A Class Divided Analysis

Nazi-dominated Europe and the American South were societies dripping with racism. Both had laws for the sole purpose of discriminating against and segregating certain groups of people. In Germany and the countries it controlled, there were the Nuremburg laws, which revoked Jews’ citizenship, prohibited them from marrying ethnic Germans, banned them from owning valuables, required them to wear yellow Stars of David, and forced them to move into ghettos with atrocious living conditions (Sources 1 and 2). In the American South, states implemented “Jim Crow” laws that banned interracial marriage or cohabitation between whites and blacks and segregated public areas such as schools, stores, and buses. Though on paper the segregated areas were “separate but equal”, in practice they were anything but equal (Jim Crow handout, class discussions). These laws had dramatically detrimental effects on the wellbeing of

This idea was rejected, which led to multiple acts of vandalism and terrorizing of black communities by angry white people. African Americans were either being killed or forced into unpaid labor systems. Living in a southern state became

The behavioral norms in the southern United States ultimately created the class divide by race as seen in A Lesson Before Dying, but these norms were established in such a way that could be hidden. The idea of “separate but equal” jaded an entire generation; people both black and white were conditioned to simply accept that the two races must exist separately. This caused the development of separate schools, separate restaurants, separate churches, and separate treatment through law.

There was a time when America was segregated; Caucasians and African Americans were forced to attend different restrooms, restaurants, and water fountains. However, the era of segregation has been terminated; now America embraces and appreciates the various cultures and ethnicities that create this melting pot several people call home. Likewise, it is this melting pot, or mosaic, of races that multitudes of individuals have identified themselves with. Thus, race and ethnicity does matter for it portrays vital and crucial roles in the contemporary American society. Furthermore, ethnicity and race brings communities together in unity, determines which traditions and ideals individuals may choose to value, and imposes an impediment for it categorizes humans unjustly.

In the late 1800’s, a series of racial policies went into effect known as the Jim Crow Laws. These laws enforced separate but equal treatment among African Americans and Whites. Established by the use of separate facilities such as, schools, hotels, restaurants, restrooms and transportation, many of us know and understand Jim Crow Laws by one word, “Segregation”. Jim Crow Laws were upheld by the government during the Plessy vs. Ferguson case and were cemented through acts of terror by the people who opposed. Although slavery had been abolished, African Americans were still stripped of their civil rights, which is intended to protect citizens from discrimination by the government and people.

Whenever I first start a new class I look through the syllabus and pages of the book for the class to get an overall idea what will be the main emphasis/class. In SOCI 2001, it was a lot of what I expected yet the information about was more intense in regards to the history of how racial discrimination got started all over the world. Seeing that other nations were as bad to their own people as they were to immigrants astounded me. To read how countries cast their own people away like they meant nothing was a real eye opener.

Racial discrimination dominated over social classes creating an unfair way to divide people. "In all areas of life, Americans were persuaded that the major races - black, Indian, Asian, and white - could not and should not live or work together and certainly not as equals." (Smedley 221) All other races were homogenized, regardless of education, skills, language, religion, income, or place of origin, into one simple category. Class separation was temporary and situational, as so many Americans were quick to uncover. White Americans believed that anyone who succeeded in business, politics, entertainment, or their professions automatically improved their class status and eliminated the barriers to upper class institutions. Class barriers can be surpassed; race barriers can not.

The rudimentary components of racial isolation are principals that have transcended over time. The guiding principle, mandated through Jim Crow, of “separate but equal” was only personified through the New Deal not abolished. Racial segregation in the U.S. has transcended through the history of a nation that has used race/ color as a means of distinguishing right from wrong, good from bad, holy from evil, and it’s in this association the mammoth race issues we battle today enfolds itself. Most view racial division in the U.S. as a social canon that’s always held a dark presence in U.S. culture from the beginning of American history. Conversely, racial tension in America was introduced then further woven into American fabric through methodical structure as a means of standardization. Racism was institutionalized with systems that were originally perceived as being set in place to leverage African American’s with economic stability, but had an inverse effect that continues to rip through Detroit today.

To be considered an American one must belong into American white capitalistic patriarch. Adherence to this group is controlled and stimulated by discrimination and oppression of “Others”. The idea that there is a hierarchical disproportion between the different human races is false and it only serves to glorify one’s own race as superior for the purpose of domination. America is multicultural and multiracial and that is the beauty and the reason for individual and collective achievements. America as a society is diversified and it should be progressive and tolerant in order to achieve social justice. This should be cultivated through education and promotion of cultural, racial, gender and religious diversification. There must be positive indoctrination

My pre-adolescent years were spent in a community thick with diversity. My friendships were as diverse as the environment in which I lived. It never struck me that racial and ethnic ideals separated people in society. However, upon moving to a predominately white upper-class community I began to question such racial and ethnic ideas. From my adolescent years through today I began noticing that certain people are viewed differently for reasons relating to race and ethnicity. As a result, the most recent community I grew up in has kept me sheltered from aspects of society. As a product of a community where majorities existed, I found myself unexposed to the full understanding of race and ethnicity. Prior to the class I had never fully dealt with issues of race or ethnicity, as a result I wondered why they would be of any importance in my life.

Racial discrimination was a main factor that led to segregation. Whites racially discriminated against other races due to the fact that whites thought other races were less superior than them. In the late 1860s, a white supremacist group called the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) victimize different races leaders and citizens in the South until 1871. In 1871, the U.S Congress passed a law that the Klan leaders and group members would be arrested for their terrorism to American citizens for a time (Khan Academy). For a period of time, this group of supremacist people tormented different races for their public actions. Due to the Klan actions of threatening different races, Congress decided that they should pass a law that Klan leaders or

After the Civil War, most Southern and Border States deprived the basic rights of African Americans. Jim Crow was a fictitious character created by a white entertainer to ridicule African Americans. The laws were made in an attempt to keep African Americans away from whites after slavery ended (“Examples of Jim Crow”). The Jim Crow laws affected education, health care, and social events. “From Delaware to California, and from North Dakota to Texas, many states (and cities, too) could impose legal punishments on people for consorting with members of another race” (“Jim Crow Laws”). These punishments could be brutal or sometimes fatal.

Throughout American history, relationships between racial and ethnic groups have been marked by antagonism, inequality, and violence. In today’s complex and fast-paced society, historians, social theorists and anthropologists have been known to devote significant amounts of time examining and interrogating not only the interior climate of the institutions that shape human behavior and personalities, but also relations between race and culture. It is difficult to tolerate the notion; America has won its victory over racism. Even though many maintain America is a “color blind nation,” racism and racial conflict remain to be prevalent in the social fabric of American institutions. As a result, one may question if issues and challenges

It appears to be that the discussion of race and class in America has become amplified, especially in the last couple of years. For many, it is a touchy subject that hits close to home. With the presence of social media and news that feeds off of racial tension in America, the issues are polarizing and difficult to productively discuss. America’s handling of race and class relations is generally not something to be proud of, and there exists a long history of issues with race. It is clear that there is a lack of understanding and empathy of what others experience toward those who are oppressed. So often it is too easy to dismiss another human’s experiences as reality if one has had no prior encounter with the same challenges. Race is easy to sweep under the rug, but we must address the problem, and it is not a one size fits all solution. It is a problem that has been years in the making and continues to have an enormous impact on our human capital from an economic standpoint. And most of the time, there is a correlation between race and class.