Racial Profiling And The United States

Racial profiling emerges as a standout amongst the most dubious issues in the United States of America as well as different parts of the world all the more so in the created nations. Basically, it includes the utilization of the ethnicity, race or nationality of a person as the fundamental variable of law authorization methodology, for example, arbitrary checks, capture and so forth. In the United States of America, racial profiling is generally considered by numerous individuals as an apparatus of executing racial segregation especially towards individuals who are drawn from ethnic minorities.

Racial profiling impacts the lives of African Americans, Asians, Latinos, South Asians, and the Arab communities (Persistence of racial and ethnic profiling in the United States: a follow-up report to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 12). Profiling based on race stems from racism, and has lastingly marked and structured the society of the United States (10). In some aspects, it is considered a violation of human rights; therefore, acts then started to develop (12). For example, the United States introduced the Subsequent End of Racial Profiling Acts to Congress in 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2009, but they

According to the 11 Facts about Racial Discrimination, “The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics concluded that an African American male born in 2001 has a 32% chance of going to jail in his lifetime, while a Latino male has a 17% chance, and a white male only has a 6% chance” (11 Facts about Racial Discrimination 1). Racial profiling, or discriminating against a whole group of people based on their race, is an unjust act and a big problem in our society today. Arresting people because of how they look like, or what they believe in is absurd. According to ACLU, “Racial Profiling refers to the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual 's race, ethnicity, religion or national origin” (ACLU 1). Although law enforcement assumes they are doing their job, they need to remain objective and fair in all situations, because they are violating rights, lacking protection and risking lives.

One of the most imminent threats looming within American society is race relations. America is a melting pot of different races, cultures, and religions, yet the matter of racial profiling still remains prominent today. By definition it is considered “an activity carried out by enforcers of the law wherein they investigate or stop any individual in traffic or round up people of the same race or ethnicity for crime suspicion” (NYLN.org ). This profiling has become a significant catalyst in the tension that has been ensuing between minorities and the government. Hostility has grown due to the apparent and intentional targeting of “brown people”, and

Racial profiling has become one of the most problematic practices in police departments. According to Bier, there are more than 900,000 officers in the U.S. In this country alone, there have been numerous incidents where people have been arrested and detained because of their ethnicity. A satisfactory example is an incident that happened right after

This paper outlines the studies, incidents, facts and statistics that have found evidence of racial profiling which causes distrust in the law enforcements (police, government etc0. Studies of racial profiling shows that blacks, Hispanics, Middle Eastern and other racial minorities are more likely to be stopped than those who are white. They are more likely to be stopped and searches, traffic stops, license and registration checks. In addition they are more likely to be ticketed or arrested after being stopped and search. Some scholars and studies believes that minorities being that are frequently stopped and searched has nothing to do with them being racially profiled. According to Roh and Robinson,” studies raise the possibility that minorities may be more involved in criminality (Gaines, 2006), some drug crimes (Lichtenberg, 2006), and speeding offenses (Lange, Johnson, & Voas, 2005), thereby justifying higher stop and arrest rates by police of some groups.” (Roh, S., & Robinson, M.)

Ever since the late 1970 's profiling was associated with a method of interdicting drug traffickers (Data Collection Resource Center, n.d., para 3). The profiling provided not only a quick way to see evidence of concealment in the vehicle, but included age and race characteristics of possible drivers (Data Collection Resource Center, n.d., para 3). The controversy is over whether or not there are a disproportionate number of blacks and Hispanics involved with law enforcement that reflects police racism or is it merely the outcome of disproportionate minority crime (MacDonald, 2003, pg. 9). MacDonald (2003, p. 9) reported the high rates of minority stops and arrests do not accurately reveal racism was the cause. In the past our society has labeled this problem as being prejudice or a racist, but now there is a new term. "Minorities refer to it as DWB, driving while black. Politicians call it racial profiling." (Sweeney, n.d.).

