Discrimination between the African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans - Term Paper Example

Sociology A group that makes up almost a half of less of the larger population is termed as a numerical minority. According to study, it is demonstrated that all the population of the United States comprises of several minorities, green-eyed people, and television actor tax collectors among others. These minority groups will always bring with them the existence of a varied social norm. This essay strives to demonstrate critically a comparison as well as contrast of these numerical minority groups (Karen and Toni-Michelle 206). The minority groups in question here are the Latino American, African Americans, Asian Americans, as well as Native Americans. According to the history, it is stipulated that these groups faced discrimination, unlawful treatment, violence, sexual harassment, and deprived economic status from the white who constitute the majority of the American natives. Adalberto Aguirre Jr & Jonathon in their book titled American Ethnicity demonstrates a varied measure on the above mentioned minority group, when it comes to the share of the American resources (Adalberto and Turner 210). Chapter one of their book illustrates the summary of the basic theories that discusses both ethnic relations and the primary attempt of integrating these theories into a universal theoretical framework. This framework guides the discriminatory analysis in its dynamics in relation to the minority’s treatment as compared to majority. According to the author, the whole societies of the America are primarily English in origin. This phenomenon has forced each American society to either adapt to this cultural core, or else suffer the consequences. It is worth noting that the book points out that the American cultural core is a formation of French and English legal tenets. It also constituted the protestant values, education in English culture, as well as the most valued idea of English and some French political ideals. This is where all the turnaround in terms of cultural threats originate. It is noted that if a certain ethnic group did remain identifiable due to their cultural ways being un-correspondent to this core, then it was affirmed that they cause threat to the majority. They also triggered prejudice and so they faced the consequences to this act, which was suffering discrimination (Adalberto and Turner 78). One cannot fail to note that the core cultural values have so far been changed. However, the fact remains that English culture is what serves as the yardstick pertaining the evaluation of other ethnic sub-population although elements of other ethnic cultures have been absorbed completely. It is from this point that groups such as the African Americans, the Latino Americans, the Asian Americans, and the Native Americans are being discriminated against manyt benefits that the majority groups enjoy. On a general platform, the minority groups experienced a unique treatment as compared to the majority members. For example, minorities were denied the chance of renting or even own an apartment. Secondly, the minorities as much as they could come from a different region, they were made to share certain cultural and physical characteristics. This made them to be recognized from the majority group. A member of a minority was made to marry from each other. The majority was not willing to marry the minority, and thus, to some extent this drew a line of discrimination. Therefore, the minority faced a rebel from the majority. However, several factors will always outline the type of discrimination faced by a certain minority as compared to another. It is imperative that some aspects such as origin, race, culture, and political adherences formed the basis of discrimination against the minority (Carlisle 101). Africans Americans As stated in the history, slavery began after English colonists settled in Virginia. This has kept recurring in that in the sense that all the burden of discrimination are being offloaded to African Americans (Adalberto and Turner 40). It was in the 19th century when the hardening of legal discrimination and institutionalized racism against the African descent citizens was seen on the American ground. Particularly on the southern part, groups such as the KKK disenfranchised the African Americans. The African American people faced racial discrimination, segregation, as well as the whites’ expression of their supremacy then. The whites expressed this discrimination by doing race riots and lynching. According to the book, it is noted that following the Great Migration, racism, an issue that was only witnessed in the southern, did burst onto the consciousness of the nation. The great migration involved the relocation of the Africans Americans people from their southern place to the industrialized centers. Mostly, the African American people faced discrimination on public facilities, and so they were not allowed to use the public facilities freely (Hunter 130). They also faced discrimination in the employment opportunities, and the invalidation of the Jim Crow laws. However, prior to intervention of some people, it came illegal to force the racial segregation in hiring, housing, and schools. As much as this formed a good start of being accepted into the American system, still there was a sense of inequalities. It is from these inequalities that the blacks were brought down and subjected to humiliations as well as poverty. Lack of education barred them from access to employment hence they remained poor. At the same time, since they were the inferior groups, they were forced to face inhuman acts like rape, and sexual exploitation. African Americans were exploited sexually in order to gain favors from the whites. Violence was their daily encounter. Since they were being undermined and discriminated, they repeatedly got themselves into violence with the majority. This was their main root course of their suffering. It happened everywhere, from bus stations, supermarkets and even in their residential areas. The same inequalities have so far continued up to the current post-industrial era. Therefore, as much as there are several rules protecting the African Americans in the constitution, the whites can at times overlook them and get the African Americans