Relationships between Race and Social Class Including Immigrants - Essay Example

?Running head: Social Glass: Relationships between Race and Social Including Immigrants Social Glass: Relationships between Race and Social Class Including Immigrants Insert Name Insert Grade Course Insert Tutor’s Name 20 March 2012 Social Glass: Relationships between Race and Social Class Including Immigrants Introduction Despite America experiencing profound changes and developments in the post-civil rights period, major evidences point to the fact that individuals from the minority ethnic groups as compared to white Americans are below the social class status in terms of income, property ownership, education, and occupation. With this understanding, there is need to investigate this thesis statement using concrete evidences from some authors and personal experience. Race and Social class Bonilla-Silva, contends that non-white Americans lag behind in almost all aspects of social life, where for instance, they are three times more poor as than white Americans, and earn about 40% less than white Americans (Bonilla-Silva 1-2). Moreover, when net worth of wealth is compared, it shows that non-white Americans have about an eighth of net worth that white Americans have. These problems are further compounded by issues of systematic social exclusions of non-white Americans in major social and economic aspects of the society. As a result, the non-white Americans end up occupying lower social classes as compared to white Americans (Bonilla-Silva 2). On the other hand, Conley investigates wealth ownership between white Americans and African Americans, where the author notes that, in almost all circumstances, the African Americans as compared to their counterparts, the white Americans, have drastically lower levels of wealth (Conley 5). African Americans are seen to be virtually in all situations when compared to white Americans, to have less income, majority have lower occupational jobs and ranks, many are unemployed, and majority have lower educational levels that do not give them high-ranking jobs (Conley 5). The author identifies contributing factors for these disparities, whereby, many African Americans are discriminated against in their attempt to access social, economic and wealth opportunities, but their white Americans counterparts have an easy access. Moreover, when compared to white Americans, African Americans tend to have no asset base from which they can use to progress and develop. Such situations have been contributed by their poor parents who have no assets at all. Alejandro Portes and Ruben G. Rumbaut, observes that, immigrants, who today constitute a large population and segment of USA population, have numerous problems, both emanating from the American context and from individual’s background and social characteristics (Portes and Rumbaut 15). Most immigrants have low incomes and they are employed in lower ranking jobs. Furthermore, some have little education, which deny them access to better jobs. As a result, majority of families of immigrant families have less household incomes, depend a lot on assistance programs, and are likely to be poor. This tends to affect educational opportunities for children of immigrant families and subsequently, less education is responsible for unemployment, low-ranking jobs, low incomes, and increased cases of poverty (Portes and Rumbaut 15). Hence, many occupy lower social classes as compared to white Americans. Living in America My name is Rosa from Asia. I have lived in this country as an immigrant for about 15 years now. My parents moved to United States of America when I was ten years-old. My country had just plunged into civil unrest and my uncle based in USA had just arranged for our entry into the country. The political situation back at home could not allow us to continue living in the country. Therefore, when we moved in the country, my uncle took us to his place in Houston. It was a nice place: good house, happy family, and jovial neighbors. My uncle has three children and is married to Jane. When we arrived in the country, I did not know anything in English since I only spoke in my native language. In fact, I could not communicate to my uncle’s children who spoke English fluently. However, my uncle and his wife spoke the native language very well and they could communicate with my parents very easily. I did not tell you that, my parents are not that much educated. My father has only artisan skills while my mother is a hairdresser, which she learnt in our native country from her aunt. The life in the new country at first appeared to be fine and cool especially with what I had experienced in my home country. After a few months, my uncle secured a job for my father in a nearby workshop, where he worked as a plumber while my mother got a job in a small restaurant in the town owned by an Asian investor. My father secured a small apartment, just a few meters away from where my uncle lived and we moved there. It was just in the same neighborhood, where majority of its inhabitants were immigrants from Asia. In the neighborhood, I established friendship with children whom we shared many similarities. They were immigrants from Asia, spoke language I understood, were reserved and did not want to socialize with others from different ethnics and language was a problem especially English. Going to school was the biggest desire I harbored especially when I came to this country, and when my parents enrolled me in a community school a few kilometers from where we lived, I was very happy. However, when I went to the school, I found majority of students were from Asia, African American, and Latinos. Equipment in the school was poor and teachers were few. Again, most teachers in the school were largely of Asian origin, African American and Hispanic (Latino), some with little education advancement. Life was hard, since transport to school was a big problem, paying