Essay Sample on Understanding of Race, Ethnicity, And Inequality

Introduction

Racism in the United States started a long time ago during the colonial era, and white Americans were given privileges that others were denied. Some of the privileges granted to the whites included matters regarding voting rights, land acquisition, citizenship, education, and criminal procedures among others. People of color were denied fundamental rights for instance education, and African Americans were primarily used as slaves in European and American farms. Regarding inequalities, people of color especially the Asians living in America were denied equal education rights; they received poor pay and were not considered for a promotion like their white counterparts. The twelve reading materials analyzed below explain various cases and instances where inequality, racism, and ethnic occurred and their repercussions.

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According to the article "The Case for Reparations," the author explains that it was not clear about who deserved to receive the reparations and in what form the victims would be compensated (Coates 54). At that period, there were many questions regarding people of different races. The discussion about race should have been a critical and essential discussion especially involving the forms of compensation that would be given to the blacks living in America. The African Americas had been enslaved for centuries and abuse (Coates 56). However, most Americans are unaware of the contribution of white supremacy and oppression of the blacks in making what America is today. The author argues that no amount of money would pay blacks for the years of slavery and abuse. For instance, one-third of America's income came from slavery, since the blacks were used as cheap labor in cotton farms. Moreover, black people were segregated, denied education and some of their rights like voting (Coates 57). The African Americans were also exempted from protection by the rule of law, and as a result, their property was stolen and the rest destroyed by the white supremacists.

Jones who authored the article "Levels of Racism: a theoretical framework and a gardener's tale" explains the three primary levels of racism. These levels are internalized, institutionalized, and internally mediated. Jones' main agenda is to explain the association between health outcomes and race (Jones 1212). The author uses the gardener's tale to illustrate the levels of racism where a couple purchased two empty flower boxes. One box was filled with potting soil, and nothing was done to the other one. The seeds planted on the box with new potting soil grew and flourished while the seeds on the other box did not reach a certain point and most of the sprouts died. The gardener symbolizes the government since it is the institution that has power. Therefore, the United States government must act accordingly to ensure that all racial and ethnic disparities are eliminated in the effort to ensure equity in health outcomes (Jones 1212).

The internalized racism in the gardener's story is observed during pollination where the pink flowers demand red pollen from the bee since the former believe that red is better. However, the pink flowers can also be told of their beauty, but the best solution is to convince the gardener to avoid plucking the pink flowers before they reproduce. Lastly, the institutionalized racism is illustrated the gardener uses different types of soils to germinate the seeds. The gardener has an initial preference on the red flower over the pink one, and the same case applies to racial discrimination.

The article "Discrimination in America" is about a survey that was carried out where different people were asked to give their experiences regarding discrimination while living in America. According to the study, many Asian Americans had experienced institutional discrimination when applying for jobs or on matters involving equal pay and consideration for promotion. About 32% of Asians said they had suffered personal discrimination whereby people made insensitive comments about them based on their color. Others experience harassment, sexual assault, and other forms of violence. Moreover, about 28% of Asians believe that there are fewer employment opportunities and meager pay as compared to their white counterparts. The findings from the report indicate that Asian Americans report many cases of racial discrimination in different aspects of their lives. However, despite the complaints from Asians regarding racial discrimination in America, many people believe that Asians have equal employment, education opportunities, and pay like the rest of the Americans.

Lara in her article "Bruja positionalities: Toward a Chicana/Latina spiritual activism" explains how Mexican and Latino's women are perceived to be witches based on their gender (Lara 10). Other groups who were alleged to having magical powers included Indian, African, and other racially-mixed women. The article focuses on a woman named la Bruja who knows spiritual, healing and sexual matters. The brujas are discriminated against and oppressed due to the knowledge they possess. According to the article, women of color are automatically suspected of using magic (Lara 15). In the past, if any bruja were identified, they would receive punishment through being burned, hanging, and other torturous methods. Many women were publicly humiliated while others got exiled from their communities upon being found practicing spiritual and sexual agency.

Chapter seven of the "Institution Inequalities" describes the concept of the achievement gap by race and ethnicity (Fitzgerald 1). Although many Americans of different colors are increasingly attaining a Bachelor's degree, there is a significant variation by race. For instance, Asian Americans have the greatest number of graduates among people of color living in America. There are various court cases of school desegregation. For example, in 1954, there was a case involving Brown vs. Board of Education and the court ruled that separate schools for the whites and those for people of color should be inherently unequal. Laws such as "separate but equal" were also formed. The issue that fascinated me the most was the law of Plessy vs. Fergusson that declared "separate but equal." The law mentioned above required the blacks and white to have separate institutions but with equal rights (Fitzgerald 16). The notes conclude by explaining that children of color were discriminated against in public schools. The achievement gaps among the students were due to the ongoing inequalities in schools.

