Dealing With Racism As A Latino In The US - Essay Example

Coping with racism it the U.S as a Latino Racism is referred as the believe that race accounts for differences and ability making some race superior to others or a general prejudice and discrimination based on race. The southwest of United States is now the fastest growing, with many seeking low wages jobs in contraction and manufacturing. Since 1990 the states of, Alabama ,Arkansas, North California, South Carolina and Georgia have been privileged to add up to1.6 million Latinos, most of them being workers and with their families (Chavez 2011). Human beings have in the past and present been discriminative of anything that is not similar to them. From the very first day the world was created, discrimination sprout its root as variety came to being. In the human world, people have been discriminated in terms of races, religion, color plus other specific details. Every day as we carry our daily activities, discrimination is in the face of everyone with mean, what matters is, what kind is it. In the American society, cultures and races which were not initially part of the American, especially immigrants, commonly face discrimination. Every year, approximately 20,000 cases concerning racing discrimination are reported according to the National discrimination council of the United States of America. The Latinos and blacks are common people discriminated in the United States. Discrimination in general is not a good thing among the human beings since all human s are humans and not special from one another. Since Latinos are among one of the races discriminated in the United States, different reactions have been expressed by the community in term of how they are treated. Innocent people yearly usually come from the Latino speaking continents in search of better pay in the United States, only to realize there has been pre-existing discrimination towards their community. From the psychological point of view, one would argue that the discrimination might not be only racial in character, but something deeper, and more pertaining scramble for good jobs. The Americans think that the Latinos would take most of their jobs and displace them in senior posts (Chavez 2011). It is always normal for human beings to feel jealous for development of other people, but when they express it physically, and then it will be counted as discrimination. As like other American of color these very hardworking Latinos are subjected to widespread and intense hostility, exploitation and discrimination. They are often cheated out of their income and denied basic needs and public facilities. They are regularly exposed to racial profiling and harassed by law enforcers. Sometimes, they are victimized by criminals who take advantage of their reluctance to report attacks. They are regularly forced to prove their immigration violation innocence regardless of their legal innocence. This treatment that the blacks endured in Jim Crow’s era and now encroached to Latinos is encouraged by some politicians and media figures who scapegoat poor immigrants and spread false propaganda (Rodriguez 2008). As a result of retentive vilification of the media, Latinos are openly targeted for harassment from racist extremist groups, some of which are from the old white supremacy guardian’s descent. A number of some of southern communities, for example, have enacted ordinances aimed at limiting services to immigration undocumented immigrants to make their lives as hard as they can manage to having a ultimate goal of chasing them away. Never the less, many law enforcing agencies in the south of U.S, armored with the so called the 287 (g) agreements with the federal government, are trying to force immigration law in a manner that has caused accusations against the systematic radical profiling making the Latino crime witnesses and victims to willing and free to work with the police men. These kinds of policies have created a sub class of people who are beyond protection of the law living in an economic shadow. Those who have once faced discrimination have already encountered much dangers and barriers to build up the south and the whole U.S at large. To do the dirty and the hard labor of harvesting onions in Georgia, slaughtering poultry in Alabama, building sky scrapers in Charlton and rebuilding New Orleans after Katrina. Many of these new immigrants from México, Honduras, Guatemala, and other Latin America escaping poverty, which experts believe has been worsened by the U.S trade policies. Many immigrants have crossed the border illegally, risking their freedom and even life for opportunity in the U.S, while others were “imported” by their employers through the guest work systems. Majority of them are legal residents of the U.S caught in the crossfire of the great Americans war on the “alien and illegal” (Chavez 2011). It is no surprising to find Latinos living under the fear of the cops and federal agents given this metaphorical “war” against them. Even legal citizen of the U.S of Latino descent admits that racial bigotry, myriad, profiling and any other form of racial discrimination and injustice are their daily staple (Douglass 2003). The assumption is that each and every Latino has no legal documents of staying in the U.S, so discrimination has spread over the legal systems. The legal system itself is intoxicated and sometime unfair about some critical cases. In many times there are law enforcers who testify false against suspected offender of Latin race. Police officers in the United States of America are playing a big role in promoting racism in the government. Take an example of a situation where by a whole law enforcer arrests two guys fighting, an American and a Latino. They are both liable to face the same law and