Racial Barriers In New York

To start off, both of my parents are white Americans. My father’s great grandparents came to america from czechoslovakia in the late 1800’s and same for my mothers German great grandparents. Born and raised in primarily white small towns, my parents are your stereotypical middle class white americans. About 10 years into their relationship when my mom first got pregnant with my oldest brother Dalton (23), they bought a 3 story house that was right outside of a suburban neighborhood on the outskirts of Anoka, Mn. The nearest gas station was about a 8 minute drive, and the nearest restaurant was 10. They had 3 boys together, and took in my oldest cousin Chey when she was 10 because my aunt had passed.

In recent years and in light of recent tragedies, police actions, specifically police brutality, has come into view of a large, public and rather critical eye. The power to take life rests in the final stage of the criminal justice system. However, the controversy lies where due process does not. While the use of deadly force is defined and limited by departmental policies, it remains an act guided chiefly by the judgment of individual officers in pressure situations. (Goldkamp 1976, 169). Many current studies have emphasized the racial disparities in minority deaths, primarily black Americans, killed by police through means of deadly force. The history of occurrences reveals the forlorn truth that police reforms only receive attention in wake of highly publicized episodes of police misconduct. The notorious 1992 Los Angeles riots brought the matter to mass public attention and prompted improved law enforcement policy. Significant local reforms resulted, for instance, ending the policy of lifetime terms for police chiefs. Additionally, on a broader platform, in 1994, Congress approved provisions to the Crime Control Act in effort to tackle police abuse in a more structured way.

truly concerned me growing up. Raised on the North side of San Antonio, Texas, I was never

Where one grows up affects their lifestyle and character; one’s surroundings shape his or her outlook on the world. Many people always say when growing up in the city one will be used to a diverse, hasty going, and exhilarating life; while growing up in the country one will be used to a deliberate, steadier, and bucolic life. Although moving to Mississippi was a dramatic alteration, I can explicitly acknowledges the menaces–death, robberies, and fights–encountered growing up in the city. Therefore, moving to the south may have been a better alternative involving my physical well-being, regardless of the many emotional struggles. Moving down south to Mississippi from Illinois showed me the struggles of coping with racism and prejudice people,

Equality was once a repulsive concept within America, today it seems to be a foregone conclusion. Indeed, we have made so many strides in the way that we view race that it seems a gross misstep every time that it needs to be addressed. Even our President, an African American who overcame tremendous odds to rise to the highest office does not have the answers to our issues with race, rather he calls on us all to “ask some tough questions about how we can permit so many of our children to languish in poverty, or attend dilapidated schools, or grow up without prospects for a job or for a career.” For most, these questions point to sources outside of themselves, but perhaps there a bit of introspection is the answer. Systematic segregation can

Chicago, the third-most populous city in the United States, has had a busy and diverse image since the start and the city has played a key location throughout American history. Throughout history, Chicago has always to attract people to the city by it’s charming, fascinating and exciting spirit and ___. Chicago has always been home to people from all over the world and different backgrounds. Race, has play a key factor in Chicago and last year CNN reported that Chicago remains among most segregated U.S cities. Chicago’s portrayal in the media has *** changed over time and in the case of race it has gotten worse, with the residential segregation and the increase of crime in the South.

In a country where many believe the hatchet of racism was buried with its first black president, many people of color, both non-black and black are still frustrated and disappointed in the progress to be made. Many progressives prefer to see America as a colorblind nation, a nation where if you work hard and do right, you 'll fulfill the American Dream. Often this dream is accompanied with challenge after challenge for people of color. Of course what first must be asked is if racism is still present in our justice system and in the fabric of our country? What must be understood first is that answers to these complex issues are never black or white, which leaves far too much gray area to be discussed.

