The Role Of Racial Discrimination And Xenophobia In The United States

There are approximately 7 billion people in this world. Each person has a unique combination of traits such as skin tone, face shape, body type, eye color, hair color, and other characteristics. These traits vary due to genetics, environmental factors, and much more. An individual 's race is defined by their physical characteristics and how they differ among others. Race is not defined by the way an individual behaves or portrays themselfes; it is based strictly off of their physical traits. Since America was founded, race has played a significant role in the relations of the citizens in this country. For decades, different races have been stereotyped and been prejudice towards one another, without realizing how invalid their judgements are. Specifically, African Americans have been discriminated by caucasians in America since it’s founding. It began by the enslaving of African Americans, and today, the discrimination and inequality is more hidden in society. Although America has made significant progress in overcoming racial inequality in the country, many African Americans are still being subject to hardships that Caucasian Americans do not face, especially in regards to the justice system.

Discrimination against race, gender, religion, or other social characteristics is occurring in all parts of the United States almost every day. Unfortunately, the U.S. has a history of extreme case of discrimination, which has evoked controversy and in worse cases, violence. To discourage any more of adverse discernment towards certain individuals, the Federal government has imposed legislation called affirmative action. According to At Issue: Affirmative Action, “Affirmative action is designed to promote access to opportunities in education, employment, housing, and government contracts among certain designated groups, such as women and minorities“ (At Issue). This law is necessary in today’s society in order to maintain equality and

The United States has a longstanding history of racism and discriminatory policy, stemming from the colonial era. Generally, those who weren’t considered true White Americans faced blatant ethnicity-based discrimination and adversity in matters of education, human rights, immigration, land ownership, and politics. Specific racial institutions, characteristic of the 17th to 20th centuries, included slavery, wars against the Native Americans, exclusion from civil life, and segregation. It wasn’t until the mid-20th century that formal racial discrimination was banned, and majority attitudes began to see racism as socially unacceptable. However, our relatively recent racialized history has left an unfortunate impact on present society. The legacy of historical racism still continues to be echoed through socioeconomic inequality, and racial politics still remain a major phenomenon. Many argue that our government systems have shifted from means of overt racism to more symbolic, covert racism, and that this is reflected in our societal institutions, such as employment, housing, education, economics, and government.

Generally speaking, discrimination is rooted in within the “cultural fabric of the United States” along the lines of “housing, employment, health, and the criminal justice system” (Camara & Orbe, 2011). Hecht (1998) describes the term, “discrimination involves the power and capacity to act followed by actual selective/targeted action against someone else emanating from one’s

The Oxford English Dictionary describes racism as “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a group or individual of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior”. It is significant when concerning oneself with the discussion of racism that a clear and concise distinction is made between the two different types of racism. Firstly there is individual racism. It is defined by overt acts carried out by an individual which can, in extreme cases; result in the death of the victim immediately. However it can also cause destruction of property, assaults, and verbal abuse and

From evidence based practice, it has been proven that racism and discrimination is evident in our society. As defined by Webster’s Dictionary, “racism is the poor treatment or violence against people because of their race; and discrimination is the unfairly treatment of a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people” (Merriam Webster, 2015). When immigrants settle into America, they are pursuing happiness, sovereignty and a new beginning. However, for countless immigrants, this idea becomes merely an illusion. The battle to gain acceptance from the America population is a struggle. While seeking economic opportunity and independence, it is more often that immigrants experience discrimination. However, the purpose of this essay a to provide readers with evidence based practice regarding discrimination against American immigrants. Found below is an article that both proves its thesis, and provide a data analysis.

Historically, America has been a nation that participates in discriminatory practices based on perceived race. European Americans have always considered themselves as a privilege group, therefore excluded from the discriminatory practice against other minorities. Mexicans, Filipinos, Blacks (African Americans) and Native Americans, were excluded from first class citizenship, and were and still are in some cases America’s victims of separatism. Americans of European descent fought to keep their status quo though eugenics, racial discrimination and unfair laws and practices. Therefore, many obstacles were put in place to disenfranchised minorities through strategically bigoted activities and politically orchestrated legislation. Some of these things included inequality in economics, living conditions, immigration repression, and demeaning treatment supported by white European Americans. All of these practices simply because of external features, or known background regardless of personal appearance.

