Category: Race

In the modern world, where globalization has impacted diverse spheres of human life and migration is a natural process, people of different nationalities, races, and classes live in the same social spaces. When one perceives race of others, he or she realizes his or her own racial identity, thus becoming aware of oneself as a member of a multinational society. The process of such an understanding is related to cognition and might evolve consciously or subconsciously. In this paper, I will reflect on my personal experience of race to claim that white racial identity is often perceived as default with more opportunities provided for them while non-whites are exposed to racism.

Since my early childhood, I have not been aware of race as a concept. My whole family is all Italian, including parents and grandparents. I did not consciously realize that I am white, and some people are not because, at an early age, I did not encounter anyone of other race than mine. However, it changed with my entrance to the school. Since I was a student of an American international catholic school in Rome, I interacted with many students coming from different cultures and nationalities. Such diversity influenced not only the way I interacted with others but also shaped my self-perception as a white Italian.

I remember my first acquaintances with people from China and Latin America. They were memorable because it was challenging for me to pronounce and remember some of their names, which were so different from those I got used to; however, they memorized my name quickly. Such a message about race and diversity came from my school community and taught me about the differences between the students of a different race and me. That was one of the first encounters with white privilege in my life.

Other messages about race I received through my life came from educational materials and media. I learned English while being in Rome, and as a part of my acquaintance with the language, I studied the culture and history of the USA, which is filled with racial disparities. The more I thought about black people suffering from racism either implicitly or explicitly, the more I understood how I have always take my whiteness for granted. When I watched movies about black Americans, I noticed that they were often portrayed as those involved in illegal actions or of poor reputation. I felt distanced from such reality because nobody ever suspected me in anything only because I was white. As Sullivan states, white privilege is about white people having unfair advantages because of their whiteness (7). However, this idea may only be understood in the context of the acknowledgment of the existence of other races, which must be equal in right with white.

Before these experiences, I have never consciously applied the notion of race to myself. Every time I heard such words as race, or racism, I immediately attributed them to African-Americans or Latinos but not to white people. Such a predisposition to being reluctant to acknowledge racism by white people imposes even more significant racial disparity in the world, where, despite striving for equality, there exists implicit bias (Sullivan 66). Therefore, in my adolescent years and later, the things I learned from my communication with the diverse school community and media shifted my self-perception from being a person who does not think about racial identity to the one who consciously acknowledges it.

When I moved to Los Angeles and entered the society that was very diverse in terms of race, the experiences I had in Rome helped me better assimilate into the new environment. Being aware of my own racial identity and the implied privilege I had as a white person, I managed to integrate into the multicultural society more easily. Nonetheless, the journey of understanding oneself as a representative of a particular race is a time-consuming and complicated cognitive process that involves self-analysis and openness. Now that I reexamine my racial identity as a representative of a dominating race, I compare white privilege to the default perception of the world by healthy people. My younger brother is autistic and has difficulties in speaking, which imposes significant complications for him in integration to the society. As people with disparities struggle to enter the world of dominant healthy people, national minorities struggle to withstand the imposed dominance of whiteness in the same way. We should understand ourselves as human beings of a particular race to be able to live in a diverse community that the modern world becomes.

To summarize the discussion, it is evident that one learns about race through different sources of influence, including personal life experience of interaction with other people, education, or media. However, being a white person, I have gone through the process of racial acknowledgment without traumatizing encounters with people of other races. In the course of my integration into a multicultural society, I observed how white privilege is a real phenomenon. That is why it is essential to understand race as a crucial element of perceiving oneself to ensure a conscious understanding of ones identity.

Work Cited

Sullivan, Shannon. White Privilege. John Wiley & Sons, 2019.

The United States has the highest incidence of incarceration of its residents. Almost 2.5 million US citizens are in detention centers, and this is about one percent of the grown-up population at any particular time (Williams & Battle, 2017). African Americans form more than 30% of the imprisoned population despite their total number being among the lowest in the country (Tucker, 2017). Therefore, a high number of African American children experience the incarceration of their parents. Children of incarcerated parents suffer psychological and socioeconomic predicaments. Superficially, punishment and felonies seem to be unsophisticated concerns. More profoundly, it is evident that crime and penalty are multidimensional issues that emanate from ethnic discrimination vindicated by perceptions and convictions about African Americans (Pettit & Gutierrez, 2018). The US has a dual justice system that has aided the maintenance of the financial and social hierarchy in the country, anchored in the suppression of blacks.

The fundamental source of the disproportionate incarceration of blacks (especially men) occurs in the disguise of the United States collective practices to become more disciplinary. Such hard-on-crime policies, which are not employed uniformly on all Americans, are upheld by the criminal justice system and are created from the heritage of racism in the US (Muller & Wildeman, 2016). Essentially, connecting criminal actions with noticeable attributes (such as religion or race) enable the majority of the society to enforce policies devoid of bearing their full burden (Temin, 2018). Mass incarceration affects African Americans and has a disastrous influence on families and society attributable to its continued generation of a cycle of discrimination that makes it almost impossible for the community to progress.

The US has the highest rate of imprisonment of its residents. African Americans form more than a third of the jailed population, even though their total number is among the lowest in the country. America has a dual justice system, which has enabled the continuation of the monetary and social order in the country, based on the repression of blacks. Mass incarceration has a devastating influence on African American families attributable to continued racial discrimination.

References

Muller, C., & Wildeman, C. (2016). Geographic variation in the cumulative risk of imprisonment and parental imprisonment in the United States. Demography, 53(5), 1499-1509.

Pettit, B., & Gutierrez, C. (2018). Mass incarceration and racial inequality. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 77(3-4), 1153-1182.

Temin, P. (2018). The political economy of mass incarceration and crime: An analytic model. International Journal of Political Economy, 47(3-4), 317-329.

Tucker, R. B. (2017). The color of mass incarceration. Ethnic Studies Review, 37(1), 135-149.

