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Essay on Defining Racial Discrimination?

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For discrimination to occur both power and prejudice need to come together, forming barriers that oppress a person or group of people deemed inferior. Discrimination can be intentional or unintentional. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines racism, as the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities, and produces an inherent superiority of a particular race. Racial discrimination refers to discriminatory actions based on race or skin color. Racial discrimination can exist on an institutional level; Institutions possess the ability to excluding a particular race from services, job opportunities, and rights.
Before discussing racial discrimination, I want to breakdown both racism and discrimination …show more content…

In the 1800s and early 1900s, companies denied jobs to women based on gender prejudice. In the U.S today, women working the same job as men do not enjoy the same level of pay. For many years, the military discriminated against homosexuals. Enforcing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy forced homosexual military affiliates to hide his/her sexuality in order to prevent discharge. Racial discrimination is a combination of both racism and discrimination. When race is the prejudice behind discriminatory acts, racial discrimination is taking place. A significant part of racial discrimination is stereotyping. Stereotyping involves the belief that all people with a particular characteristic are the same. Though stereotypes are not always negative, people associated with negative stereotypes can face prejudice and discrimination. Some examples of stereotypes include; black people are criminals, blonde-haired women are unintelligent, Asians do not drive well, white people are not skillful dancers, and the list goes on. For some these stereotypes are harmless. However, in places of business negative stereotypes can cause prejudgment that in turn forms barrier when seeking employment or services. I have witnessed racial discrimination due to stereotypes. Growing up anytime my family walked into a beauty supply store, the workers constantly followed us. I cannot say for sure what each worker’s thoughts were, but it is likely the criminal stereotype placed on African

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