Ethnic studies - Term Paper Example

forcement of policies, attitudes, practices that yield equitable opportunity, power, access, treatment, impacts and outcome for all (Yamamoto, pp, 7). Most people have the perception of racism as an individual action such as prejudice or intentional acts of discrimination but racism is just more than individual acts. Racism is a set of cultural, societal and institutional practices and beliefs that subordinate and oppress one race for the benefit of another. Nevertheless, a racial justice integrates the beliefs and practices but still include prejudice as one of the way racism is propagated.

If cases of racism exist in a society, the best response is to provide diversity training or sensitivity training. The racial justice framework would seek to evaluate the social injustices, systems, polices and laws and if cases of inequality are found hold them accountable and demand for systemic change. Racism traces its genesis in the colonial relationships, slavery and capitalism. These three elements are the roots of racisms that have manifested itself in different forms such as human oppression such as mentally, financially or socially.

Empathy has always played a central role towards racial justice. The understanding and having compassion for those undergoing racism have ignited the racial justice that currently seen in the world. It is the fight for those who felt this is not right that led to emergence of racial justice. For instance, empathy exhibited by the famous leaders such as Martin Luther King on social equality gave birth to racial justice. Those people who felt the minority were being left out during voting exercise and brought the case to US court in 1965 led to change of the system whereby everyone was allowed to vote regardless of the social status or race so long such individual had the requisite age.

Yamamoto offers four aspects as a working definition towards racial justice. These integral aspects when incorporated together works on a theory that