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Native American Racism

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Native American racism has long been going on in the United States and is still prevalent to this day. The actions on the part of the people and government of the United States against the Native Americans has had a lasting effect on Native Americans. From the beginnings of the the United States, the U.S. government has pushed Native Americans off of their land to make way for white settlers and manifest destiny. The reservations that Native Americans were pushed onto have some of the lowest living conditions in the country and have high rates of poverty and unemployment. Over a span of just under one hundred years, the U.S. government pushed many Native American children into boarding schools and assimilation programs. These assimilation programs effectively slowed down the passing down of generational customs because the children were forced to adopt the new customs that the government wanted them to adopt. Children’s books commonly have stereotypes against Native Americans that warp young children’s perceptions of that particular group of people. Many sports teams across the country have Native American mascots and team names. These mascots are insensitive and contain offensive stereotypes that hurt people’s perceptions of Native Americans. For some, these are the only examples of Native Americans that they ever see, further damaging their outlook on Native American perspectives. It is important for the citizens of the United States to learn about Native American history
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