Williams, J. M., & Battle, N. T. (2017). African Americans and punishment for crime: A critique of mainstream and neoliberal discourses. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 56(8), 552-566.

Introduction

The world that we live in is one of a diversity of color. White, black, yellow and red- these all exist to paint a beautiful rainbow of humanity. However, this beauty is often obscured by the very same human beings that make up this rainbow. The subject of race is a dicey one as racial injustices have constantly plagued humanity from time immemorial. Misunderstandings and stereotypes often characterize inter- racial relations mainly as a result of fear and ignorance and regardless of how modern we become, these misunderstandings stubbornly persist.

Main body

As seen in the story of Desirees baby, some of these stereotypes about races are so deep- rooted within some people and are heard to reverse. Fundamental to these stereotypes are the assumptions people have about other races. Like many people, I am well aware of some of these assumptions that some even claim to be factual. One such assumption is that African Americans are lazier than white Americans.

Diversity Digest (1998) confirms this negative assumption about African Americans through the findings of a survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Centre (NORC) of the University of California. The survey discovered that the respondents (who made up a cross- section of ordinary Americans) felt that African Americans are the laziest people in America and are thus the most susceptible to living off welfare. This assumption is so deep- rooted that even African Americans and other minorities also subscribe to this faulty school of thought.

Another assumption I have come across during my daily interaction with people is that African Americans are less intelligent than white Americans. White people are generally more educated than blacks and subsequently are more involved in intellectual activities. Blacks, on the other hand, mostly succeed in the arts (music especially) and sports. In addition, very few famous inventors happen to be black. As a result, there has been a widely held assumption that blacks are simply not as smart as their white counterparts.

The NORC survey confirmed this assumption and found out that it was shockingly widespread. It found that more than half of the respondents viewed African Americans as less intelligent than whites. The sad bit, however, is that a whopping 30 per cent of African Americans themselves rated African Americans as being less intelligent than whites. If African Americans themselves can have such a bad view of themselves, it is difficult to imagine that other would rate them highly either.

Conclusion

Since these and many other assumptions are so deeply ingrained in us, a protracted effort needs to be initiated to get rid of these prevalent stereotypes. The first step has to begin with an individual. To rid society of these assumptions, an awakening needs to be initiated on the individual level. This will cause a chain reaction whereby, slowly but surely, people will begin to change their attitudes towards other races. With time, all races will be seen as being equal and this inevitably will set the stage for the beginning of a beautiful and truly united rainbow of races.

Reference

How Do Americans View One Another? The Persistence of Racial/ Ethnic Stereotypes. 1998. Diversity Digest. Web.

Scholars have not yet come to a consensus as to the concept of stratification because it can be interpreted from various perspectives and has many manifestations. In the most general sense, this notion can be defined as a hierarchical division of the society according to certain criteria, which can divide the community into several layers or strata for example lower, middle, and upper classes. However, this can word can be also understood as any division of the society, not necessarily hierarchical (Rosenblum, Karen, 14).

The question arises what are these markers or distinguishing features. There are two criteria: material, and non-material. Regarding material character tics, it is necessary to speak first about the level of prosperity or annual income. On its basis, society is subdivided into classes (or strata). Non-material characteristics usually include the level of education, position, status, and so forth.

Nevertheless, there are some markers, which are not supposed to affect a persons status, at least in theory. Unfortunately, very often they become crucial ones. As a rule, sociologists emphasize race and gender. The main reason for it is that they are the most obvious characteristics, though not the most important ones. People always view with apprehension anything that is in any way different from them therefore they tend to segregate themselves from it, and social stratification is one of the ways to do it (Bergel, 66). This is the main reason why different ethnic groups in our country still cannot live in harmony. The measure, taken by the government will never be sufficient unless a considerable shift in public opinion is made.

The United States of America has always been notorious for the racial problem, which is very difficult to eradicate. In my opinion, stratification according to race still exists in our country; however, it has undergone certain changes over the last thirty years. It is quite possible to say that it disguised itself very skillfully, and at first glance, it may seem that it virtually disappeared but what we observe now is just another stage of its development. Probably, it would be better for me to trace the genesis of this process.

For instance, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, racial or ethnic belonging was closely associated with social status, namely, the level of education, social position, and level of prosperity. The situation, which has recently emerged can be mostly characterized by the phobias that US citizens still experience especially concerning race.

Naturally, one cannot say that racism in its traditional meaning still exists; however, its remnants are still very tangible. The government attempts to make it less visible, but it seems to me that racial question still manifests itself. The main problem is that people usually perceive the racial difference as a dividing factor, and not as a unifying one. Probably, they forget that at its core the United States is based on diversity, cultural, religious, and racial. This diversity is the cornerstone of our country.

It is worth mentioning that stratification, based on gender or race practically borders on discrimination; within this context, these notions become virtually interchangeable, though there may exist some slight difference. For example, discrimination implies prejudice against a certain group of people. In the overwhelming majority of cases, such prejudice results in the belief that race or gender characteristics can be viewed as a privilege or give an advantage over other people, but is a very common misconception, though it is very typical for us.

Another form of such stratification (or division) according to race or ethnicity is that people focus on this characteristic trait (the color of skin), and overlook other qualities of a person, for example, the level of education, intelligence, industry, and many other features that are much more important than physical characteristics.

As far as I am concerned, I would like to speak about stratification based on race. My mother is of Spanish origin, a Puerto Rican to be more exact, while my father is an African-American. I grew up in a white community, and I was usually viewed as African-American. For me, it is very difficult to define my cultural identity, because different cultures are closely intertwined in me, they form a very complex entity. As regards racial identity, I am firmly convinced that there is no need for a person to define oneself from this perspective, because the color of skin does not shape a persons character, nor it influences his or her outlook or behavior.