judged according to their point of arguments. But if the police man intervenes and, indeed, physically assaults the Latino and sets the white American free. The Latino is taken to court and charged with assault and causing disturbance, probably getting jailed or heavily fined by the court. Now the biggest threat was not of the Latino suffering innocently, but the Native American repeating the same act again. He will very reluctant to do any sort of racism and repeats as many times as he wish. The police force should be in the first line ending racism and without their support curbing racism will monkey business (Douglass 2003). Once again, racism is systematic. And any relevant white discrimination needs to be classified to as principle actors in this pity societal oppression reality. Speaking of racism in schools and colleges, it leaves one wondering if the racism trait is heritable. There is no sense of accusing this new generation intoxicated generation yet we are forgetting who raised them. Latino teens, who have about a 40% dropout rate, making it the highest around the cities, say they suffer in schools due to racial discrimination from both teachers and students (Douglass 2003). They are claimed to be lazy, poor, and criminal, states a Toronto University study. The study was one of the first to research about this vulnerable group of students came from April 2008 report by Toronto Board of Schools. It stated that Latino students generally score among the lowest on a standard test, struggled in schools, and eventually dropped out of school as often as Portuguese and Africans. It also noted that Latino students often feel pressured to quit school to help support their families. The study took 60 students within six Toronto high schools who took part in focus groups and one – on – one interview (Douglass 2003). The study shows that the students are left with a feeling of no belonging or just feel out of place. Finding peer with other student of different peer, which is very vital for their performance academically becomes a problem since they are neglected and turned down. This leaves them with a low self esteem and lack of self confidence. The teachers have a negative and aspect and altitude towards the Latino students The environment on which these youngsters are brought up matters a lot in their current and future life. Racial profiling, blatant discrimination, and ethnic stereo typing have consequences on them; it will ring in their heads for the rest of their life risking their transfer of the notion to their children. Hearing discouraging and kind of cursing statements from the teachers and students make them feel inferior and neglected in social and academic life (Douglass 2003). They hear that they are not expected to graduate from school; they do not belong to U.S and are suspected to be gang members. The report says that Latino students encounter a great stereotyping in all institutional settings other than school such as their work place and games facilities (Feagin 2010). A negative interaction between law enforcers and Latino youth is equally common. In spite all these, these young tusks remain focused and want to do their best to contribute to their nation as future leaders, workers and voters. There should be a form of guidelines regulating racism in schools and all other academic institution to curb this vice, since if not curbed from the roots of youth then it may continue and even worsen. When I say guidelines I mean tougher ones, based racism education and awareness among students and severe penalty on racism related behavior or talking (Chavez 2011) (). It has reached appoint were the level of racism is so alarming that all tertiary institution need to a compulsory subject on racial discrimination. This will help these students to grow up together as brother and sisters, making it more uncommon to raise the trait at their older ages. And, indeed, this should be done so urgently before we raise many Americas in one United State of America. A racial student should be answerable to a juvenile court upon racially discriminating his or her colleague. There should be professional of guidance and counseling to help these youths know who they are, what they want in life, how to deal with the racial students and what to do when racially abused or marginalized. This will reduce their school drooping rate since they will be psychologically aware and of racism, and, know the solution being abused ethnically is not a good reason of drooping out of school (Sundstorm 2008). This will also reduce common institution ethnic communal fights were one race of students fights another. Racism counseling among the victim students will also help to mould their ability and capability, by being given moral support to realize they are not inferior as they are told by fellow counterparts. The parents of both the victim and victimizing students should also play big role in shaping the youth from the vice. The parents of the victimizing students should show their sons and daughters a good example of a good states person is respecting any other person next to you regardless of his or her age, ethnicity, tribe or country (Feagin 2010). References Chávez, M. (2011). Everyday Injustice: Latino Professionals and Racism. lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. Douglass, S. (2003). Institutionalized racism and Latino college access: do bridge programs work? California: California State University San Marcos. Feagin, J. R. (2010). Racist America: roots, current realities, and future reparations. oxford: Taylor & Francis. Rodríguez, R. R. (2008). Racism and God-talk: a Latino/a perspective. New york: NYU Press. Sundstrom, R. R. (2008). The browning of America and the evasion of social justice. New York: SUNY Press. Read More