“Why Does He Feel This Way?,” They Wondered. “Where Did

Throughout American history, relationships between racial and ethnic groups have been marked by antagonism, inequality, and violence. In today’s complex and fast-paced society, historians, social theorists and anthropologists have been known to devote significant amounts of time examining and interrogating not only the interior climate of the institutions that shape human behavior and personalities, but also relations between race and culture. It is difficult to tolerate the notion; America has won its victory over racism. Even though many maintain America is a “color blind nation,” racism and racial conflict remain to be prevalent in the social fabric of American institutions. As a result, one may question if issues and challenges

Racial Formation in the United States by Michael Omi and Howard Winant made me readjust my understanding of race by definition and consider it as a new phenomenon. Through, Omi and Winant fulfilled their purpose of providing an account of how concepts of race are created and transformed, how they become the focus of political conflict, and how they shape and permeate both identities and institutions. I always considered race to be physical characteristic by the complexion of ones’ skin tone and the physical attributes, such as bone structure, hair texture, and facial form. I knew race to be a segregating factor, however I never considered the meaning of race as concept or signification of identity that refers to different types of human bodies, to the perceived corporal and phenotypic makers of difference and the meanings and social practices that are ascribed to these differences, in which in turn create the oppressing dominations of racialization, racial profiling, and racism. (p.111). Again connecting themes from the previous readings, my westernized influences are in a direct correlation to how to the idea of how I see race and the template it has set for the rather automatic patterns of inequalities, marginalization, and difference. I never realized how ubiquitous and evolving race is within the United States.

The Purpose of a Higher Education One of the most important decisions in any teenager’s life is what they decide to do after high school, the choice is usually between college and deciding to get a job and start making money. Although the cost of education in America continues

Monica Quilatan Professor Writing 37 ICS 249 9:00 to 10:50 26 October 2015 The US is appealing in the eyes of other countries, and even ourselves, because of the “free” and “equal” characteristics we claim ourselves to have, such as: freedom of religion, freedom to own private property, and freedom of equal justice.

In a time where racism is a dirty word, and is thought by many to be a thing of the past, Between the World and Me goes above and beyond to obliterate misconceptions that racism is not a constant presence in today’s America. It’s easy to deny the presence of racism throughout America’s history when it hasn’t directly affected you, but Ta-Nehisi Coates brings it to the surface in a way that makes it impossible to ignore.

One of the most prevalent themes throughout the world’s history is the dispute over race and racial differences. But, there is a problem: the majority of the population doesn’t have a clear understanding of what race is. Race is a socially constructed grouping of people that was created in order for people to differentiate themselves from one another and has many sources of influence. While most people believe race is determined by biological characteristics (hair type, skin color, eye shape, etc.), this is not true. To make things more complicated, there is no cut and dry definition to race. Authors of Race and Ethnicity in Society, Elizabeth Higginbotham and Margret Anderson, claim that there are seven different distinct ways to define race. They begin with the popular belief of biological characteristics, and, as mentioned before, through social construction. They go on to note that race can be formed from an ethnic group, from social class rank, from racial formation by institutions, and also can form from one’s self-definition (Higginbotham & Anderson, 2012, p. 13). All of these ways to define race have been seen throughout our history, and many of them have caused problems for minorities, especially in the United States.

The American dream, an idea that is inextricably linked with liberal democratic principles, is based on the notion that on American soil, every person has equal access to opportunity and fair treatment under the law. America has been, and continues to be a primary destination for millions of immigrants from

This theme helps illuminate how black people came to be treated in America both when slavery existed and beyond into today’s society. The theme that black people are disposable bodies within American society. Because of the tradition of treating black people as objects or whose value strictly came from their ability to make profit, the idea of what it means to be black in America is imbedded in the danger of losing one’s body. Although slavery has ended, the racism remains as a violence inflicted on black people’s bodies. Coates is more than happy to emphasize that racism is an instinctive practice.

The recently awarded 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction author, Ta-Nehisi Coates, has stirred quite some debate over the author himself and the issue on race in America. He is harsh and direct when it comes to commenting on the political policies in America or even the president. Much of

Coates provides readers with a lesson in American history and explains to his son that race is not reality, but that “Americans believe in the reality of ‘race’ as a defined, indubitable feature of the natural world” (Coates 2015; 7) He brings the reader inside the America in which he lives. He argues that “America’s problem is not its betrayal of ‘government of the people,’ but the means by which ‘the people’ acquired their names,” meaning that America has only ever represented and supported white people, that America was founded on a system of racial bias (6). He draws attention to the struggles that peoples of color, especially black people, have faced. Those struggles generate fear, which is one of the main ideas in the

What is race? In Milloy’s interview of high school teacher Julian Hipkins III, when asked, many students believed race to be default. Conjuring a definition similar to that of ethnicity or culture, most people do not understand the origins nor the purpose of “race” in America. Race is not biological

For this week’s memo, I decided to read “Racial Formations” by Omi and Winant. The reading talks about the meaning of race as being defined and challenged throughout society in both collective and personal practices. It also suggests that racial categories are created, changed, ruined, and renewed. Omi and Winant explore the idea that the conception of race developed progressively, ultimately being created to validate and rationalize inequality. It began with the denial of political rights and extended into the introduction of slavery and other forms of forcible labor.

With nearly half of the world’s population living on less than $2.50 a day, poverty is clearly one of the biggest issues in our society today. The real question is, is it even possible to fully abolish poverty? We live in a world that relies so heavily on cheap labor and manufactured goods, that it is hard to imagine what it would be like if we didn’t have these impoverished people filling these critical, yet unwanted, roles in our society. Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo tells the stories of the intertwining lives of the poverty stricken slum of Annawadi, in the booming metropolis of Mumbai, India. Through the lives of Zehrunisa, Karam, and Abdul, a family struggling to climb out of poverty, Asha the slumlord and her daughter

Brelyn E. Finley English 102.007 12- 12:50PM April 7, 2011 Professor Jackson Cultural Critique Unfortunately, in this time and age, racism continues to be an issue in the American society, especially in the south. Since the introduction of slavery, many people have the belief that skin color determines someone’s ranking in life. After the freedom of slaves, racism became a big problem in America. As a result, other races look down upon many different cultures and ethnic groups believing that they are superior to others. Racism has lead to people discriminate against one another and become prejudice. Unfortunately, racism effects peoples lifestyles, job opportunities, and education.

Tiara Agee Montgomery English 1101 September 21, 2014 Education in Underprivileged Countries Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon that can be used to change the world.” He was right; an education can provide great opportunities for people. American children have the chance to receive a quality education, but that is not the case in some countries. In underprivileged countries, children may not receive an education. In the natural photograph taken in 2009 by American Press photographer Altaf Qadr, Rajeesh Kumar Sharma has started a free school under a bridge in India to educate underprivileged children living in surrounding neighborhoods. Most children in America will never have to experience a situation like this because the government has passed laws to guarantee every child receives a quality education, but what if the government did not regulate education laws? Imagine the children of the United States having to miss school because of household duties or cultural influences? These are common scenarios for children in underdeveloped countries. Inadequate government funding, household duties, and cultural influences affect whether or not a child receives a valuable education in an underprivileged country.