The main problem is that people tend to focus on some distinguishing feature (gender, race, religious belief, etc), and overlook personal qualities. I cannot say that I was discriminated in any way against others students in school, though it now seems to me that people should not have attached primary importance to my nationality. They are often inclined to ask me about my nationality, and to some extent, it makes me feel alienated from them. In addition to that, I often want to ask them why it is so important for them. I believe that this is also a form of stratification or even discrimination to be more exact.

As I have already mentioned I grew up in a white community, and I went to school for the first time, it was very difficult for me to get used to being the only African-American in the classroom, just because other students used to look at me as if I was different from them. At present, I can understand, because such a form of behavior is well-known childish curiosity. Nonetheless, I can hardly explain the behavior of some teachers, who always paid special attention to my persona.

School administration attempted to make all necessary precautions against racial discrimination in school, every behavior or remark that appeared to be offensive, was prohibited. Every violation of the rules, which was aimed against African-Americans, was punished, even if the student who did it, did not offend me. Now, it occurs to me that teachers did not have to focus attention on this issue. Unintentionally, they made other white students believe that African-Americans were different from them.

In this respect, I would like to discuss stratification according to race can be observed in terms of educational prospects, offered to various ethnic groups, especially schools in inner-cities, which are poorly financed. Fortunately, it did not tell on me in any way possible, but once I was very stunned when I visited one of such schools.

Another racial stratification that I would like to discuss is the so-called hate crimes. Luckily, they never directly affected me as a person but the approach, taken by the American government does not appeal to me. I believe that any crime is hateful at its core, and it does not matter against whom it is committed. By adopting hate-crime laws, the government of the United States can only divide the country into two parts, the White and Black Americas, which can eventually lead only to a disaster.

I would also like to discuss the so-called cultural diversity programs. In theory, steps, taken by several companies, aimed at supporting diversity and inclusion in the workplace are very beneficial for African-American or Hispanic communities; however, how this policy is implemented leaves much to be desired. First, I do not like the formulation that such companies use, for example, they say groups that are historically underrepresented or discriminated. To a certain degree, such language makes a person feel handicapped.

I am an avid supporter of such a political system as a meritocracy, which means that every person must be awarded according to his or her abilities and talents however now the government attempt to award only those who are historically underrepresented  at the expense of other people. Such policy can only stir up the enmity between racial groups.

In conclusion, I would like to say that stratification according to race is still present in the United States. The main problem is that measures are taken by the government to separate ethnic communities but do not unite them.

Bibliography

Bernard Barber. Social Stratification: A Comparative Analysis of Structure and Process. Harcourt, Brace, 1957.

Egon Ernest. Social Stratification. McGraw-Hill, 1962.

Rosenblum, Karen E. & Toni-Michelle C. Travis. The Meaning of Difference: American Construction of Race, Sex and Gender, Social Class, and Sexual Orientation. 5th edition. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2008.

Have you ever noticed how racial profiling and discrimination discussions have seemed to reach a peak this year because of the presidential elections? Somehow the media seems to want us to believe that the race of a person is a big deal. That the color of skin or a particular belief of a person has a lot to do with the way he relates to the world and how the world will get along with him. Although this discussion has become a hotly debated topic recently, the truth is that this discussion came onto the burner during the events of 9/11, when a group of radical Muslims changed the way most of the world viewed us.

Instead of seeing us as an active participants in the developing world stage, people hear the word Muslim and either of two things happens: we get shunned or viewed with fear in their eyes. Why does this happen? What is the relationship of being Muslim to the way we are viewed and treated in the world? Is it possible to have a friendly relationship with people who are of a different belief? Or has racial profiling succeeded in alienating the Muslim race from the rest of the world?

Muslims are now in the position that the Germans used to be in. It did not matter that you were not a Nazi supporter, there was a point in our history when all Germans were viewed as Nazi supporters and murderers of the Jewish race. But over time, this view changed and now, Germany has returned to the world stage as a prolific participant in various areas of world development. It took a long time for the image of the Germans to change, and even today, some people carry over that belief, but, it is sufficient to say that the relationship of Germans with the other people in the world is no longer affected by it.

That is my dream for the Muslim race. To one day wake up and find that Muslims as no longer lumped together with the radicals who sow fear and hatred in our world. That the time will come when the misunderstood religious beliefs of my homeland will finally be understood and accepted by the world.

When I first came to this land, I was gripped by the fear that I would not be treated nicely because I am a Muslim. Before I left my country, I would often hear horror stories from students who had gone to the USA and come back. They would spend the nights telling stories to the younger ones who had dreams of coming to the USA to study with stories of hazings and maltreatments while they were here. They often said that the people of the United States were closed-minded and thought of no one but themselves. As a young dreamer, I would often sit for hours listening to the stories, and oftentimes, I would believe what I was told. But as I grew older and I heard more and more stories, I began to question such stories. I started asking them What did you do to change that perception about the Muslims while you were there?.

The answers I got ranged from I stayed with my kind., or I kept to myself., and more commonly, I tried to explain to them but I dont think they believed me. Needless to say, I did not believe any of the answers I got because I knew that if somebody tried hard enough, there was no such thing as an unacceptable explanation. I kept thinking to myself even back then that there must be a relationship between the way Muslims acted in America and the kind of treatment that they got from their peers and friends.

Keeping those stories and opinions in mind, I set out to come to America with dual purposes in mind. Firstly, I came here to study and experience what it is like to live as an American for a few years of my student life. Secondly, I wanted to prove to myself that all the stories I had heard during my younger days were merely a product of misunderstanding and miscommunication. After all, America is the land of possibilities so, it should be possible to seek out and find out the truth about the relationship between Muslims and Americans as it exists on American soil.

The first thing I noticed upon mingling with the Americans is that not all are afraid nor angry at the Muslims for what happened during 9/11. The majority of the people I spoke to knew how to tell the difference between the radicals and the peace-loving Muslims such as myself. I was not once made to feel like I was to be personally blamed for the events that changed modern history as we know it. Instead, I came across many people who wanted to understand where Muslims came from.