Clearly identifying and acknowledging the existence of racial profiling is critical to understand its value or lack thereof in society. Racial profiling is not a new practice or term, the origins of racial profiling can be traced back to the days of slavery in America. African-American slaves were viewed as subservient and therefore inferior to whites. This view of African-Americans came with stereotypes such as laziness, ill-mannered, uncontrollable and predisposed to crime and violence. In 1693, Philadelphia courts enacted laws which allowed constables to stop and detain any “negro” seen walking around without their master (Maclin, 1998). The historical context of laws such as those passed in Philadelphia and elsewhere in the United States have a clear nexus to the subject of racial profiling.

Through research it is believed that the practice of racial profiling began around the 1970s by law enforcement. This was a time at which drug trafficking was impacting the entire world. Law enforcement would do what they could in order to capture these criminals. Profiling is used in policing and has been proven to be a very impacted strategy. There is fine line between profiling and racially profiling which leans more towards stereotyping as well. A profile is essentially a collection of facts that have

The topic of racial profiling is very prominent in our American society. I witness accounts of it every day, whether it is while going through an airport, reading about crime, and it’s heavily influenced within the world of politics. Racial profiling is a way for law enforcement to target certain individuals that are suspected of committing a crime. This involves race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, etc. The act of racial profiling allows law enforcement to alienate certain communities, which, in turn creates racial divides and demonstrates a “militarization” of the police. Not only that, racial profiling is heavily influenced within American society through politics and the use of media.

Racial Profiling is just what it is. Targeting individuals for suspicion of a violation determined by the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin. Race and location are the supreme characteristics law enforcement visually examine when engaging in this type of profiling. African-American males are the primary victims of racial profiling in the United States. The phrase “driving while black” derive from African Americans protesting that they are pulled over by police officers for no reason other than the color of their skin. But racial profiling isn 't only about African-Americans, racial profiling deals with other ethnicity groups likewise. Police departments across the country too often use extortionate force, injuring people suspected of misconduct and sometimes killing them. Stop and frisk is the practice by which a police officer initiates a cessation of an individual on the street allegedly based on plausible suspicion of malefactor activity. Statistically, police have been more liable to perform stop and frisks in neighborhoods that are home to sizably voluminous numbers of African American and Hispanics. Racial profiling by the police is becoming progressively controversial. We know little about the extent of the problem and even less about public perceptions of profiling.

People love to categorize everything in the world. From organizing socks to classifying species. Therefore, racial profiling exists. Racial profiling is a growing problem in the United States of America. Minorities are being discriminated and put into racial categories by society. In addition, people of color are being looked down upon by privileged whites. Furthermore, whites are discriminating a diverse society by stereotyping and being racist to different cultures that makes the United States of America the freest country in the world. For example, in the article Jim Crow Policing by Bob Herbert it states, “These encounters with the police are degrading and often frightening, and the real number of people harassed is undoubtedly higher than

African-Americans are the primary race being treated poorly. Throughout history, African Americans have gone through many hardships with being slaves and although slavery was abolished African Americans were still not granted their full freedom and they continued to be segregated from other races. African Americans hold many negative stereotypes most of which are not true. Due to these negative stereotypes, African Americans are most likely to be targeted by police and many other people for committing crimes. This is called racial profiling, and it is an issue going on around us.

The purpose of the paper is to identify, how racial profiling is not a legitimate tool for law enforcement agencies. The definition of the racial profiling is the consideration of race, ethnicity, or national origin by an officer of the law in deciding when and how to intervene in an enforcement capacity (Racial Profiling, 2008). The practice of racial profiling is illegal. Racial profiling violates the fourth and fourteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The fourth amendment indicates [it goes against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched,

Racial profiling of course has been an issue across the world since the human existence. There are reasons for seeing prejudice acts in some police actions. For example it is hardwired in the human brain to express the scapegoat theory. According to Scapegoat Theory from Changingminds.org: “It is natural for some people to use a group of people to unleash internal anger. This can contribute to unfair arrests among certain races.” There is also the effect of hindsight bias. As described in Hindsight Bias in Psychology by Study.com ‘it is