Discrimination of Minorities in Times of War and Migration - Essay Example

Discrimination of Minorities in Times of War and Migration Human beings are definitely prone to defining their identities in terms of collective aspects that are usually influenced by certain factors. Inconsistencies and differences that emerge on such occasions result in chaos, controversies and disregard for other people. Factors influencing the likely impasse on such occasions include competition, race, religion, and the need to maintain an image that is considered superior. Since time immemorial, humans from different parts of the world have found themselves on foreign land for a couple of reasons. Whereas others moved to these foreign lands willingly, others were forced into immigration due to famine, search for opportunities, and slavery. The interaction of foreigners and locals, thus, results into controversies or good relations depending on the extent of established social norms in a particular place. Locals may dislike certain qualities and implications that result from these interactions and this has a negative impact on the well-being of an immigrant. Also, the activities of racial or religious groups that identify with certain immigrants may lead discrimination locally, and abroad. For instance, the 911 attacks led to the discrimination of Arab Americans, and the subsequent attacks on several countries in the Middle East including Iraq (Armaney, 5). As much as these minorities may become recognized as citizens of a particular country, historical inclinations towards the prevailing differences have never been eliminated completely. This implies that constitutions and other agreements that seek to protect the welfare of the people have never been quite effective, despite having good intentions. It is, therefore, evident that uncertain events like wars and immigration are likely to fuel the possibility of discrimination against minorities for a variety of reasons. Immigration trends, especially into America, all have some similarities in terms of the immigrants’ experiences. One conspicuous case of immigration experiences during the 19th century is embodied in the movement of the Irish into America. In 1845, Irish potato fields were attacked by a fungus and this resulted in a devastating famine (Scroth, 5). It caused the deaths of 2.5 million citizens and subsequently led to several crop failures by 1951. Between these periods a mass exodus ensued and Irish people began streaming into America. They came in millions and most of them were poor, disillusioned, and malnourished. Just like many other immigrants, they believed that America was the land of opportunities and also a solution to all their problems. However, they failed to know that this marked the beginning of a dangerous journey. The trips took 3 months and the conditions in the vessels were intolerable (Dolan 8). Food was scarce and families were heaped together in the vessels with insufficient air and light. Beddings were dirty and the rough conditions resulted in the branding of the vessels as coffin ships. Once they arrived in America, the immigrants were met with even more chaos. No official reception areas were present and immigrants were also sold tickets that led to wrong destinations. Increased fraud led to the establishment of Castle Garden station in 1855 and investigations on the abuses took course. Immigrants also had to wait for two days since Ellis Island could not serve more than 5000 people in a single day. At the dock they underwent medical examination and those suspected to have serious illnesses were marked with chalk for further medical examination (Dolan 12). A failure in the examinations meant that the immigrant would get deported. They also had to answer questions about their intelligence, amount of money possessed, and other seemingly ridiculous questions that they never understood. Living conditions in the US also proved to be harsh as they lived in crowded rooms and received little wages for lots of work. As a result, epidemics like typhoid, tuberculosis and diarrhea were rampant and Irish children accounted for the highest number of infant mortality rates. They worked for as little as 90 cents a day and the jobs were always dangerous and demanded a high physical input. They are charged with building most railroads, canals and docks in America (Miller 22). Locals considered Irish people as stupid and ignorant and this image was enhanced by newspaper cartoons. They also acquired the term ‘paddy’ which is similar to the degrading term ‘nigger’ used against black people. Americans also felt that Irish people were taking their opportunities and they also destroyed the economy. Due to increased demand for healthcare and other services, Americans concluded that taxes were likely to increase (Gutberg 32). It generally became understandable to discriminate against the Irish. On realizing this, many Irish people opted for a change of accent and other behaviors in order to secure employment. The Irish certainly went through hell in America despite their important contribution to the economy. In 1941, during the Second World War, Japan attacked the US at the Pearl Harbor and interesting events followed. Apart from motivating America’s active participation in the war, the event also fostered the presence of tense conditions for people of Japanese decent living in America at the time. Americans developed a strong negative attitude against the Japanese and this led to the supposed good intention of relocating the