Discrimination Against Blacks In America Essay, Research Paper
As the 21st century nears, we face the challenge of living in an increasingly multicultural society. Humans have to overpass the equality issue. Much suffering and deaths have taken place and it s time to change it. Many forget that discrimination still exists in all parts of the world. I hope to understand why this discrimination exists and I specially want the reader to realize that it s not only a black vs. white conflict, it s all the races of the world that suffer.
There is great racial and ethnic diversity in the world we live in. Races, religion, sex, and age, are all factors that identify us humans. Many countries of the world are heavily populated from people of different cultures and countries. The Unites States of America is an example of such country. The melting pot as they call it, is populated from people all over the world. This melting pot has not been exactly great since it has caused various conflicts. Since early times, there has always been a constant conflict among people of different social class, race or sex. This negative behavior reflects as discrimination. Blacks and Latinos have been discriminated in this great country for hundreds of years.
People s prejudices concern their perceptions of other individuals and groups, and their attitudes and behavior towards them. Prejudice can be one of the most destructive aspects of human social behavior, often producing chilling acts of violence. Racial prejudice against blacks by whites has been perhaps the most severe and tenacious social problem faced by the United States. It dates back at least as far as the earliest contact between English travelers and Africans. The English perceived Africans as apes and as engaging in savage and uncivilized behavior. Some of these stereotypes are still common today. Some whites still perceive blacks as inferior
Baldwin refers to various issues in his essay Notes of a Native Son. The most important issue is that of racial discrimination. During that time the United States was struggling to fight the violence caused by the prejudice against blacks. Everything seemed to be a racial issue. Blacks were not permitted to assist certain places and did not have the same opportunities as whites. Blacks were not accepted to enter certain restaurants and hotels and some buses did not accept blacks as passengers. This also caused much conflict in cities. It was clear to see whites in good jobs and nice places to live while the blacks were not given this opportunity. All this discrimination produced a severe racial tension between whites and blacks. Baldwin emphasizes the number of policemen that had to be out on the streets to control any violent act that could arouse. Violence got out of control in many major cities like Detroit and New York. Baldwin describes the horrible riot that broke out in Harlem. It was common to see many dangerous riots breaking out. Violence increased dramatically because of this social conflict. Some blacks thought that the solution to this social conflict would be to resist with violence. The fact that black soldiers were being sent abroad to fight also caused a major conflict. Black Americans resisted that decision by the government.
African Americans are not the only minority group subjected to prejudice. Many of the nearly 20 million Latinos living in the United States are relatively disadvantaged, with low educational achievement, low paying jobs, and high poverty rates. I have suffered from this prejudice in the United States. Since I am from Colombia, many people have treated me unfairly me in some parts of the country. One time I was in a summer camp at Pennsylvania and the other kids from the camp treated me differently because of my origin. It was easy to notice how they looked at me and would not involve me in the group activities. I decided to accept it instead of fighting for a change. Sometimes it isn t worth the effort to confront people. I have also been discriminated here in Florida various times. Some people have asked me where I am from and my response has not been of the greatest pleasure for them. They always relate my country with drugs and violence. It bothers me to see that some people think of Colombia in this way. We do have some problems of our own but who are they to judge me for this. It is also common to see Latinos being discriminated against in Texas and California where there are a great number of immigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries.
For the good of the country and its citizens, some of these problems have been solved with much effort. After many years of struggle and fighting, blacks have achieved their goal. Racial discrimination is not a big issue as it was before. Today, little discrimination is seen, but it still exists. We are finally equal to each other in a sense. Baldwin s issues presented in his essay Notes of a Native Son are relevant to us now, but not to the same extent as before. There is no longer violence caused by racial discrimination. That racial tension ceased years ago. Harlem is no longer the nightmare it used to be during those times. Now, blacks live in the same neighborhoods that whites live in and go to the same schools. There is no segregation against blacks anymore. We can see black kids having white friends and black men meeting white women. Now, blacks don t argue anymore when their soldiers are sent to fight for their country. America has overcome these conflicts that once hurt it so badly. It is common to see blacks in good jobs and important government positions. It is still not perfect but much has been done to stop the injustice.
Americans have little alternative but to accept the possibility that race will continue to divide us. It is clear that that society is now more hospitable to minorities like Blacks and Latinos, than it was a few generations ago. We have to ask the question: Do we have any idea of how to create a society that is truly race neutral? The short answer is no. But we all must try to live in harmony with each other. We must stop expecting time to solve the problem for us. Our racial problems belong to us, not to our descendants. Americans must stop blaming each other and instead find the solution to the problem. Humans must become serious about fighting discrimination. Many Americans believe that discrimination has ended but they are wrong. We must keep the conversation going. Conversations as opposed to confrontations are better and can lead to change. People must seize opportunities for interracial collaboration. To break racial barriers it is necessary to work along with people from other races. We must stop looking for one solution to all our racial problems. The reality is that the problem has no single or simple solution but I hope that we try hard to end it.
358