What did we believe in? Does the Koran teach violence like Bin Laden advocates? We often had highly intelligent discussions and I found myself with a social circle of people who truly wants to understand what goes on beyond the shores of America. Maybe it was because they wanted to understand why 9/11 happened. Or maybe they just needed to understand the difference between the radicals and the normal Muslims. Either way, I found that for every aspect of the Muslim society they did not understand, there was an aspect of American society that I needed to be clarified as well. In the process, we all learned from each other and came to understand where each of us was coming from.

Without knowing it, I was slowly making friends and getting assimilated into the American culture that I feared for so long a period. During this period, I could have easily turned my back on who I was born as, a Muslim, and become more American than my American friends. Instead, I had my friends telling me that it was nice to have a Muslim friend and that all I had to be to make friends was myself.

Being myself meant that they would respect my culture, traditions, and beliefs. They had an open acceptance and respect for this part of my life. In exchange, I learned about the American way of life and in the process began to understand that no matter how different our beliefs are, somehow, there was still a relationship that existed between the two cultures. Why? The only logical explanation I can think of is that in the end, everybody has the same core beliefs, rules, and demands for respect. It is just a matter of recognizing that relationship and creating a harmonious relationship between the two.

By imbibing the American culture and finding a way to merge the two cultures within me, I have managed to bridge the gap between American and Muslim cultures so that I am no longer just a Muslim but, I am not totally an American either. Instead, I have learned to become blind to the fact that there will always be people out there who will want to sow discord between the two races because I now know that everything can be explained as a misunderstanding on the part of both races. Nobody is right, but neither can be wrong either.

These days, I spend most of my time with my new American friends who, just like me, would like to see the end of the Muslim  American misunderstanding. We have all come to realize that it is our very differences that have served to create this unique relationship between all of us. When we are together in class or even outside, nobody is Muslim or American, we are all students who are here to learn. During the times we socialize and party with others, we all enjoy each others company regardless of our beliefs in life. There is an unspoken respect for each others space and nobody will knowingly violate that respected area.

Indeed, my friends and I have managed to create a unique relationship because we all understand each other to the best of our abilities. Although instances of friction between friends cannot be avoided, it is never about who is Muslim and who is American. At the end of the day, we all come together and talk about the friction and the differences that caused it. We work it out and find that we have built our social foundation on some pretty sturdy life experiences. These kinds of relationships cannot be sought out nor manipulated, it just happens. For the record, I am very glad that my friends and I have been able to create such a different and learning kind of relationship over the years. Ours is the kind of relationship that will last a lifetime for sure.

The recent conflicts sparked due to the violent actions of the police against African American citizens have been tearing the American community asunder, leading to multiple protests and collisions between the representatives of different political groups. Most importantly, the problem of the Black communitys voice not being heard due to the underrepresentation on the political and legal levels has become evident. The resulting chaos occurring within the social context has affected a range of American communities, Charlottesville being one of the prime examples of the specified phenomenon. As the video by VICE demonstrates, the plight of African American people and their willingness to fight for their rights has been facing an aggressive response of white supremacists and the movements that uphold incredibly racist ideas, being geared toward reinforcing inequality at their core. The vitriol that protesters have faced indicates that the problem of racism persists in American society, calling for immediate action aimed at promoting equality and, most importantly, equity.

The fact that the representative soft the Ku Klux Klan can rally without any legal repercussions and promote their ideas without any restrictions as to the nature of their ideas and beliefs is truly appalling. One could claim that the documentary asks a truly powerful question of whether the rally depicted in the film could coexist with the democratic principles of American society (VICE, 2017). On the one hand, under the American Constitution, all people are granted the right to free speech. On the other hand, the rally promotes hatred toward African American people and introduces the ideas linked directly to the philosophy of white supremacy, which is beyond repulsive. Therefore, the complexity of the issue should be explored through the lens of the consequences that it may entail for vulnerable groups.

Overall, the documentary points to the absurdity of the situation that, in its essence, allows racism not only to exist but also to be promoted on the statewide level. Portraying a tragic divide within the American community, the video indicates that there is an obvious problem of racism within it. Thus, the documentary has a sense of looming tragedy around it, suggesting that the current political situation in the U.S. has become particularly strenuous (VICE, 2017). Thus, releasing the tension by creating legal tools for reducing the power of white supremacists, while promoting acceptance on a nationwide level, should be considered an adequate response to the existing concern. In addition, change in the current perception of social justice needs to be made so that an open discussion of the problem with the opponents could take place.

Portraying the caustic remarks and hateful speeches of the opponents of the Black Lives Matter movement and the attempts of African American people to drive attention to the police brutality toward the Black community, Charlottesville: Race and Terror nails down the foundational problem of the American community. Due to the presence of deep-seated racist convictions, a broad range of white Americans refuses to accept the principles of equality and equity. The denial of the latter concept plays a particularly strong role in reinforcing violence against racial minorities, namely, the African American community, within the U.S. society. Therefore, the documentary can be regarded as a crucial argument in the battle against racism in the contemporary American community (VICE, 2017). Overall, the documentary has allowed discussing the problem of racism within the American community openly by providing visible and indisputable evidence of it.

Reference

VICE. (2017). Charlottesville: Race and terror  VICE news tonight on HBO. [Video]. YouTube. Web.

Introduction

One of the issues that have continued to cause major rifts among the earths human population is the issue of racism and discrimination. In past years, ills such as apartheid, xenophobia, and intolerance, resulted in social life being disrupted and many lives being lost. In light of the degenerative effects that racism and discrimination caused, many nations undertook measures to curb these practices with the aim of creating a society where all members coexisted peacefully.

In recognition of the past wrongs that had resulted from racism and discrimination and future risks, the United Nations held a conference in 2001 in South Africa to come up with a declaration against racism. Among the issues on the discussion was slavery in America and repatriation. This conference was followed up by another conference in 2009 which was unfortunately boycotted by many nations. Klein (2009) contests that the reason for this boycott was the lack of enthusiasm by countries to tackle their racism issues.