in trouble. Native Americans Native Americans are the original settlers of the American nation. In chapter five of the book 'American Ethnicity' by Adalberto and Jonathon, the authors explain the impact of discrimination on the minority. The book illustrates that the minority target led to the scarcity of resources by the original Americans. The emphasis is placed on the virtue extinction of the Native Americans in the 20th century together with the legal patterns, educational, political economic and the discrimination of the housing that the Native Americans have been suffering. According to the book, the African Americans suffer high rates of poverty that are disproportional, low high school completion, and high rate of infant mortality. The low education that the Native Americans bear has so far made them do poorly in the field of employment. All this is centered on the fact of racial discrimination. The natives have been discriminated by the non-natives on the side of education. That is why they are very few in the professional careers as opposed to the non-natives. Further, it can be noted that they face a sense of discrimination because the relative size of the racial groups have influenced the amount of competition and conflict among them. According to the authors, it is noted that a very small number of minority group do not portray exactly how they can pose a threat to the majority. However, if the minority group constitute is of a bigger number, they can challenge the majority group. This forces the majority group to discriminate them, so that they can no longer show their potential. According to the study, it is noted that the Native Americans are doing worse in the labor markets simply because they make up a larger share. Since they are being fought and discriminated by the natives, then as a minority group, they are never secure. Since they also form a larger population when it comes to labor markets then the racial discrimination takes center stage. According to history, it is noted that this racial discrimination started immediately after the great migration. The same have been experienced up to date, where the Native Americans sports team by the name mascots, have been in action since early 20th century without facing discrimination. However, discrimination has emerged recently. The experts assert that this discrimination is propelled by a sense of racism. It is for this reason that those who are campaigning for this racism issue has tried to eliminate the use of this sport, although without success. The main discriminatory act that the non-native Americans are facing right now is in the labor markets and sports. Unlike the African Americans where they are discriminated on several things including employment opportunities, and invalidation of the Jim Crow laws, the Native Americans are being discriminated on race concerning employment and sport. However, much they are the original natives of the Americans, the truth is that they also face discrimination just in the same way as any other minorities. Therefore, they still need to fight for their liberation. Latinos In chapter six of the book American Ethnicity by Jonathon and Aquirre, it is clear the authors reviewed discrimination against three subpopulations in style. Among the stated populations are the Puerto Ricans, the Mexican Americans as well as the Cubans, not mentioning those from the Southern and Central America. It is worth noting that the Latinos mentioned in this chapter, have actually been subjected to discrimination in varied ways. The Mexican Americans have been discriminated more the same as Native Americans, by losing their lands. On the other hand, Puerto have multiplied greatly, hence, they pose threat to the eastern urban areas. Therefore, as anti-communist refugees, the Cubans have experienced the least of them all in terms of discrimination. Generally, Latinos are often referred to as hyper-sexual, passionate, lazy macho in literature, and lastly, violent. Due to their huge number, they have managed to take over the white Anglo-American society mostly on southern US. The Americans view this as a threat. This is why most of the Latino immigrants have faced traumatic abuses especially on both the children and women mainly because the Americans feel that the Latinos are a threat to them. According to information gathered, it is noted that almost thirty-four percent of the Hispanics assert that discrimination is their key hindrance to success. Sixty-one of them alarms that the Latinos face prejudice. The cause of their discrimination also results from the fact that they are greatly increasing in number. Those who claim their citizenship by birth, and those who migrated from other parts of the world in to the nations form fifty one percent. They are discriminated from health, where it is stipulated that almost thirty percent of the Latinos who reside in America lack medical, or health cover. Other statistics illustrate that almost twenty percent of women under the age of eighteen live in poverty and their educational level is below average. It follows that their working conditions are poor, thus, they face depression. It is ascertained by experts that if a person works in a discriminatory condition then he or she is likely to face, depression, bitterness, lack of self-confidence, and can end up withdrawing from work. The same is what the Latinos are facing in the American nation. Which have been in existence for quite a long time now. Against the ethnic groups just after the Africans Americans, the statistics stipulates that Latino people are the second when it comes to discrimination. 