The population I will be working with is mostly Hispanic. I have never worked with this population before, however, I am familiar with the population as I have spent some time in East Harlem because of college. Potential cultural barriers I may encounter are language, behavior, and stereotypes. Many of the locals in these neighborhoods speak Spanish whereas I do not. This can cause problems when I have to survey locals and the survey is only in English. They might also prefer taking the survey and sharing personal information with someone of the same race rather than me. Behavior such as body language, eye contact, and personal space can create cultural barriers because they can mean different things for me and the population. For example,

The label of inferiority poses immense challenges on the structure of a society. Branding a group of people as “savages” creates divisions in society that drastically affects how individuals are supposed to interact with these “inferiors.” It makes you think of someone who is uneducated or unsocialized, one who is not granted full rights and privileges. Other words that might have the same the sort of connotation for many in the United States today are “alien,” “immigrant worker,” or “illegal immigrant.” For immigrants who arrive on the shores of America for opportunity, a bleaker outlook has to be realized due to the constant threat of deportation. This creates an environment where immigrants working as “undocumented workers” can be

Racial segregation and tension have existed in the United States of America since the country was first discovered by the Spanish in the 1400s. From the genesis of the colonization of the “new world,” as it was called, the Native American people were treated as an inferior species by the European settlers. Over the course of time, in an act justified by the flawed concept of “Manifest Destiny,” these indigenous people were forcibly removed from their land. Since then, in issues such as the shameful practice of slavery, voting rights, and general segregation, racism has continued to infiltrate the social dynamic of our country. This dilemma still persists today. It is evidenced in scenarios such as the current tension between the African American population and police officers and the general racial profiling that is present in all socioeconomic groups. The question is: How can we as a society accept our differences while at the same time view each other as equals, thus eradicating this mindset of dissention and hostility between the races? What can I do personally to, at the very least, improve the situation in my circle of influence?

Studies show that police are more likely to pull over and frisk blacks or Latinos than whites. In New York City, 80% of the stops made were blacks and Latinos, and 85% of those people were frisked, compared to a mere 8% of white people stopped (11 Facts about Racial Discrimination). America is known as the land of opportunity. Immigrants and people come from far and wide seeking success and achieving their dream in this land. There is a reason for that and throughout history this reason hasn’t changed. America is a melting pot. The most diverse country in the world. We have Asians, African Americans, Chinese, Indians and much more all living together as one. You go into any big business, law firm or

“Americans are constantly bombarded by depictions of race relations in the media, which suggest that discriminatory racial barriers have been dismantled.” (Gallagher). We as a society in America think that everything is over that discrimination is done with. Race is something that is inevitable, but how we decide to perceive it is our choice, we see it as something not important and that race does not matter for a long time. So why are Indians to this day segregated from everyone else in reservations. With separate government still living within the United States, because they were seen as savages and not as humans. And why did the Irish and Japanese work so hard to become Americans. They wanted to look or at least be treated like white people

Whenever one hears of segregation, they tend to write it off as a relic of the past. The Emancipation Proclamation as well as Civil Rights reforms further solidify this idea for many Americans that race relations have finally abated, and blacks and whites are equal. However for most minorities, segregation is still prevalent in everyday society in areas one least expects it. This is the case in New York City. One presumes that New York City - a sanctuary city that is deeply rooted in libertarianism, is deeply intertwined with segregation. Segregation is extremely ingrained subconsciously in the citizens of this city - after all in a city that is as diverse as New York, it seems like an evolutionary instinct for racial groups to band together as it increases survival for the entire pack. Chinatown is reflective of this primal instinct after larger numbers of Chinese immigrants came into New York during the 1800’s (New York Chinatown, 1). Most came in search of work and opportunities, and often worked in textile factories and tobacco rolling. Whites were outraged at Chinese immigrants as they couldn’t compete with their power wages and longer hours, and this animosity grew and climaxed at the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (New York Chinatown, 2). As a result, the Chinese population self-segregated in what is known today as Chinatown, and founded their own businesses that satisfied their everyday needs such as supermarkets, temples, medical buildings, and more. One can walk

Race has been a major line of American society since the colonies century playing a powerful role in the political system throughout United States government. The terminology race has been changed repeatedly throughout history. African American history of racial segregation created a clear view of how most racial minorities have been treated throughout history and views and differences amount racial majority. This paper primarily focus will be the treatment or experience racial minority faced throughout this historical revolution. African American are not the only racial minority who has been treated inequality or racial oppression, Chinese American and Native American but African American illustrates a direct view of racial inequality throughout history which is the reasons why this paper focuses on African American racial inequality.

My stomach dropped, somersaults flipping inside. My heart pace quickened. They didn’t know it was affecting me, but it was. Laughter erupted all around me, enveloping me like a cloud of smoke. Why was it so funny? Were we not all the same? Why was all I could ask. Why?