Ethnicity And Racial Discrimination

As children grow up, they become the person they turn out to be because of experiences and the culture and society they grew up in. Nations are affected in the same sense because the people living in a nation affect how the nation is influenced and builds its character.

I would like to focus my response to the reading in Gabbidon & Greene, Chapter 1, generally around the idea of social construction. Furthermore, I would like to specially provide responses to discussion questions number one and two as posed in the conclusion of chapter one. Discussion question number one asks to “Explain the origin of race and its implications for race and crime.” Discussion question number two asks “Do you believe there are distinct races?” I will also provide perspective on issues surrounding the term “minorities”.

We have issues: more specifically , the United States has issues, continuous and all-encompassing issues of racial inequality.The United States is experiencing a outburst of racism, as can be seen from the 2014 killings of two unarmed African-American men, to the brutality of white supremacy in Charleston and the string of arsons in black churches across the South. Of course, it’s nothing new for a nation with a long history of extreme racist violence—the most recent lynching-related death occurred in 1981, hardly a lifetime ago, when Michael Donald was hanged by two members of the Ku Klux Klan.The United States, however, continues to avoid its history on race, refusing to confront its past in a “post-racial,” “colorblind” society, and that policy of systemic ignorance is particularly strong when mention of racial equality is brought up. Although the concept of equality has never truly existed in this world, as can be traced back to the very beginnings of recorded history we see the nobles ruling the commoners, conquerors reigning over the conquered, the will of man dominating women; the United States needs to acknowledge the fact that racial inequality still exists within our country and has in no way progressed towards betterment.

Race and ethnicity are two terms which are crucial in understanding a person’s familial and personal identity. These terms are misunderstood by most Americans, and many do not know the difference. There have been major societal implications to the changing populations of groups of race and ethnicity in the US. Minority groups and immigrants have struggled with discrimination, poverty and other issues partly due to historical impacts such as slavery and segregation. Economical and political oppression has had a strong effect on the structure of Black families in the US, leading many families to an “extended household” structure. Latino families tend to exhibit familism, which may have slowed their integration into American life, but may have also helped their growth in the US.

Very few of us are aware of the difference between race and ethnicity. Many of us assumed that is the same definition. In Sociology this terms have a very specific and different meaning.

The demographic census of 2014 estimates show that Washington’s population comprises 49.0% African American or Black, 43.6% of White alone, 0.6% of American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 4.0% Asian alone, 0.2 Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone, 2.6% of two or more races (did not include the actual racial composition) Hispanic or Latino 10.4%, White alone, not Hispanic or Latino 35.8% (Stats, Oct-2015). Washington, D.C. remains one of the places where people look through the racial lens (Hurt, 2011).

For long there has been a notion that the minority groups are usually poor and have a low living standard as well as contribute less to the economy of the USA. However, there is a group that is fast growing and is surmounting odds in overturning this notion. They are striving hard to attain the highest possible academic and economic levels in order to match the majority white population. Indeed they are surpassing a significant number of the white population; the Asian Americans.

Multicultural discrimination is a set of unique experience of racial discrimination and prejudice due to having a mixed racial background. Viewed as a risk factor (Giamo, Schmitt, & Outten,2012), multiracial discrimination can include a wide range of stressful experiences from denial or rejection of their multiracial identity from strangers and family members (Shih & Sanchez,2005) to being teased or pressured to act or choose one of their racial backgrounds (Buckley & Carter, 2004). Qualitative studies illustrate how these unique racial stressors can often lead to feelings of hurt, anger, guilt, and shame (Buckley & Carter, 2004; son, 2012; Miville et al., 2005). Besides that, other impact of discrimination on individuals of multicultural backgrounds include experiencing unique forms of discrimination, being marginalized, claiming different identities, and feeling accepted and affirmed in multiple racial and cultural communities (de Anda & Riddel, 1991; Guevarra, 2012; Jackson, 2009, 2012; Miville, Constantine, Baysden, & So-Lloyd, 2005).

The term race describes groups of people having differences and similarities in biological traits that the society deems socially significant. For example, while similarities and differences in eye color have not been treated as socially significant, similarities and differences in skin color have been considered socially significant. Simply, race can be represented as a constituent of people who think and believe that their group is superior to other groups. More specifically, therefore, race entails a group of people possessing similar but distinct physical characteristics such as hair type and skin color. As such race constitutes a human population that is different and distinct from any other human groups based on their physical differences, whether they are imagined or not.

The term Race refers to a person’s physical, biological traits that lead to different treatment by others in the society. In modern world race is defined more by the identification of people on the basis of their physical characteristics, it is socially constructed. Race refers to a group that is "socially" defined but on the basis of "physical" criteria. Over the period of time, the concept of race has changed in many different forms and is now less about person’s family or cultural ties but more based on how they look. An example of race is brown, white, or black skin.

Race, nationality, and ethnicity are several of the most written about subjects in sociology. Sociologist discusses the basis on a person and the unity that they feel with others from the same or different origin. Sociologists like to study those ties as well as the negative effects.

Race and ethnicity are commonly used as synonyms for each other as we encounter many diverse individuals throughout the world. Sociologist on the other hand, find very distinct understandings to how these terms, while different, hold correlation to one another. Max Weber, a founding figure of sociology, was one of the first to define race and ethnicity. He stood with the idea of essentialism which presumes "that and individual 's identity depends on fundamental and innate characteristics that are deep-seated, inherited, and unchangeable." (Pearson, pg 241) As for ethnicity, Weber described it as subjective belief in relations to a groups common descent. While sociologist today may disagree with Weber 's theory, they do apply this idea of subjectivity and have correlated it to that of not only group definitions but of our own perceptions of biological similarity.

One of the major facts is discrimination towards ethnic minority groups. Immigrants’ desire to access health care services solely depends on how they are treated by the front line health care staff at hospital settings as well as if they have available, professional interpreters when they enter the facility. (C. Hong, Personal interview, June 30, 2015). De Maio and Kemp in 2010 identified that immigrants who faced discrimination reported to have worsened mental health impacts. Thirty percent of participants in this study stated that they “experience discrimination or unfair treatment because of their ethnicity, culture, race or skin color, language or accent, or religion” (De Maio and Kemp, 2010). Another mechanism that co-relates with discrimination

In my opinion, race and ethnicity issues create controversy because in the United States there has been a long history of this country having racial inequality problems. Many activists fight every day to try to work on bringing some balance of power between this country’s many different racial and ethnic groups. However, during the struggle, the question becomes, how do you please everyone? Some minorities argue that giving preference through programs such as affirmative action helps to make up for historical inequities, but on the other hand, majority groups feel that preferential treatment programs are unfair and are essentially used as means to reverse discrimination. Some races want apologies, financial compensation, statements from the

Discrimination will be the main focus on the research for this paper. The two types of discrimination which I will be focusing on is race, and gender. Gender discrimination is very high in the workforce. I will be primarily focusing on gender discrimination against women in the workforce. Women had to fight for the right to vote. Although they have the right to work they have many hardships in the workforce. Gender discrimination happens in various different occasions, and is developed through a child 's parents. Usually when children are biased and make racist remarks, it was developed from things that their parents have taught them. Any type discrimination starts at home usually. Stereotypes and other beliefs can be learned at school, which would be called institutional racism. These are two types of discrimination which I have experienced a lot throughout my life. I support the research which I have done. I support it because I can agree on many different examples, which I have personally experienced myself.