon, A., 2013) Interestingly, even if racism is frowned upon today, the other reality is that racism still does exist and not only in this highly-industrialized country but all over the world. Others may not realize it but whenever they patronize whitening products to be fairer like Caucasians, these individuals are exemplifying what has been recently coined as cultural racism. When Korean parents consciously immerse their children to all things English to differentiate them from other Korean children, they are unknowingly showing bias towards their own race. Majority of men do not want to be called racist, but prefer to observe another’s cultural practices over their own or force their practices on other individuals thinking their behavior more superior and better to do. This is the paradox. When majority of people accept stereotypes associated with a variety of ethnic or racial groups, cultural racism is practiced. (American Psychological, 2014) This kind of bias can be observed almost everywhere. While some believe that this mindset is biological or innate in nature, some studies prove otherwise. Researchers who believed that media may have an influence on this way of thinking performed tests on 104 respondents and discovered that the degree of exposure one has to certain expressions influence their interpretation of these words. (Pappas, S., 2011) Respondents associated words like “weak” and “strong” to “women” and “men”, respectively, giving researchers a glimpse into how the environment an individual belongs to affects his perception of things. In Korea, a number of cosmetic surgeons share that their patients seek out their services with requests for rounder eyes, higher noses, and smaller faces because these are the same features of the celebrities they see on television, magazines or film. The new generation of women continuously try and prove themselves in all industries of work, showing men that they are not the stereotype female and can be as productive as men beyond the kitchen and home. In the same way, more and more men are trying their hands at being stay-at-home husbands, proving to all that they can keep a well-managed household unlike popular belief. (Stout, H., 2010) After certain events in man’s history, people are very vocal about their dislike for anything associated with the words “racist” or “racism”. Until now, these words often bring images of oppressive behavior, of physically harming other people who do not share the same religious beliefs, sexuality, nationality or race. This is why people do not want to be called racist. They are offended by the term and do not see themselves as such. As discussed previously in this paper, however, these very same people may be practicing racism nevertheless. As man continues to develop the society he belongs to and immerses himself in it and other societies, he picks up behaviors and beliefs that have a big influence in the way he regards himself and the people around him. It is the way he processes the information he acquires from his culture and others’ and applies this knowledge in his environment that determines whether man can be called a racist or not. He does not need to do something extreme like Hitler to be called a racist or to practice the traditional notion of racism. It can be something as simple as taking extra precaution when driving into a neighborhood of Mexicans or African Americans because, after movies like Bad Boys the person believes these groups are dangerous and may harm him. It can also be something as mundane as bringing an English-Spanish dictionary to conduct a job interview with a Hispanic applicant because all Hispanics the person has seen on pageants like Miss Universe cannot express themselves in the English language. Ultimately, any person regardless of societal development has the potential to defame another based on fallacies that are stereotyped. If so, then everyone can be a racist. References: American Psychological Association. (2014). Cultural Racism: Conceptualization. Retrieved from: http://www.health-psych.org/Cultural.cfm Brondolo, E., et. al. (2008, February). PERCEIVED RACISM AND NEGATIVE AFFECT: ANALYSES OF TRAIT AND STATE MEASURES OF AFFECT IN A COMMUNITY SAMPLE. Journal of Social Clinical Psychology. Feb 2008; 27(2): 150–173. doi: 10.1521/jscp.2008.27.2.150 History.com. (2009). Slavery in America. A & E Television Networks, LLC. Retrieved from: http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery#. Huffington Post. Stop And Frisk Leads To Mistrust of NYPD and Refusal To Cooperate with Cops, According to Study. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/19/stop-and-frisk-nypd-mistrust_n_3955175.html Pappas, S. (2011, October). Culture Poisons Brain With Racism Study Finds. LiveScience. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/16339-culture-racism.html Sambol-Timboco, K. (2004). Slavery and the Making of America. PBS.org. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/education/history.html Stout, H. (2010, August). Real-life Stay-at-Home Husbands. Marie Claire. Retrieved from http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/relationship-issues/stay-at-home-husband-status-symbol Tandon, A. (2013). America’s Melting Pot is Boiling Over. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/atul-tandon/non-profits-diversity_b_2869256.html United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Introduction to the Holocaust. Holocaust Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005143 White, D. (2002-11). The Declaration of Independence: Cry for Freedom. Social Studies for Kids. Retrieved from http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/declaration.htm. Read More