By reviewing the essay Minority Death Match: Jews, Blacks, and the Post-Racial Presidency by Naomi Klein, this paper shall argue that the United States is not doing enough to tackle the issues of race and institutionalized slavery and further propose that only by confronting the issue head-on can America hope to become a strong and united nation.

Naomi Klein: A Credible Voice

Over the years, there have been many people who have championed the cause against racism and reported on it., Klein is one of these individuals. According to her website, Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist, and author. (Naomiklein.org, 2010). Klein is also an activist who constantly criticizes the political system and huge corporations.

As a journalist, Klein has traveled to various parts of the world reporting from Iraq, Africa and Argentina on a myriad of social issues. This wide exposure over the years has not only made her a seasoned writer but also given her a discerning eye on the real agenda in world matters.

While most of the reporters on racial issues have some bias arising from allegiances to a particular ethnic group or government, Klein exhibits none of this, therefore, making her reports impartial. This can be visibly seen since, despite her Jewish family roots, Klein is critical of the stance taken by Israel about the Durban conference. Klein does not use herself as the voice of authority in her essay but rather relies on the key players in the racism debate as to the sources of her information.

For example, she expresses the views of Navanethem Pillay who was the then United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, therefore, giving credence to the disappointment that the boycott of the Durban II conference caused.

In addition to this, Klein gathers her information from a vast pool of sources; from the renowned BBC reporter Julian Marshal, the UN diplomats to the US preacher on the streets. This well-rounded array of sources makes Kleins assertions authoritative since they are the result of analysis from a differing perspective.

The Two Summits

Kleins essay is centered on the two United Nations conferences held to discuss issues of racism and discrimination. The first conference was the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa in 2001. The second conference was the Durban Review Conference which was held in Geneva, Switzerland in 2009 and was meant to be a follow-up conference to the Durban one.

At the first conference, the UN articulated that the conference was necessitated by the growing complexity of the race issue. New tools were therefore needed to deal with racism as racial discrimination and ethnic violence grew in complexity, therefore, becoming a bigger challenge for the international community (World Conference Against Racism, 2001).

This first summit resulted in nations setting goals to help them fight racism both within and without their borders. Promises of action were made and practical solutions to the problems proposed. The second conference was aimed at evaluating the progress that individual nations had made towards the goals that had been set in the first conference.

In both conferences, the host country is of great relevance to the issue at hand. The first conference is held in South Africa, South Africa was an especially relevant country in which to stage a conference on Racism and Racial Discrimination since it had been in this country where African demonstrators against apartheid had been killed and many wounded in the 1980s (Sinha, 2004).

UN sanctions against the oppressive South African government of the time had resulted in the eradication of apartheid, therefore, establishing a democratic society in South Africa. The second conference was held in Switzerland, a country renowned for its neutrality hence providing the best platform from which the progress of the first conference could be evaluated in a fair manner.

Obamas Race Problem

The election of Obama, a Black American into the presidency of the United States was hailed as a victory for the fight against racism and discrimination. As such, there were huge expectations of the role that the United States under the leadership of Obama would play in the Durban Review Conference of 2009.

In the first Durban conference, the Black Americans had demanded repatriation for the past ills of slavery and racism perpetrated against them. They had also demanded that slavery be recognized as a crime against humanity. With a new president, there was hope that the cause of that the Black activists had begun would be furthered with tangible results being achieved.

However, this was not to be the case as the Durban II conference was boycotted mostly as a result of a massive misinformation campaign by Jewish Lobby groups. Finkelsteain (2005) documents that the misinformation was so rampant to such an extent that a poll which indicated that majority of Europeans thought that the Jews still talked too much about the Holocaust was flagged as evidence of European anti-Semitism.

Under such a backdrop, the United States refused to attend the conference which would have paved way for changes that would have redressed matters of race and institutionalized slavery in America.

Klein (2009) accuses the Obama and his Administration of retreating from the race issue and instead adopting a race-neutral stance that in essence treats people who are situated differently as if they were the same. This is a fundamental mistake for as Bhavnani, Mirza and Meetoo (2005) assert, the real problem in our society arises from not too much multiculturalism but rather too little with leaders keeping minority groups tucked away from public undertakings.

Instead of the Obama Administration seeking to address the crises of the African-American and Latino groups, the administration has come up with unified policies that shy away from preferential treatment of minority groups.

In order to move forward, the Essay proposes that Obama should use his political position to heal a few of the countrys racial wounds (Klein, 2009). This can be achieved by the United States government supporting projects that target historically disadvantaged constituencies since if this group prospers the nation as a whole will reap the benefits for the same.

It is also reasoned that only by taking affirmative action can the mounting disparities between the different races be curbed therefore resulting in a more cohesive nation.

Conclusion

This paper set out to argue that the United States has not been doing enough to tackle the issue of race and inequality. To reinforce this assertion, this paper has reviewed an article by Naomi Klein, an authoritative author, and activist on racial issues.

From the discussions presented in this paper, it is clear that the Durban II conference which the United States boycotted would have had immensely positive effects on the struggle against racism in America. However, the current administration can do a lot to deal with the matter of race resulting in the United States as a society moving forward.

References

Bhavnani, R., Mirza, H. S. & Meetoo, V. (2005). Tackling the Roots of Racism: Lessons for Success. The Policy Press.

Finkelstein, G. N. (2005). Beyond Chutzpah: on the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History. University of California Press.

Klein, N. (2009). Minority Death Match; Jews, Blacks, and the Post-Racial Presidency. Harpers Magazine.

Sinha, P. C. (2004). Encyclopedia Of Social Welfare, Justice And Human Rights. Anmol Publications PVT. LTD.

United Nations World Conference on Racism, (2001). Basic Information  World Conference Against Racism. Web.