Japanese to certain camps in the country (Marnie 56). President Roosevelt issued an order that saw the relocation of people of Japanese ancestry from areas surrounding the Pacific military base. Those relocated included both citizens and aliens and an imaginary line depicting the restricted area was drawn. Roosevelt effected the relocation of 120,000 Japanese people in a move that affected all the generations that lived in the US. It is important to note that two thirds of those relocated were already American citizens and they included the Issei, the Nikkei, and the Nisei. The Issei were the first generation to ever live in the US, while the Nisei represented the second generation with a total population of around 70,000 (Kogawa 12). This implies that the internment affected all Japanese people in the country regardless of their citizenship, age, societal status and religion. Most of them had not participated in the attack but they had to suffer the consequences by virtue of ethnicity. Before being relocated in interior desolate regions inside America, most Japanese people were forced to live in pig sties, cowsheds and other intolerable environments. Several families were forced into small areas and problems of socialization took course. Eating together and few opportunities are some of the socialization irregularities that brought some difference in how things were done in the past. Troublesome members of the community were sent to other camps including Tule Lake and California. The internment of the Japanese people actually caused several troubles in their daily endeavors and many people challenged the legality of the issue (Marnie 67). They obviously underwent inhuman acts in those living conditions during the curfew. Many people may argue that these relocation camps had good intentions for the Japanese people but those who experienced the act have always had a different opinion of the same. Courts have passed rulings over the case in a fashion that clearly outlines the problems suffered by the Japanese communities in the internment. Even though the American government maintained that its main aim was to protect these people from the hostility of Americans, victims of the curfew contend that the whole process was inhuman since guns were pointed inside the camps as opposed to outside. It is a clear indication of carefully planned cases of injustice against a minority group in the country. The government has since admitted that there were injustices against the people of Japan and they have been compensated for the same. The fate of the Japanese people after the attack at Pearl Harbor is clearly reflective of other contemporary situations in one way or the other. It is an indication of collective judgment that has always affected minority communities in the US. This kind of judgment is usually based on race, ethnicity, religion, and other factors that portray similarities between a particular people. With these in mind, it is also important to have a look at the fate of Arab Americans after the 9/11 attacks. The attacks were carried out by Muslims of Arab decent and the consequences fell squarely on any Arab in the US (Armaney 22). It is an identical measure as compared to what was experienced by the people of Japan after the Pearl Harbor attack. After the attacks people with similar characteristics and beliefs were singled out for what can be termed as caution against further attacks. The irony of it all is that these characteristics and beliefs are not duly scrutinized before concluding on an individual’s likely participation in the attacks. After the 9/11 attacks, Arabs in America were singled out for discrimination and this had a negative effect on their plight. It is evident that each person was affected by the attack but the community of Arabs in the country suffered the most. They immediately turned into suspects for simply portraying Muslim ideologies and Arab characteristics in terms of physical appearance. These were the only things that they had in common with those believed to have carried out the attacks. Just like the Japanese during Second World War, Arab Americans faced discrimination regardless of their citizenship. Both the government and the public were involved in these acts of discrimination (Amaney 25). The result was rampant cases of interrogation, random searches, deportation and other forms of discrimination. Their experiences during this time provide an interesting account and it is the reason as to why many people would like to have an insight into them. It is also clear case depicting the shifting perceptions and contexts through which Arab Americans have passed in regard to the issues of assimilation, immigration, and all aspects of race. 9/11 thus provided a turning point in terms of discrimination for Arab Americans. It is therefore evident that most Americans came face to face with the negative effects of terror but Arabs and Muslims certainly suffered the most (Amaney 79). It is however important to note that Arabs who did not incline towards Islam were spared from the discrimination in some cases. For instance, Arab Christians were largely exempted from the inhumane treatment. As stated earlier, minority groups either found themselves in America willingly or unwillingly. One group that ventured into the country was the black people and their ancestors generally found themselves in the country as a result of slavery. Escape avenues and programs for black slaves are believed to have expanded with the establishment of the Underground