The house we live in - Term Paper Example

Reaction paper – The House we live in After watching the documentary, I think the brings forward one of the best ways through which a specific portion of the community takes advantage of another. Although racism is not biological, whites take advantage of it so as to discriminate others and to secure favors for themselves. This is why the author states that benefits accumulate on the side of the white people. However, this is not because they are hard workers but because they are simply white.

From a personal perspective, this is one of the most unfair ways of treating people. This is because people should benefit from what they earn. Nevertheless, this is not the case as non-whites get fewer benefits although they may have worked harder than whites may. This form of treatment is present in most societal settings such as housing, customs, and even in courts. It is heartbreaking to find out that non-whites are not favored even by the government. This is because they are even denied citizenships for the mere fact that they are non-whites.

At one point, a court had determined that the definition of whiteness depends on the comprehension of the white man. This implies that even the courts are giving the white man an opportunity to discriminate the non-whites since the white man would have the power to determine who is white and who deserves certain favors. This is happening even in employment places where whites are allocated the most prestigious positions although they may have lower qualifications as other non-whites. This is a form of modern day slavery where certain individuals are slaves in free countries.

These behaviors happen especially in the countries that pledge fair treatment to noncitizens. This implies that racism and discrimination on grounds of skin color is an indication of hypocrisy. Personally, I do not think that race should ever be considered when offering citizenships or when giving out any opportunity. This is because all people are equal and should be treated as such. This behavior of race-based favors brings additional problems such as inequality in the society. For instance, when comparing white and black families, one can note the huge differences beginning with both groups’ net worth.

According to the documentary, the net worth of an average white family is at least eight times higher as compared to the black family. In the same way, the houses being sold in white dominated areas cost a lot more than those in black or even Hispanic neighborhoods. This and other differences do not translate to higher performances by the white population but the lack of opportunities for the non-whites. This is because most of the opportunities are reserved for the whites. Since these behaviors are passed on to the next generations, it continues inequality in the society and shapes the availability of opportunities for all members in the society.

Discrimination is one of the modern aspects that affect productivity in the population. This is because most employers reserve positions for fellow whites not because they are better performers but because they want the white population to remain on top of other races with regard to net worth and overall income. This also advances inequality creating hostile environment between races. This may affect the overall functioning of a country. It should be eliminated to favor the establishment of a fair society.