'The boom' by Jonathon and Aquirre states that in housing, the Hispanics are the most discriminated. It further illustrates that more than twenty Hispanics in America houses more than five people. This is a true revelation that housing is the major discrimination of the Latinos in the United States. Since they are many, it can be noted that the American government is using housing as a weapon to discourage the Latinos from migrating to the nation. In addition, it can be a revelation to the Latino that their time in the United States is no longer valued, and that they should move out. That is why; they are being oppressed and discriminated in terms of housing, a thing that have been witnessed just from the historical phenomena. As opposed to other two (Africans America and the Native Americans), who were discriminated mostly in race the Latinos are facing a rough time in ethnicity (Adalberto and Turner 97). They live a poor life just as the Native Americans since they are denied the chance of getting higher education. Due to their increasing number, they are made to stay in a crowded area, with the smallest space when it comes to housing. Asian Americans In chapter seven of the book 'American Ethnicity,' the author clearly explains that unlike the Africans Americans, the Native Americans and the Latinos, the Asian Americans are termed as the most successful minority group. This is because; they have high level of educational credentials as well as the high rate of income as opposed to the whites. Although they earn the highest, and they have a low rate of income return rate compared to their level of education to the whites, the truth according to statistics is that they are poor. All ethnic groups are posing threat to the Anglo-Saxon core, so are the Asians. However, to the Asians, the threat is seen greater since it has been amplified by the fact that they are educated and so they are successful. Therefore, they are regarded as a threat due to their more privileged segments of population. Asians, like all minority that reveals identifiable characteristics, they have gone ahead to portray a very high sense of stereotype. However, even the positive stereotypes do operate on the principle of segmentation, in that it operates to segmentize the Asians. Back from late 19th century, it is noted that the Asians were prevented from attending to schools in California. As much as Asian Americans earns highest as compared to any group, it does not guarantee the fact that they do not face discrimination. The truth is that Asian men earn almost forty percent of their women counter parts. In addition, the gender gap in wider than any other minority group, and this is what hides many diversity. It is obvious that if Asian men went to the same school, the same universities as white men, then they could not earn more than the whites could. However, according to statistics it is noted that those Asian men who are educated, holds a better degree than the whites and that is why, they might earn little higher. However, in the American country, they face labor market discrimination. Just as the Native Americans, they are not considered priority when it comes to labor market opportunities. This labor market discrimination touches in both compensation and hiring. They are termed as “a yellow peril,” a thing that hinders them to advance in the market when it comes to the corporate America (Zott 212). It is noted that stereotype about Asians perpetually foreign, effeminate, as well as exotic proves the fact that Asians are face mistreatment, or micro-aggression either at public places or at work. The perpetuation of some stereotype by the media, it was noted that the Asian men are referred to as effeminate or sexual. At the same time, the Asian women are being referred to as hypersexual. All these bring about a sense of discrimination, bearing in mind that the things that the whites are impeaching the Asian with, nobody will wish to associate with them. The popular perception of the Asians is negatively instilled to people through television. In using the media to paint the image of the Asian black, this demonstrates the fact that the whites do not want Asian accusation and that this is the point where discrimination comes in. Asian make up almost five percent of the US’ population. However, the book illustrates that only two percent of all the television representatives were counted for. This shows a sense of discrimination although not at its highest point as the African Americans, the Native Americans, and the Latinos. One of the observations made by some experts is that in most cases, the issue of discrimination is not discussed in public when it comes to public forums in the US. Generally, America is centered with discrimination. They do eliminate or sideline those individuals who are not their ethnic group. Therefore, they create a sense of cultural rejection to the rejected. Asian Americans are the only groups that face a little degree of discrimination as compared to other three groups. They are few; however, they are up to the task to give in their efforts, all in the name of meeting their target. Their only struggle is to get noticed by the government, as much as they are being discriminated since they have the expected and competitive credentials. Summary All the four groups, the African Americans, the Latinos, the Asian Americans, and the Native Americans are referred to as the minority and so they face discrimination on the American ground. However, the degree of discrimination varies from the one ethnic group to another. For instance, African Americans are the most discriminated group, when it comes to education, employment, housing just to mention but a few. They are the groups that also face a frequent violence, sexual abuses, poverty and many more. Asian Americans are educated and so they poses threat to the Americans, and only way they have pined them down is buy not offering them enough professional chances. The Latinos have been denied housing among many due to their increased number. While the Native Americans face market discrimination and land. At the end of the day, all the minority groups face certain discrimination. This has been in existence from the historical times and still it is deepening into the people who are still alive today. Works cited Adalberto Aguirre Jr and Jonathon H. Turner, American Ethnicity: The Dynamics and Consequences of Discrimination: McGraw Hill. 2010. Carlisle, Rodney P.. The Asian Americans. New York: Facts On File, 2011. Print. Dovidio, John F., and Miles Hewstone. The SAGE Handbook of Prejudice, Stereotyping and Discrimination. London: Sage Publications, 2010. Print. Hunter, Miranda. Latino Americans and immigration laws: crossing the border. Philadelphia: Mason Crest Publishers, 2006. Print. Karen Rosenblaum and Toni-Michelle C. Travis eds, Meaning of Difference Social problems: with Research Navigator. cengae: 2006. Zott, Lynn M.. Native Americans. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Print Read More