Community Problem Report:

Racism in the United States

University of Texas at El Paso

ENGL 1311

Mr. Nugent

Carlos Eduardo Orta

Abstract

Our race is something we have no power to change. When we are born, a racial
origin is given to us based on our parents ethnicity or race. Humanity has many
different races within it, thing that will never change, but because of majorities and
minorities, social acceptance between different races is not always achieved or
permitted to its full. Instead of realizing we all form part of something bigger that our
individual selves, ignorance makes people to separate from other groups. This division
of races has driven this country to the unfair taking of lands, abuse, physical and
psychological violence, and rejection of opportunities and a healthy social relationships.
Racism is the belief of capacities specifically given by race, leading to ideas of
superiority or inferiority. These ideals come from years and years in the past, when men
started interacting with others. The cohesiveness of race, or at least understanding of
equality is also something that has always been pursued by these affected groups taken
as inferiors. Even today, we ought to encounter several signs of mistreat towards these
minorities.

Introduction

Being a minority is often taken as being less privileged. Why does this stereotype
exist? It is true that, in the United States, the white race is the overall majority of the
population. Because of this, this majority sees others as out of place, because they are
not used to a person of another race living like they do. The idea of superiorism surges
from this majority-minority relation. Racism is slowly turning out to be less and less,
however, this is an issue that we can still encounter. The minorities (non-white, because
whites are the majority in the United States) are the ones that are mainly affected by
racism. I will be addressing to these racial and ethnic groups, to the people who are
unaware to this issue by providing information, facts, statistics, events about the
problem, and to the people who can create a change over this; this section might have
various audiences since we can all make an improvement.

To the Unaware

According to Lawrence Bobo and Cybelle Fox; race, racism, and discrimination
are bases and mechanisms of hierarchical differentiation that shape the ordering of
social relations as well as the allocation of life experiences and life chances (2003).
Analyzing this statement, we can prove that racism and discrimination does play an
important role in some aspects of how society works. The issue can deal with various
factors; unfair denial of privileges, opportunities, social isolation. These are some of the
problems that discriminated people are subject of. An important subject to talk when

dealing with race is stereotypes. Stereotypes have been present through our lives since
we started to interact with media (mainly TV and movies). We grow with these ideals of
labeling ethnic groups because of what we are exposed to. Latinos are not always
Mexicans trying to cross the border, as Islamic people are not always terrorists,
however, these are ideas that people generate over them. These negative racial
stereotypes often evolve to create a racist sentiment. We always associate a person
from a certain group with its stereotype, this works in a subconscious level (even for
non-racists). Racism blocks opportunities, welfare, social contact between people, and
incites violence in some cases. The United States has been witness of segregation,
unfair denial job opportunities, violent revolts, and stereotyping.
Today, we face a more subtle version of discrimination. This because our laws make it
appeal to us in that way, when the reality is that we still have ghettos and
neighborhoods, where these laws seem far from (Chris Arnade, 2014).

To the Affected Minorities

Racism has been present since the colonization of this country. Since then,
various discriminatory laws, public policies, and social behaviors have been practiced
towards target groups (Siddiqui, 2005). These groups most commonly have been:
Native Americans, and Americans with African, Latin, Japanese, and Islamic ethnicities.
Citizens or not citizens of the United States, the impact of racism on these groups have
been the biggest due to their minority denomination. With the arrival of the Europeans to
the Americas, the Native people suffered genocides, the theft of their land, and forceful
assimilation of foreign culture. African Americans were brought as slaves to work on
4

land of whites. Japanese were unfairly relocated from their homes, forced to leave their
jobs and cities, to be put in concentration camps, just for being from Japanese origin
during WWII. Latins, have been granted less opportunities to socially grow (however,
there has been a large Latino impact on American culture). Islamic countries origins
have been seen as dangerous and hostile, with no actual knowledge of their practices
and behavior. These affected groups should be noticed in our country, not because of
the violence and discrimination they suffer, but they should stand for their contributions
to the infrastructure of the United States and for their good deeds. They are also
Americans, must be treated as of, and must also contribute to the necessities of the
country. In order for someone not to be judged, that person, or groups, have to make a
difference and reflect the values behind stereotypes. According to the Southern Poverty
Law Center, the most number of hate groups in the US can be found in the East Coast
(SPLCenter, 2014) (Figure 1). Cities tend to be more populated on that region. What
minorities do, can be easily reflected in a target of criticism. If these groups would act
with more positive intentions on society, there could be a more equal balance of race
justice. What needs to be proven by minorities is the capacity of sustaining this country
as well as the majority. Jeff Nesbit shows us the following statistics: Black children
make up 18 percent of the school population, but represent almost half of all out-ofschool suspensions (Nesbit, 2015). This could be a factor of the stereotypes given to
the African American race, it is fundamental to teach our children to have a good sense
of social behavior (This do not only apply to African Americans, but to all races in
general). It is true that the first African American president was elected in 2009, but the