Racial discrimination “is a term used to describe unfair behavior afflicted on individuals based on their race” (LegalCyberTips, 2007, Para 1). The concept of racism has existed for decades. The act of one race attempting to exert supremacy over others has often resulted in racial discrimination (LegalCyberTips, 2007). Racial discrimination is a constant reality in the lives of Hispanic Americans in the United States. Due to alarming migration rates over the past several decades, the United States has experienced significant growth in ethnic and racial diversity. However, racial minority groups like the Hispanics; “the largest and fastest growing population in the United States, continue to struggle for full acceptance and equal

The most obvious and visible issue in America is the issue of race. It has been a problem since the foundation of this nation, and though legally, great advances have been made in equality since the days when one man was allowed to own another, it is still a problem today. Barbara Perry, a Sociology professor and renowned author on the subject of hate crimes, states “It is a favorite myth that the United States is a fully integrated society – that it has welcomed and included all comers… Segregation in myriad forms continues to shape the everyday lived experiences of people of color in the United States. ” (Perry, 401) From a legal

Racial relations has taken a huge part of throughout the United States’ history from the Mayflower pilgrims and the Native Americans to now with immigration policies from prospective candidate Donald Trump for the the 2016 election. It is understandable that this statement is true due to the fact that most of this country’s citizens(illegal or not) come from an immigrant descent. Racial differences often get started due to ignorance about the opposing race.Another factor to racial difference is fear, As an immigrant myself, I have a vast amount of experience with race relations in my country of origin and in the United States. A myth about racism states that Caucasians are the only racists race.This statement itself is discriminating

Since the start of American history, immigrants came here and brought their traditions and cultures with them. The United States is a country of immigrants. It is a place where people from all over the world come to build a better life. Some immigrants bring their families. Others come alone with nothing but determination. Racial discrimination against minorities and immigrants is an underlying problem here in America today. Racism is seen in our daily lives when people are discriminated against because of their race and ethnicity. Racism attacks the right to a person’s well-being on the basis of something they have no control over. They cannot change nor should want to change who they are. Racial discrimination is not as bad as it was fifty years ago, but it still a problem here in our country today. Our country has advanced tremendously as far as modernization and technology, but has not improved on the way we treat minorities and immigrants. From African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Arabs there is a form of discrimination against these group of minorities.

Modern day America is a nation built upon immigrants and the intermingling of cultures and people. Yet, throughout its history, America repeats a pattern of ignoring victims of war, especially those in the path of conflict. A specific example being during World War II. While the war waged on, it left countless displaced persons in its wake, many being Jewish refugees. However, the Allied powers focused on winning the war, and did little to help these people. A more recent example is the War on Terror. Less than a month after the September 11th terror attacks, the United States began its war against terrorism. Throughout this war, American citizens have become wary and distrusting of Muslims. This dismissal of both Jewish and Muslim refugees shows the fact that history is repeating itself, with America entering a war and leaving refugees behind. Ignoring refugees, despite America's foundations in immigration, is due to American xenophobia. American citizens are comfortable with what is familiar, so when faced with foreign concepts or people, they tend to turn their backs on them, or even begin to feel malice towards them. American xenophobia leads to fearful and malicious views towards foreign refugees, is the main force behind strict immigration policies, and stems from a lack of education among Americans. These two concepts: xenophobia and exceptionalism, when coupled together, lead to devastating consequences for the displaced persons and countries America leaves in its

In contemporary society, many American citizens usually avoid discussing topics related to the racial discrimination. However, the point is that the American perception of

With the crisis going on in the occupied Palestine, people are escaping to the United States. American is scattered with people who think that people who escape theses harsh conditions are coming here to spread violence. As a result of increasing xenophobia and ignorance towards the Arab immigrants and refugees, people should research about the Palestinian/ Israeli Conflict to gain awareness.

Let’s start with the definition of racism. Racism refers to the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities, that a certain race is inherently superior or inferior to others, and/or that individuals should be treated differently based on their ascribed race.