school for majority was also a big problem, while government support was little. Many children were from poor home since majority of their parents were only employed in the manual-type and odd jobs. Such jobs included; working in fields where English is not required, waitress, cleaning services, truck drivers, plumbers, and so on. As a result, the lives and backgrounds of many students were characterized with poverty, suffering, and disillusionment. The period I have lived in this country and experience I have had throughout is that, immigrants and those from minority groups in the country face numerous problems to their advancement due to both personal and societal impediments in this country. For example, the school I was in, and when I compare with the ones my friends from the white Americans went to, one is likely to notice numerous differences. While the schools my white Americans went to are well equipped and funded with good teachers, my school lacked basic equipment and there were inadequate teachers. As a result, I have been able to analyze statistics for both immigrants and white Americans graduating from schools and joining college in the past. My conclusion has been that, more white Americans join colleges and are likely to finish studies as compared to immigrants. Social class in America has been associated with income and wealthy accumulation but when you consider the difficulties immigrants have to go through, it becomes clear that, they fall below the social class as compared to white Americans. Take the case of my parents for instance; they have to struggle with menial jobs to ensure the family gets something to eat. My father for instance, has not been able to get permanent job due to his citizen status. Throughout the stay in the country, he has been forced to contend with casual jobs that sometimes are not guaranteed. Therefore, my parents occupying a middle class with white Americans is almost impossible because, even in similar job he is working, a white American is likely to be paid more. Finding a job is again a big problem to immigrants as compared to white Americans. For example, my uncle’s son finished college two years ago and although his white Americans friends have secured a job already, he is still unemployed. He has cited many impediments in his way to get a job from fear of employers hiring the immigrants especially those perceived to be illegal, always he is told to wait, and sometimes, the employers cite higher qualifications. Therefore, second generation of immigrants in USA is faced with numerous problems largely to do with poverty and poor backgrounds which tend to minimize their chances of moving upwards in the social class ladder. The race has played largely in their movement along the social class. The race factor has played largely in the acquisition of education by immigrants, race factor has denied their parents opportunities as compared to white Americans, race has limited their parents from acquiring properties, and also, race has isolated and discriminated them from good and well paying jobs. At the end, majority of immigrants find it hard to occupy similar social class with white Americans, who only are not favored by education system, but have also job jobs, are likely to earn more in the same job with immigrants, come from wealthy backgrounds, and their unquestionable legal status give them chance to access numerous opportunities. It is always claimed that, the ‘American Dream’ gives everyone opportunity and equal chance to succeed in the ‘land of promise’. The argument is that, despite whatever one might have, hard work and determination are likely to enable an individual succeed. After the civil rights movement and the subsequent changes in the society, today members of the American society can enjoy equal opportunities to access and benefit from various opportunities and chances available in the society. Although this may be the perception and argument of majority of people, there are those who think otherwise. Numerous questions may be asked: why do immigrants still find it hard to get legal recognition in this country when the constitution explains clearly that every individual has rights to be respected. Moreover, why does discrimination persist in the society even in the post-civil rights period? In addition, why does accessing opportunities for economic and social advancement appear to be difficulty for immigrants as compared to white Americans even when the education level seems to be the same? All these questions just explains the persistence of race factor in our society which has refused to go away and has become tightly engrossed in determining one’s social class. Conclusions America has a long history with regard to race relations. Race in American has played a critical role in defining and categorizing social classes in the larger society. In particular, members from minority ethnics as compared to white Americans have disproportionate education, occupation, income, and wealth, and this inadequacy has led them to occupy lower social classes in the larger American society. On the other hand, white Americans, who seem to be favored by social, economic, political, and cultural factors, have dominated the upper social classes in the country. Therefore, even with a lot of developments in the society to eliminate decimation, America is still characterized by different social classes defined by race. Works Cited Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. Racism without Racists: Color-blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States. Plymouth, UK: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010. Conley, Dalton. Being Black, Living in the Red: Race, Wealth, and Social Policy in America. CA: University of California Press, 1999. Portes, Alejandro. Legacies: The Story of the Immigrant Second Generation. CA: University of California Press, 2001. 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