acceptance of a group will be proportional to the support of the country given by it and
not only by a few individuals.
Several events against specific minorities have taken place in modern times.
Police violence against African Americans, politic negative calling of Mexican
immigrants (immigrants also deal with racism in the United States). The truth is that we
still deal with racism with more acceptable terms.

To the Changers

Nowadays, discrimination plays a

role in todays society. Even if we do not
perceive it, someone is being
discriminated in some way, because
discrimination is not simply an action but
an idea of superiority. Extreme racism is
not as prevalent today, but it is not a

Figure 1. Shows currently active Hate Groups

in the United States (Colored dots represent
different hate groups).

reason to ignore it. Of course, most people in the US will never encounter a Ku Klux
Klan member burning a cross in their life, but todays racism can act in a more subtle
way. Commonplace forms of discrimination such as being ignored, being treated
differently, or being ridiculed, are forms of everyday racism that todays society can be
witness of everyday society (Craig, 2012). Annie Barnes identifies such type of
discrimination as a virus of sorts exhibited in the body language, speech and isolating
attitude of racists, among other behaviors. Due to the covertness of such behaviors,

victims of this form of racism may struggle to determine for certain if bigotry is at play
(Annie Barnes, 2000). These behaviors of which she points out, are viewed as not
scandalous, because it does not seem severe, but the psychological effects of them on
victims, might even have long term effects. When we think of racism only in extremes
we allow subtle racism to continue wreaking havoc in peoples lives. Since hardly
anyone will admit to racial prejudice of any type, focusing on bigotry, hatred, and acts of
intolerance only solidifies the belief that racism is something out there, a problem for
others, but not me, or anyone I know (Craig, 2012). Focusing on the signs that cause
subtle everyday racism can help spreading awareness of it. Understanding that we live
racism in todays society is a way the first step to prevent it. A study conducted by David
Binder in 2014 showed that 91% of 19-24 year olds believe in racial equality, of those,
72% thinks that talking it out can have an important positive impact on everyday racism.
However, the study also revealed that only 20% of that 72% of the 91% of 19-24 people
would be comfortable having a conversation on this topic, which means, believing racial
equality is not effective if people do not manifest it. A generation that is against racism
but chooses to blind themselves, is one that perpetuates it. Sharing our knowledge
about racism, sharing the cons of it, sharing anecdotes, or sharing the suffering of
others are ways to help this issue. Working on a more confident environment allows us
to connect more with others, to talk what we do not want to talk of. Racial discrimination
should be a topic of wide interest, since it is still present in our days, even if we do not
perceive it as we think of. Solving a problem that is not clearly there is itself an issue,
but raising awareness of it can make the difference between letting it happen and
making consciousness when performing the act of discrimination.

Figure 2. Cartoon expressing the

neglectance of people on racism.

Reference Page:

Arnade, C. (2014, January 12). America is still a deeply racist country. Retrieved
November 4, 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/profile/chris-arnade
Bobo, L., & Fox, C. (2003). Social Psychology Quarterly. Race, Racism, and
Discrimination: Bridging Problems, Methods, and Theory in Social Psychological
Research, 66(4), 14-14. Retrieved October 21, 2015, from
http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/bobo/files/2003_race_racism_and_discrimination_with_c
ybelle_fox_social_psycholgy_quarterly.pdf
Craig. (2012, February 23). Subtle Racism Still Very Prevalent in Society Today.
Retrieved October 21, 2015, from https://craigeisele.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/subtl eracism-still-very-prevalent-in-society-today/
Hate Map. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2015, from https://www.splcenter.o
rg/hate-map
Nesbit, J. (2015, May 6). Institutional Racism Is Our Way of Life. Retrieved
October 21, 2015, from http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/at-the-edge/2015/05/06/ins
titutional-racism-is-our-way-of-life
Mach, R. (2014, June 23). Millennials and Racism: How We Can Change the
Discussion. Retrieved October 16, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/r yanchapin-mach/millennials-and-racism_b_5518938.html