Race is a social construct, and therefore it is intertwined into the social interactions that surround a person’s life. The difference in terms of skin colour within the society contributes to generating diversity within the organisation. The history of the US has gad an encounter with racism, where a community group was regarded inferior mainly because of their skin colour. Although the vice of racism has been long eliminated in the US society, there might still exist instances where the black and the minority communities might experience racial discrimination. However, scholars have coined the critical race theory to help understand the push factors behind racism in the present society. Ideally, evaluating the instances in which I have come across race visibility or discrimination cases can enhance my understanding of how race is pronounced in the present society.
My first encounter with the concept of race was when I was in the third grade, as my Nannie enlightened me of the meaning behind the difference in skin colours. I had noticed the difference between my skin colour and that of my friends, and it didn’t matter from what I could recall. However, as time passed, I gained more clarity on the issue of race after learning about it in school. I also learnt about the American history of racism and how it affected society. However, I have come to understand that racism is a social construct as it is created and nourished by the community. However, the diversity created by the issue of race is essential as it helps in sharing aspects of culture and appreciating the difference, which in turn generates respect.
Inequality has existed in the United States, and it has contributed to the establishment of gaps in social classes that presently exist. First of all, Solorzano and Yosso introduce the readers to the concept of racial privilege, which weighed heavily on black Americans. White privilege has been defined as offering someone a choice instead of giving them an upper hand because the person is white. A good example that has been used in the article is the case of an apartment. While a black person will struggle to locate suitable housing that is adequate and favourable, a white person will get an apartment reserved regardless of having one or searching for a house. The white superiority is powered by such acts of inequality, as the white get to enjoy better experiences while the people of colour continue to suffer. Secondly, the author explains the majoritarian stories, which express white supremacy against minority communities. Solorzano and Yosso enlighten that these stories are used to remind the readers that as long as a person’s skin is not white, they are not initially occupants of the United States, making them a lesser race. Such an argument is reflective of the social construction of racism by society.
Thirdly, while the whites get the chance to live in good neighbourhoods and attend good schools, the black community and the minority groups wallow in poverty and crime-inflicted environments. The article introduces Esperanza, a Chicano whose academic background is not good. She explains that she is a product of the social injustice system that forced them into poor schools that could not give them a good foundation (Solorzano and Yosso p.35). Racial discrimination is more pronounced, and these impacts last a lifetime. The inequality created by racism does not end when it has occurred. Instead, the disparity is reflected different levels of a person’s life and eventually impacts the energy that this person lives in the future. After evaluating the article, it is clear that the white privilege gave the white community an upper hand. This can be seen in the schools they attended, the neighbourhoods they lived in and above all, the employment opportunities presented.
Racial discrimination has affected American society and is behind some of the outcomes presently. Solorzano and Yosso offer solutions to ethnic biases that might reflect on powerful institutions such as academics and even the work environment. Arguably, adopting cultural assimilation is a crucial step towards racial integration, which will uplift society as a whole (p.31). I have seen some friends who have not managed to gain an education or even acquire good employment opportunities because they did not have good educational backgrounds. Cultural assimilation will effectively bury the differences in cultures and races and create only one race. This will thereby develop a society interested only in the welfare of one another and not individual races. From the concepts taught in class and this article, a person understands that race is just the difference in skin colour. However, there is more to a person than the colour of the skin. Such issues should be allowed to pronounce a difference in the skin colour that impacts society’s structures.
Additionally, this article reveals that racism is a sensitive subject between friends and relatives in some cases. Ideally, there are still people among the present community who disapprove of the minority groups as it views their race as being inferior. Therefore, it is the chance for the youths such as myself, who are open-minded, to look at society as a whole and not as a particular race. The present education system has also adopted inclusive strategies to help push for equality between the people. The scholarship programs that have been incorporated into the US education system are effective in that it gives students the chance to compete fairly. The scholarship is awarded based on performance, allowing the students to gain education even if their parents cannot afford to sponsor them. As a citizen of the world, embracing integration is essential since we have seen the challenges and disadvantages of racism. Racism has been presented as the root of all inequalities that eventually grow within the society. Discrimination based on race also affects the justice system, as the law cannot bind white privilege. In the history of racism in the US, the Jim Crow laws were enacted against African Americans. They were secluded from all public amenities. As much as racism may not be deeply engraved within the present society, its wounds still linger within people. Adopting necessary racial means through which peace and equality can be achieved is the most effective way to avoid conflict.
Conclusively, racism is a social construct, as seen in the above article. Ideally, the history of the US with racism illustrates the disadvantages and challenges that society has faced concerning racism. For instance, people of colour have suffered living in poor neighbourhoods, where crime and drug abuse are high. This affects the future of most of the children born in these areas, and they also do not get a good foundation for their education. Poor education results in struggles when it comes to locating suitable employment in the future, and the cycle of poverty circulates from one generation to the next. However, racial integration through cultural assimilation is the most effective way to create a society without inequalities. While a black person will struggle to locate suitable housing that is adequate and favourable, a white person will get an apartment reserved regardless of having one or searching for a house.
Reference
Solórzano, D. G., & Yosso, T. J. (2002). Critical race methodology: Counter-storytelling as an analytical framework for education research. Qualitative inquiry, 8(1), 23-44.
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