Race and Community - Research Paper Example

?Running Head: RACE AND YOUR COMMUNITY Race and Your Community People all over the world tend to avoid discussing issues to do with race based on the stigma that the subject brings. People fear that their sentiments may be taken out of context and in the process hurt others. From my experience in handling and staying with people from different racial backgrounds, I have come to appreciate that all are able to live and work together in harmony. In the United States for example, race is a subject that is sensitive and workplaces tend to be centers where racial lines are drawn. However, globalization has come to change how people perceive those from other races. There is more appreciation nowadays that people irrespective of race are just but human beings and can live in peace as brothers as sisters. For a society to grow racial tolerance is essential. This paper looks into various influences of race in my community in Phoenix, Arizona. Discussion Working in a copper mining company in Phoenix has helped me to develop the way I perceive people from different racial backgrounds. It is however not easy to intermingle freely with people from other races. There are still minor tensions that exist which get eroded as people work together more and share experiences. I work as a clerk whereby I attend to all people irrespective of their position in the company. I have come to disregard the popular belief that people exhibit differences based on their racial affiliations. It is however true that people from different races normally behave and perceive things differently. My analysis on this issue is that this happens based not on their race but their background or environment. The basic issue is that all people be they Caucasians, Hispanics, Asians or African Americans, exhibit similarities in their values and beliefs. From my family background we were always taught that all people are equal in the eyes of the Creator and as such we should see them in the same light. Racism therefore forms a less important issue of debate in my community but should not be neglected altogether as scattered incidences still happen (Hartmann & Cornell, 2007). I can remember vividly when I was little where both in school and at home children used to play together irrespective of their race. It is after we grew up that we started taking racial differences more consciously. What we were being taught as children was basically to respect other people especially the elders. Respect for each other was also heavily emphasized by our parents where fighting or insulting another child was heavily punished. Looking back in my childhood neighborhood I can recall that older people from the same race tended to socialize more despite there being no other major differences among people. I think this was due to the fact that the racial differences were quite intense when they were growing up and segregation became part of their life and routine. The media in Phoenix has been unbiased along racial lines. What forms the basis of news is what is worth being aired as news and not an individual’s race. For this media what is important is the way they will deliver their stories to captivate their listeners and viewers. Due to heightened competition between media houses what matters to them is how many listeners and viewers they have managed to capture (Hartmann & Cornell, 2007). As such, they try their best to remain unbiased irrespective of the character at the center of news or controversy. This is partly due to the realization that without people from all races forming their clientele base, success in the media business is impossible. The media in Phoenix therefore offers African Americans, Hispanics and Caucasians a level playing field when it comes to content in their news and programing. In Phoenix leadership is well shared by people from different races. It therefore presents the rich diversity of races that inhabit this state. It is important to appreciate that inhabitants of Phoenix hail not only from different parts of the United States but also from many parts of the world. There is a large population of immigrants who have work permits while others have been granted citizenship (Spencer, 2006). As such the leadership cannot ignore the diversity that such trends in demographics bring to Phoenix. In my workplace for example, more than 50 percent of the workforce comprises of African Americans and Hispanics while about 40 percent is comprised of Caucasians. Of these the management positions are shared as follows: 26 percent Hispanics, 30 percent African Americans and 44 percent Caucasians. The good thing to note here is that most of these positions are electable which leaves many to be appointed posts. This spreading of positions is a clear reflection of how the community in Phoenix is like. Racial segregation is clearly low and this is a better record than in many other states in the United States. My parents however give us stories of how racial segregation was quite obvious even in the streets when they were growing up. They tell us that social classes were stratified more on the basis of people’s race than on economic wellbeing (Spencer, 2006). The leadership of Phoenix has tried to maintain an outfit that portrays equality along racial lines. My community has a good record of appreciating minority people. Phoenix has been catching up with other cities like Atlanta to adopt a liberal social system. This has been developing over time based on the fact that when a region is inhabited by people from different backgrounds, it is difficult to have a single or few sets of values and beliefs. An example is the rising trend of gay acceptance where this group of people has its own areas for recreation like gay bars (Solomos & Goldberg, 2002). Downtown Phoenix harbors a thriving gay and lesbian community where there are more than 40 bars solely dedicated to them. In these areas people of all races are represented. Gay and lesbians organize meetings in groups which fund their activities. This clearly shows that Phoenix is comprised of a liberal society which is ready to accept people with various values and beliefs. I am a strong advocate of equality along racial lines and even in the workplace I am known to treat all people equally. I believe that everyone has the right to access same facilities and resources irrespective of their race. Race is actually a connotation of differences between people based on their skin color and nothing more than that (Solomos & Goldberg, 2002). It would therefore be trivial to discriminate or offer favors using race as a basis. I however wish that Phoenix as a whole becomes a better community where all people are absolutely free to work and enjoy themselves within the confines of the federal law. I wish that the small groupings along racial lines and segregation of neighborhoods should come to a total end and open way for more coexistence of people from different races. From my continuous interaction with people from different races, I have come to appreciate that all people are one and they all experience pain, joy, sorry and happiness in the same way. Meeting places like restaurants and bars that are dedicated or that are predominantly targeting a single racial clientele base should be abolished. If I were to have a chance to change how Phoenix is, I would start by ensuring that everyone has a sense of pride in them. I would advocate and offer people equal opportunities to chase their dreams through education and employment opportunities. Legislation is the best tool through which this can be established and sustained. Conclusion Phoenix is comprised of a society that is slowly changing to embrace diversity and the richness it brings. Mainstream society has been in the forefront in rejecting this trend but the force towards change is too strong to overcome. To a large extent this change has been fueled by the media’s actions and attitudes towards people of difference races. However, there are still many people lagging behind whereby they stress in living in neighborhoods that are segregated along racial lines or meet in places that are predominantly for their race. It is extremely humiliating for a person to be discriminated against based on the color of their skin especially in deciding whether they fit or not. My position as a clerk in the workplace constantly tests my values in regards to this issue but I always emerge stronger and better in appreciating humanity. References Solomos, J. & Goldberg, D. (2002). A companion to racial and ethnic studies. Wiley-Blackwel. Spencer, S. (2006). Race and ethnicity: Culture, identity and representation. Routledge. Hartmann, D. & Cornell, S. (2007). Ethnicity and race: Making identities in a changing world. Pine Forge Press. Read More