In my twenty-eight years of interacting with my community, I have gained an insight into the differences in my community. After a close examination and scrutiny of the community where I come from, I have unconsciously realized that the majority of the community members are quite different. I concluded after noticing that there are people I could associate myself with and those that I could not associate with in terms of their physicality. Though sexuality forms a basis of my categorization, I tend to emphasize skin pigmentation. Since I tend to seek comfort in numbers, I always feel out of place when in the company of a majority of the other groups that I do not associate with based on my classification. I am quite sure that out there, some share with me these sentiments, and because of this, there are continued strains on the relations between dissimilar groups from the community perspective. This has in turn bred favoritism, where a particular group has an upper hand in almost every, the area in the community. Nevertheless, this depends entirely on which side you are in a particular situation (Brewer, 1979, p. 310).

I always held the notion that those who are entrusted with authority are strategically placed and have an upper hand in dealing with matters of the community as a whole. Hence concluding that they should restore sanity in the community, in the context of the role played by government institutions. However, to my realization, that is not the case. Those who have ascended the political ladder and are at the heart of administrative duties tend to favor their community and continuously ignoring the unrepresented group. Most of the privileges are accorded to the group that is at the heart of the administration. The situation is further aggravated if it comprises purely of members from a particular race. Being an African American residing in Urbana in Illinois has helped to shape my way of looking at different aspects of the standards of living between the whites and the blacks. The demographic distribution is quite interesting as blacks are distributed all over the state. The towns conditions coupled with income disparities have brought many issues to the core. Highly paying jobs are a reserve for the whites (Hewstone, Hopkins & Routh 1992, p. 228).

Northeast Champaign had relatively poor housing conditions for the blacks while their white counterparts had quality housing. This prompted all the blacks to start a new comprehensive housing development plan entirely funded by private equity. The driving force was the poor housing conditions. It was the brainchild of Charles E. Philip who was an insurance agent of black origin. Demonstrations by blacks precipitated what they termed as discriminations against the housing. There were predominantly white housing areas and black housing areas. A spirited fight ushered in a new era where blacks were allowed into white predominantly housing areas. The trend has continued to be witnessed even in modern times as public housing has inherent problems that need to be addressed. Drawing heavily from the experiences of Charles E. Phillip who championed quality housing for the blacks.

Being an African American and residing in Urbana where the demographic distribution comprises a mixture of several races, with the blacks scattered all over the place, I have experienced inequalities in the provision of services. Surprisingly these are consequences of the community that I am a resident of. The designation of different lunch counters basing on the color of the skin is evidence of the fact there is segregation by the community. Furthermore, those who want to go to a movie theatre, stores, schools, and restaurants have in one way or another confronted with segregation. Securing employment, and I mean a well-paying job, is very hard for the black person. A bigger percentage of blacks secure employment through the Universitys structure and other lowly paying jobs. As Stern (1994) stated, low rents attracted black persons to the northern part of the town and explicit segregation policies kept them there (para. 9). These are practices by the community against the targeted group. The black housing is of low standards and it is highly overpriced. Some blacks are deprived of adequate electricity, water, and essential requirements of a good house.

The role played by media as a social institution cannot be ignored. The media has on several occasions undergone transformations that are both favorable and unfavorable. Several years ago, it was a commonplace occurrence to spot an advertisement comprising of people from different backgrounds all enjoying a product together. Initially, it was hard to spot an advertisement comprising of a black person. However, it has evolved until a bigger percentage of races were taken into account. Recently, adverts are beginning to surface portraying different ethnic dimensions. As Wayne (2006) stated, I recently saw several McDonalds separate but equal commercials. In one, a group of Black students is hanging out at a black table. In another, a group of Hispanics makes an urban safari trek (para 1). Some commercials have even gone a notch higher by depicting blacks in hideous circumstances. In addition, there is inadequate representation in entertainment and news. Quite often, the depiction is always humiliating in one way or another. The entertainment industry is awash with whites and the ratio is quite high compared to black.

The leadership is made up of people from different races and backgrounds. It is quite easier to associate with a leader with whom I share the same physical attributes. Apart from physical attributes, a leader whom I share with the same values and norms regarding a particular subject. People in leadership positions have different views regarding the community. These differences have brought about different stands on particular issues affecting the community hence they have taken a stand quite different from mine (Learner & Miller, 1978, p. 1038).

Full representation of the interests of the minority is yet to be realized. A wide range of cases is a pointer to this. The failure of the community to elect minorities into the school boards is evident that their interests are not fully represented. In instances of voting where minorities are up against a predominantly white background, the result is that the minorities end up losing the election. This can be attributed to the fact that voters align themselves in preference of the candidate associated with a particular group. Eventually, in such a case the minoritys interests are not represented.

It is completely impossible to wipe out the existence of community inequities. Therefore, it is imperative to acknowledge that the best we can do is preventing ourselves from perpetrating some of these inequities. Of particular interest to me is I would strive to put to an end all the racial-oriented issues in my community even though my ability to change some of these racial inequities is limited. Racism forms the basis of all the other inequalities, hence putting to an end all the resultant problems of racism necessitates that we tackle the root cause of the problems. Instituting and monitoring anti-racism campaigns is one of the ways to put to an end all the racism in my community. Organizing community events and conferences and advocating participation by members of different races create avenues for tackling some of the core issues of racism. Increasing community awareness, changing some of the policies that are in place, and advocating for a balanced leadership that takes into account all the interests of community members at heart (Myers,2005, p. 98).

Interactions have helped to shed some light on the diverse composition of my community. I have consistently associated myself with a group of persons who resemble my physical attributes repeatedly. This has created sharp divisions in how the community treats people with different physical attributes. This has been extended up to the leadership level where people treat each other based on physical attributes. The media has also contributed to the straining of relations between the different groups of people by creating different pictures of the two groups. Although there are differences in physical attributes, there are chances of holding the same views and perceptions regarding a particular subject. Although there are minorities in my community, their interest is not well represented. This is further worsened by the role played by the media.