Chapter eight explains about economic inequality by describing the wage and racial wealth gap. The notes also explain various instances where economic differences occurred and the role of the government in the creation of racial wealth disparities. Whites and Asian Americans who have the highest average incomes are situated in the executive and managerial positions as compared to blacks and Hispanics (Fitzgerald 3). The situation explained above lead to significant racial wage gaps. On the other hand, the racial wealth gap is the disparities between the average household wealth of the Americans and that of the blacks. What surprised me the most is that up to date, people of color do not benefit equally from government policies.

Chapter eleven explains contemporary issues in ethnicity. Although ethnicity is still practiced in the United States, some sectors have adopted racial integration. Racial integration refers to the leveling of barriers to association and creating equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their race (Fitzgerald 10). People opt to have a culture with diverse traditions where the minority are incorporated into the majority culture. One of the fascinating concepts that I grasped from the reading is that in the sports and military arenas, racial integration has been fully achieved. There is also an increase in multiracial relationships and families as a result of fewer formal obstacles.

The twelfth chapter explains the racialization of immigrants and the intensity of hate crimes in the United States. The section also discusses social stratification where people are ranked based on factors like race, education, and power among others (Fitzgerald 24). The triracial order in the USA begins with the whites, then the honorary whites, and lastly the non-white who are the black people. The chapter also explains about immigrants and the challenges they face. One of the issues that impressed me the most is that even with racial discrimination in the United States, the people still elected a black president, Barack Obama. America could now be a post-racial society.

The film "Our Spirits Don't Speak English" is a documentary film that depicts the American boarding schools that youth attended during the 19th and 20th centuries. As described in the film, the education system was designed to interfere with and destroy the Indian culture and their unity as a tribe too. The history of the American Indian Boarding School is devastating, but it leaves the viewer with a hope for the future. The film also addresses the cultural assimilation of children into the European American's culture.

The documentary on "The New Jim Crow" is about the mass incarceration of people that occurred in the 80s and 90s. In her book, Michelle Alexander explains that the gains of the civil rights movement have been undermined by the mass incarceration that happened on the black Americans. Many black people were arrested for petty crimes and the sale and possession of drugs. According to the author, many blacks are trapped by the criminal Justice system which referred to them as felons, and as a result, these people were denied their fundamental rights. Today, there are more black American prisoners in the U.S. than any other race.

The video "Racial Stereotypes in the Media" explains how there were offensive racial stereotypes during the 20th century. However, the effect of these stereotypes is seen today since there are many disparities regarding the narration of stories involving the whites and people of color. In conclusion, the video analyses the relationship between the media and race in political and economic perspectives and the impact the media has on different audiences.

The documentary "In the Shadows" is a story of a Mexica who immigrates to the United States to find work and take care of his family in Mexico. The primary goal of the film is to examine the current immigration issues in the United States. However, the police Jairo's cousin and his family are at risk of being deported. In the film, various people are seen wanting to immigrate to America and those that help them.

Works Cited

Fitzgerald, D. "Contemporary Issues in Race and Ethnicity". Westview press: 1-21

Fitzgerald, D. "Economic Inequalities and the Role of the State". Westview press :1-26

Jones, Camara Phyllis. "Levels of racism: a theoretic framework and a gardener's tale." American journal of public health 90.8 (2000): 1212.

Lara, Irene. "Bruja positionalities: Toward a Chicana/Latina spiritual activism." Chicana/Latina Studies (2005): 10-45.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "Discrimination in America: Experiences and Views of Asian Americans." Harvard T.H CHAN CHAN School of Public Health. (2017): 1-28

"Michelle Alexander, Author of "The New Jim Crow" - 2013 George E. Kent Lecture." YouTube, 15 Mar. 2013, youtu.be/Gln1JwDUI64.

In the Shadows -Undocumented Immigration in America (2013)

Racial Stereotypes in the Media (2008) Full Video (42:06)

Our Spirits Don't Speak English -Indian Boarding School (2008)

Coates, Ta-Nehisi. "The case for reparations." The Atlantic313.5 (2014): 54-71.

Fitzgerald, D. "A Post racial Society?". Westview press: 1-34

Fitzgerald, D. "Institutional Inequalities". Westview press: 1-27