Racism, a Societal Shame - Essay Example

Racism, a Societal Shame Introduction Racism, put simply, is a byproduct of fear, a fear of the unknown and lack of understanding. On the individual level, it is a result of low self-esteem issues and being easily led by the group mentality. The consequences of racism are far-reaching breeding inequality and pitting different factions of society against one another, a recipe for societal dysfunction. Racism can be subtle or overt. Minorities cannot know if they weren’t hired for a job or given a harsher prison sentence simply due to their skin color or accent. When a store clerk watches a person of color as they shop or a police office stops a minority is it prejudice or coincidence? When you are the minority, the answer is always racial discrimination which leads to feelings of anger and resentment. People are made to feel like unwelcome intruders in their own neighborhood, city and country. Racism is hate that fosters more hate, a cycle that is hurtful to the individual and poisonous to a society. The Culture of Racism Racism is an injustice a society inflicts on itself. People are discriminated against in a variety of ways, teased, taunted and belittled, not for what they have done but for reasons they cannot control such as their ethnicity. Racism has severe social, economic and health consequences. It is immoral and should be considered unacceptable in a society that considers itself civilized. Yet, it continues unabated for the most part resulting in psychological issues, violence, depression, obesity and economic hardships. Racism begins with people having a preconceived opinion about another group not familiar to them such as rural white’s perception of urban blacks. Two other words for racism, bigotry and prejudice (pre-judging) are essentially interchangeable. There are varying degrees of racism. Having passive biased opinions is much different than being overtly prejudiced. Everyone has preconceived ideas of unfamiliar groups but some try to familiarize themselves with people who are strange to them when they get the opportunity while others resist and want to keep unfamiliar groups separate due to fear of the unknown. The latter group is commonly referred to as racists. They believe groups behave in particular ways due to inherited traits instead of what they have learned through life experience. Discrimination stems from these misconceptions. Preconceptions and Prejudice Racism, a byproduct of misunderstanding, leads some to invent pseudo-biological rationalizations for their lack of knowledge. Some, for example, will claim black persons are inherently better at playing basketball than are other races. In truth, it’s well-coordinated, muscular and many times tall people who are competitive “gym rats” that are the superior basketball players. People of Asian decent are not born knowing math and they aren’t somehow able learn it easier than others. The Asian culture is generally more education oriented than others. Arabs are not prone to terrorism and Jews are not covetous. That myth began hundreds of years ago in Europe when Christians in some countries were forbidden to lend money to other Christians so they had no choice but to borrow from Jews. When the borrower defaulted it was a Jew that claimed their property thus the prejudice was born. This is an example of how racism is due to a lack of knowledge and understanding. (Fish, 2011). Institutional racism Racism is much more than just a concept; it affects the lives of millions of people and never in a positive way. Racism is so prevalent it is deeply institutionalized reaching nearly every facet of life and particularly affecting minority members of society. The net worth of white households is, on average, 20 times that of blacks according to a Pew Research Center study conducted last year. More than one-quarter of black households live in poverty compared to less than 10 percent of whites data provided by the U.S. Census showed. White households earn about 60 percent more than blacks whose rate of unemployment is double that of whites according to the U.S. Department of Labor. White youth are much more likely to go to college. This isn’t an issue of inherited genetics; it’s an issue of social inheritance, of an entitlement bestowed to white persons. Institutional racism is not limited to education and economic issues. The phrase “driving while black” is accurately used to describe a reality known all too well by black youths. According to a 2007 report by the Department of Justice (DOJ), “people of all races are targeted for traffic stops at a similar rate. But blacks were more than three times more likely to be searched than whites and they were twice as likely to be arrested. (“Racism,” 2012). In addition, the DOJ reports blacks are more given the death penalty more often than whites for committing the same type of crime. Indoctrination of Youths Racism isn’t an abstract issue affecting only a few unfortunates and it cannot be fully appreciated by observing statistics. It is pervasive, explicit and widespread even infiltrating the school systems. Racist teachers and school administrators in, you guessed it; southern states are attempting to indoctrinate young minds to their warped, unenlightened point of view. Third-grade teachers in Georgia used examples involving masters whipping their slaves in math problems. This assignment was actually given to nine year-old students. “If Frederick Douglass got two beatings each day, how many beatings did he get in one week?” (Gasman, 2012). Whatever the intention, the example is dehumanizing particularly to black students. School administrators in Arizona banned textbooks that taught any positive contributions Hispanic made to the state fearing students of Mexican descent would “feel empowered” by the lessons. Tea Party activist in Tennessee lobbied state legislators and school officials to “whitewash” U.S. history by omitting the fact that the Founding Fathers owned slaves or had any role in continuing the tradition of slavery. (Gasman, 2012). Conclusion Racism is not unique to America and certainly not a new phenomenon. It is as old as mankind and will not be eradicated anytime soon. Some thought that the election of the first black president would help to ease racial tensions and bring the country together regarding race relations. If anything, the opposite was true. Not two weeks following the inauguration of Barack Obama people were protesting in Washington D.C. loudly proclaiming they “wanted their country back.” The racist signs and rhetoric was in plain site for the country and the world to see. They were and still are afraid that the country is changing into something they don’t recognize. Because they are unwilling to learn of other cultures, races and ideas, they lash out at the most convenient target whether it’s illegal immigrants, Muslims, Hispanics, “socialists,”Atheists, liberals, or the first black president whose mere presence reminds them that the Cleavers of 1950’s television is not the standard anymore. Hating minorities allows people with self esteem issues to feel superior. Racists think “they built this” (America) by themselves forgetting the advantage simply being white has in this country, economically, historically speaking and in present day terms. Works Cited Fish, Jefferson M. Ph.D. Looking in the Cultural Mirror. Psychology Today. January 11, 2011. Web. December 4, 2012. < http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/looking-in-the-cultural-mirror/201101/how-should-racism-be-defined> Gasman, Marybeth. Racists in America. The Chronicle. January 30, 2012. Web. December 4, 2012. Racism is still prevalent today. The Oklahoma Daily. January 31, 2012. Web. December 4, 2012. Read More