Reference

Brewer,B. (1979). In-group bias in the minimal intergroup situation: A cognitive- motivational analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 86, 307-324.

Hewstone, M., Hopkins, N., & Routh, A. (1992). Cognitive models of stereotype change: Generalization and subtyping in young peoples views of the police. European Journal of Social Psychology, 22, 219-234.

Lerner, J., & Miller, T. (1978). Just world research and the attribution process: Looking back and ahead. Psychological Bulletin, 85, 1030-1051.

Myers, G. ( 2005). Social Psychology. McGraw Hill: NY.

Sterne, J. (1994).Scratch me and I Bleed Champaign: Geography, Poverty and politics in the heart of East central Illinois.Bad subjects.Web.

Wayne, A. (2006).The return of segregation in the media-the ugly truth emerges. Web.

Introduction

The individual identity of persons is critical, since it defines their character. A keen assessment of these traits reveals a lot about a person, including their upbringing, education and life experiences. Thus, segments of human development is subject to influence by several societal factors. As a result, this paper explores the effects of racial identity, social class and family background and how they influence the development of personal and individual identities of persons.

Racial heritage

The issue of race has played a prominent role in determining a persons identity. Many people feel comfortable associating with persons who bear a similar skin color. As a result, many people restrict their choice of friends, associates and spouses to persons of a similar racial heritage. This factor also plays out when parents choose schools for their children and neighborhoods where they will settle and buy homes.

Young ones also face immense pressure while they grow up. The neighborhoods are often charged racially, as a result of bias held by parents and other grown ups. Children are fed on stereotypes with the hope that they will emulate former leading lights of a community. For example, a black child will be encouraged to pursue basketball instead of hockey. The opposite is true for white children. While the blacks take pride in their achievements on the court, the white fraternity has a different view on the same issue. They regard this and other physically involving sports as shows for the savages.

A closer look at such sentiments sheds light on the way children are cultured from an early stage in their lives. Children in predominantly white neighborhoods grow up with the perception that their black counterparts are violent people, who thrive in physical contests. On the other hand, black children are instructed that their white counterparts are prejudiced individuals, who are weak and hateful. A closer look at the social circles manifests these statements. Children in campus restrict their dealings and associations within their race. The largest show of diversity may be joint social functions organized by minority groups. Persons are also known to date and get married to persons within their racial heritage. Sadly, this phenomenon has pilfered into religious circles. Many persons attend churches, and that are filled with members of their race.

Summarily, modern-day Americans still take pride in their racial heritage, just as if their fore fathers did. This phenomenon has far-reaching implications, which may affect persons positively or negatively. The phenomenon constitutes an indispensable part of a persons life, hence should not be overlooked. On the other hand, prejudice against other persons for whatever reason is unacceptable. While people should accept their ethnic heritage with pleasure, they are advised to remain proactive, and all inclusive in their dealings with others.

Class

The existence of social classes in society is inevitable, because of the capitalist forces controlling the society. It is saddening that persons of a higher social class may discriminate against those from their own race. Indians show the best example. Their societies have classes that were inherited from their ancestors, and will be passed down to posterity. These clusters determine economic activities in which one may engage. In addition, people can only marry within in their social class, as opposed to marrying from a superior or inferior one. A breach in any of these rules creates a crisis, which is often resolved by extreme measures, including banishment from the family. It follows that persons will embrace their identity wholly, since all their dealings in life will be influenced and limited by the social class to which they belong.

These strata are also existent in the western world. Owing to civilization, social class is defined by a plethora of factors, including financial ability, occupation and neighborhood. In most cases, these groupings are passed on, just like racial identity. The main difference between the two factors is that someone has the ability of working his way out of one social group to another. It should also be noted that these groups include persons from different races, since a different set of factors determine the group in which a person is falls (Newman & Newman 389).

These classes are grouped into three segments; the high class, middle class and low-class citizens. Some authors have substituted the name low class with working class. Persons in the upper levels view those below them with suspicion; irrespective of their racial heritage. Since the school someone attends will be determined by the class he was born in, job opportunities and qualification for them will also reveal the social class where a person belongs. While isolated cases have strived and shed off this tags, thereby elevating themselves to higher societies, the remaining majority have carried on this identity with them. It should be noted, that some of the successful individuals use their background as a means for motivating others to work hard. An example is Tyra Banks, who often mentions her hometown of Inglewood in her show when encouraging young girls to confront their fears and make the most out of life.

While a number of persons take pride in their social class, several others use it a source of motivation to strive and achieve more in life. This ambition has enabled some to succeed in life, changing their lives and that of their families forever in the process. For others, it has been a source of agony, since it has led them into crime and other unsavory acts mostly as a result of frustration. In addition, most persons have been judged wrongly due to the stereotypes associated with the social where class they belong.

Family background

Studies reveal that family background plays a significant role in shaping up individual identity. Many parents have owned up to telling their children stories about the family past. Childrens dreams and ambitions are often influenced by tendencies and engagements of their fore fathers. Their perceptions towards several issues may be affected by the same issues. For others, their code of conduct, friends, associates and activities they engage in are also determined by their family background. This has seen several youngsters become prominent business personalities or renowned criminals, just like their parents before them.

In addition, a persons temperament can be deduced from the nature of stories he conjures up. Those with the ability to formulate rational and emotionally communicative stories about depressing events exhibit diminished levels of dejection and nervousness. Adults with the ability to narrate redemptive stories, with emphasis on making positives from improbable situations exhibit emotional well-being. This is accompanied by higher levels of proper transition into and connection with posterity.

Work Cited

Newman, Barbara and Phillip Newman. Development through life: A Psychosocial Approach. New York, NY: CENGAGE Learning. 2008. Print.

