Introduction
African Americans and Mexican Americans represent two significant and influential ethnic communities within the United States. Their histories, cultures, and identities contribute substantially to and are shaped by American society. Despite encountering and overcoming various challenges, these groups have strived for equality, justice, and acknowledgment. This essay will comparatively examine African Americans’ and Mexican Americans’ hurdles and achievements across different societal domains, including the arts, sciences, literature, and politics. It will explore their responses to discrimination, racism, poverty, and marginalization alongside their contributions to the nation’s cultural and political landscape. This essay aims to analyze and assess their struggles and accomplishments using pertinent concepts and theories from the literature and other sources. The central argument posits that African Americans and Mexican Americans have faced shared and distinct challenges, achieving noteworthy and diverse feats that have positively influenced society while reflecting their values and aspirations.
Challenges
Over the past decade, both African Americans and Mexican Americans have encountered pervasive challenges related to racism and discrimination. According to a 2019 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 76% of African Americans and 58% of Hispanic Americans reported instances of discrimination or unfair treatment based on their race or ethnicity within the preceding year (Horowitz). Various manifestations of racism and discrimination include instances of police brutality, hate crimes, biased workplace practices, voter suppression, and immigration-related enforcement. Notably, the tragic killing of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis in 2020 catalyzed nationwide protests and demands for both racial justice and police reform (Altman). Similarly, in 2019, a mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, targeted Hispanic Americans, resulting in 23 fatalities and 23 injuries. The perpetrator confessed to being motivated by a racist and anti-immigrant manifesto.
Over the past decade, both African Americans and Mexican Americans have encountered significant challenges in the form of poverty. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau in 2019, the poverty rate for African Americans stood at 18.8%, while Hispanic Americans faced a rate of 15.7%, surpassing the national average of 10.5%. The ramifications of poverty extend across various life domains, including education, health, housing, and employment. For instance, in 2019, only 25.4% of African Americans and 19.5% of Hispanic Americans held a bachelor’s degree or higher, in contrast to the national average of 37.3%. Additionally, 9.7% of African Americans and 16.7% of Hispanic Americans lacked health insurance, exceeding the 8% rate observed for the entire population. Furthermore, the unemployment rates for African Americans (6.1%) and Hispanic Americans (4.2%) in 2019 surpassed the national average of 3.7% (U.S. Census Bureau).
Accomplishments
In the realm of political representation, both demographic cohorts have experienced a discernible augmentation of their presence and influence within the United States government and broader societal framework. An illustrative case is the historic election of Kamala Harris in 2020, marking her ascendancy as the inaugural Black and Asian American woman to assume the role of Vice President. Harris, of Jamaican and Indian lineage, serves as a testament to the heterogeneous nature of the African-American populace, thereby epitomizing an evolving tapestry of representation (Fanning). Similarly, Julián Castro, the erstwhile mayor of San Antonio and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, embarked on a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. A third-generation Mexican American, Castro conscientiously emphasized his immigrant heritage while ardently championing progressive stances on immigration, education, healthcare, and social equity (Fanning). The influential trajectories of Harris and Castro have effectively catalyzed the aspirations of numerous young individuals of color, nurturing their proclivity toward political engagement and leadership pursuits.
In the realm of cultural expression, both cohorts have significantly contributed to the multifaceted tapestry of American culture and identity. Noteworthy manifestations of this contribution are discernible among African-American artists, writers, musicians, and filmmakers, who have crafted works that not only exalt their cultural heritage but also interrogate prevailing stereotypes while delving into contemporary sociopolitical issues. A pertinent illustration of this is evident in the directorial prowess of Ava DuVernay, exemplified by her 2014 historical drama “Selma,” a cinematic portrayal depicting the pivotal 1965 voting rights marches spearheaded by Martin Luther King Jr. and other luminaries of the civil rights movement (ABC News). Similarly, Mexican-American creators across various artistic domains have engendered works that authentically reflect their unique experiences, historical narratives, and distinct identities. An exemplar of this creative agency is exemplified in the oeuvre of Guillermo del Toro, who attained the pinnacle of cinematic accolades with his 2018 masterpiece “The Shape of Water,” receiving the coveted Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture (Holmes).
Within the realm of literature, both cohorts have made significant contributions to the tapestry and multifaceted nature of American culture and identity. Notably, African-American literary figures like Michelle Obama and Colson Whitehead have authored works that have engrossed readers and provoked contemplation by offering profound insights, narratives, and perspectives on the intricacies of the Black experience in America. In parallel, Mexican-American authors such as Sandra Cisneros and Reyna Grande have likewise produced literary works that have reverberated with readers, inspiring through the lens of their distinctive experiences, historical contexts, and Mexican-American identities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this essay has undertaken a comparative analysis of the challenges and achievements experienced by two ethnic cohorts: African Americans and Mexican Americans. The investigation has elucidated the shared and disparate impediments and opportunities both groups confront over the past decade and throughout historical epochs across various spheres. Furthermore, it has been established that these ethnic entities have significantly contributed to and innovated within American society, thereby enhancing and reshaping its cultural and societal fabric. The essay has underscored the utility of integrating concepts acquired from this course, such as the psychology of prejudice, assimilation, and accommodation, in fostering a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the multifaceted diversity inherent in these groups and their roles within the broader scope of American society.
Works Cited
Altman, Alex. “Why The Killing of George Floyd Sparked an American Uprising.” Time, 4 June 2020, https://time.com/5847967/george-floyd-protests-trump/
ABC News. “Ava DuVernay on Making History With ‘Selma.’” ABC News, 15 Dec. 2014, abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/ava-duvernay-making-history-selma/story?id=27614054.
Horowitz, Juliana, et al. “Views on Race in America 2019 | Pew Research Center.” Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project, 22 Sept. 2021, www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/04/09/race-in-america-2019
Holmes, Linda. “A Year After Envelope Pandemonium, a Ho-Hum Night Is Just What the Oscars Ordered.” NPR, 5 Mar. 2018, www.npr.org/2018/03/05/590786144/a-year-after-envelope-pandemonium-a-ho-hum-night-is-just-what-the-oscars-ordered#:~:text=The%20best%20picture%20winner%20was,best%20director%20for%20del%20Toro.
U.S. Census Bureau. “Inequalities Persist Despite Decline in Poverty for All Major Race and Hispanic Origin Groups.” Census.gov, 9 Dec. 2021, www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/09/poverty-rates-for-blacks-and-hispanics-reached-historic-lows-in-2019.html.
Fanning, Rhonda. “Kamala Harris’ Withdrawal from the Presidential Race Could Help Julián Castro.” Texas Standard, 4 Dec. 2019, www.texasstandard.org/stories/kamala-harris-withdrawal-from-the-presidential-race-could-help-julian-castro.
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