Railroad. This was after the Abolitionists had gained the required mileage and the new constitution was around the corner. During this period white people became much concerned about black people and they were determined to raw lines that could separate them. For instance, Indiana’s constitution stated that Negroes were strictly prohibited from staying or otherwise settling in that state. The Illinois constitution also formulated a total ban on black people migrating into the state. Other laws included the total ban on interracial marriages and these laws were adopted by virtually all states in the country. The laws were popularly known as black codes and they were supposed to be incorporated into the constitution once it was drafted. Emancipation had certainly arrived for the former slaves who were now considered free men, but underlying aspects of discriminations were still evident (Birnbaum 40). They basically had no voting rights and were given ineffective civil rights. Post-civil war implications certainly had a major impact on black people since they were duped into thinking that the situation was going to change. They believed that with the demise of slavery, they would restore their pride and consequently gain access to equal rights with other Americans. However, most planters in several states felt threatened after the abolition of slave trade given the fact that the productivity experienced in their farms would fade significantly. They believed that black people would not go to work in their farms without being coerced. They also observed that black people were likely to demand for equal rights with their white counterparts. This would have a tremendous effect on the profits and privileges that white people previously enjoyed. As a result, black codes were drafted in bid to subliminally curb the so-called unnecessary freedom that former black slaves enjoyed (Theodore 102). The codes legalized interracial marriages and ownership of property but put a halt to other aspects of importance to black people’s rights. The codes stipulated that African Americans could not serve in the military or the judicial system, and they could neither vote nor express their views publicly. They were also required to work in white people’s plantations in a process that met the demands of white planters. Those who failed to abide by the laws were faced with undesirable consequences and even jail sentences. Under certain circumstances, black children could be appointed to work in certain plantations with their parent’s approval (Litwak 54). All these indications had a negative impact on the plight of the black people and they serve to show that minorities are widely vulnerable to despicable acts from majorities especially in times of war and migration. In most states, those who employed African Americans referred to themselves as ‘masters’, while African Americans were popularly known as ‘servants’. They were supposed to wake up very early in the morning without fail and dire consequences were applied to any person who missed work. For instance, their wages were deducted for being absent and the masters never listened to the reasons behind their absence. It is quite discouraging to note that their wages were deducted even for being sick. These forms of discriminations continued for quite a long time and the cases imply that segregation is not a new thing in humanity. Communities have always practiced segregation and it only changes its face but the implications are the same. Turbulent times in any society are, therefore, associated with immoral and unethical acts against certain minority groups. Immigration and wars are some of the factors that contribute to discriminatory acts perpetuated by governments and locals. The Irish famine and consequent immigration, the Japanese after the attack at the Pearl Harbor, and the treatment of Arab Americans after 911, are some of the popular cases depicting ill-treatment of minority groups. It is seemingly evident that local people are likely to take advantage of the situations due to certain reasons. On one hand, such discriminatory acts serve to protect selfish interests by governments and locals; while on the other hand, people act out of fear and hatred. For instance, many Americans became wary of Muslims and Arabs in fear of terrorism. It is, therefore, evident that uncertain events like wars and immigration are likely to fuel the possibility of discrimination against minorities for a variety of reasons. Works Cited Amaney, J. and Nadine, N. Race and Arab Americans Before and After 9/11: From Invisible Citizens to Visible Subjects. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2008. Print. Birnbaum, J. and Taylor, C. Civil Rights since 1787: A Reader on the Black Struggle, New York University Press. 2000. Print. Dolan, J. P. The Irish Americans: A History. Bloomsbury Press. 2008. Print. Gutman, H. G. Who Built America? New York: Pantheon Books, 1989.Print. Kogawa, J. Nisei Daughter. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1979.Print. Litwack, L. F. Trouble in Mind: Black Southerners in the Age of Jim Crow, Alfred A. Knopf. 1998. Print. Marnie, M. The Climate of the Country. Willimantic, CT: Curbstone Press, 1999. Print. Miller, Kerby. Emigrants and Exiles. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985.Print. Schroth, R. A. S.J. Fordham: A History and Memoir (Revised Ed.). New York: Fordham University Press. 2008. Print. Wilson, T. B. (1995). The Black Codes of the South. University of Alabama Press. Print. Read More