When one is judged or discriminated against because of the color of his skin or his origins and beliefs, it referred to as racism. This makes one feel belittled when with other people of another race (Moore, n.d). Racism in the United States dates back to the colonial era where individuals that are not originally from America were really mistreated. During this time inhuman activities such as slavery would just be considered as normal because the white people did not think that the Black people had any rights and that they were lesser human beings. With time, the Black people and people from other races fought for their rights as human beings and although it took time, they started getting the respect they deserved. Even with us as human beings having evolved so much the issue of racism will never be completely buried as there are still a lot of people who are racists in various ways and racism has taken different disguises, which people seem to overlook. This paper will focus on the subject of racism in my community.

The community I stay in does not consist people of different races and diverse cultures and therefore most of them do not resemble me in many ways. The color of my skin is not the same as that of everyone else although there are some people with whom we have the same skin color but at the same time, we are very different from each other. Though we have the same skin color, we all have different beliefs, personalities, and this I believe distinguishes one from the other. Physically I am very different than most of the people in my community, this is in the color of my skin, the hair and color of the eyes is very different. Although we do not share same physical traits we are the same in different ways too because we share some beliefs like religious beliefs which makes us feel like we are the same.

The leaders in my community try to treat people everyone fairly but there are instances where they tend not to be fair. As leaders, they try to lead by example and want the people to look up to them. Most of the leaders are fair although there are some who are sometimes very subjective. Being an African American I feel that some of the leaders tend to treat us in a suspicious manner and that they are biased when it comes to certain circumstances. In case there has been a criminal act in around the community, there are some leaders that are very judgmental when dealing with people like sometimes even judge and me us harshly.

People who are different from me are sometimes not treated as harshly like we are by some of our leaders. They are viewed as more trustworthy and they are judged fairly unless some of them are seen spending a lot of time with people from my race then they are given more attention.

The members of my community have learned to live with people of different races and most of them accept this and live comfortably with us. At first living in my community, being from my race was difficult because we seemed very different from the rest of the people and they also had a hard time accepting us the way we are. After a while things changed because we had gotten to know each other better and they judged us by our personalities but not by the color of our skin. Sometimes it is much easier to be colorblind when addressing people (Harper, Lori & Ontario, 2009). As we continued living together, they noticed that we actually had many things in common with them like religion.

As much as most of them have accepted living with us peacefully in the same community, there are still others that cannot quite fully accept that. Some of the people living in my community are hostile to some of the people of my race because they have certain beliefs about us for instance, they believe that we are violent sometimes and do not have moral standards. This creates some kind of tension in the community because the people from my race feel the need to protect themselves at times. At school some of the students try not to associate themselves with people from my race, this may be due to their cultural backgrounds.

People from other races are more so rendered the same attitude. White people who are the majority in my community seem to accept each other more than they accept people from other races. Although they do not see eye to eye in almost everything, they are more comfortable with each other it is like they have some silent understanding with each other.

In the Matter of Color, Race and The American Legal Process is a book written by Leon Higginbotham (1978), it specifically talks about the African Americans and the suffering and brutality they went through because of their color. Leon wrote this book in a bid to fight for justice for the Black people because they were never compensated for the suffering and discrimination. Although racism still exists in my community now, during the colonial era, slavery was major and many people suffered endlessly before the Black people decided to fight for their rights. Since some of the people from my race are still bitter because of what their ancestors had to go through, this book explains that it is best that the Black people are compensated.

I feel really represented by the local media in my community because they air the views of everybody regardless of your race. Unlike before when it was very rare to find people of my race being represented at any media house, now there is a lot of representation in form of shows, television programs or even in the local news. The African Americans are sometimes featured in some of the shows and if they have any concerns, they are aired without any threats being aimed at them. If there are any injustices committed against us, the issue is given attention by the media.

Leadership requires skill and some of the people feeling that position in my community have earned it but there are others who do not deserve to it. I respect some of the leaders in my community because they do their job well and clearly, role models to the rest of us. These leaders are similar with me in terms of their values and beliefs, we all believe in justice and fairness and we also believe that people should not be discriminated against because we are all human beings. People from my race that represent us as leaders are quite countable but add value to the community.

Other leaders are in that position because they were favored over those that qualified to fill those shoes. They do not have the interest of the people at heart, are very unfair, and judge in a manner that is beneficial to them only. We may be different physically but we are also different in our cultures and morals.

Not everybodys interests are represented fairly in my community; there are those matters that are given a lot of focus and energy depending on who is presenting them. The minority interests are not being well represented unless somebody really intervenes or the people protest against it. Hence, some people suffer but do not let their worries be known because after all, nothing is going to be done about it. Even at work, some people are given priority over others even though you both hold the same position.

Given the chance to change how things are being handled, firstly, I would make sure there are no racial boundaries whatsoever. Every issue would be prioritized no matter who is presenting it to stop other people from feeling belittled. Unjust leaders would have to face serious consequences; this would minimize cases involving injustice.

Slavery was the intense form of racism that the people of my race experienced during the colonial era. During the war, the fact that the Americans fought so hard to prevent themselves from being enslaved by another nation and yet they were still using the Blacks as their slaves was very uncouth. The brutality that they experienced during this time is the main reason why Leon (1978), wishes that the Black people be compensated.

Therefore, in my community I would say that racism is not that intense although it still exists. The people living there have learnt to accept everyone the way they are because people will always be different whether it is physically or culturally. The leadership also is picking pace and hopefully everything will be looked at fairly and in a just manner.

Reference

Moore, H. J. (n. d). Scientific racism and its history. Encyclopedia of race and racism. 3, 1-246. 2010. Web.

Harper, R. S. , Lori D. P. , Ontario S. W. (2009). Access and equity for African American students in higher education: A critical race historical analysis of policy efforts. Journal of Higher Education, 80, n. pag. Web.

Higginbotham, L. A. (1978). In matter of color: Race and the American legal process. New York: Oxford University Press.