Category: Racism

Introduction

Racism and anti-Semitism are two forms of discrimination that have been practiced in the USA for generations. Historians indicate that racism was a core foundation of the United States of America as a white society and it resulted in the destruction of the native Indian population and the usage of Black slaves to provide labor for the new nations economy.

Anti-Semitism on the other hand is discrimination directed towards the Jewish people and the US State Department defines anti-Semitism as hatred toward Jews -individually and as a group- that can be attributed to the Jewish religion and/or ethnicity (Falk, 2008, p.6). Both racism and anti-Semitism have historically been used to justify abuse perpetrated by Whites against other groups.

They both make it acceptable for the non-White groups to be treated without human consideration since they are perceived as inferior creatures with adverse repercussions being felt by the victims and the society at large.

However, there have been significant changes in the society and as a result of government initiatives and civil rights movements, both racism and anti-Semitism has been purged from many parts of our society.

This paper will argue that while racism and anti-Semitism still exists in the US, it is not a big problem since it has been, and will continue to be, on a steady decline throughout the country.

A case for the Decline in Racism and Anti-Semitism

Racism

Key has been on a steady decline in the USA with equal opportunities being afforded to members of all races. A key indicator supporting this argument is the emergence of the African American middle class.

Before the 1970s, racial discrimination was a significant problem in the US and political and socio-economic barriers existed which gave white Americans advantages over other groups, most notably of whom were the African Americans. Racism had been used as a justification for discriminatory actions perpetrated against other races by white Americans.

In that time, there was marginal representation of minority groups in the middle and upper classes of society. Due to civil activism in the US, these oppressive barriers were removed and there has been a marked decline in racism with all racial group being given opportunities to advance.

Today socio-economic mobility among African Americans, who are were historically the most disadvantaged minority group, is a valid indicator of declining racism in the US (Okamara, 2011). Racism was for many years a significant barrier to socio-economic mobility and its abolishment gave the minorities a chance to gain higher socio-economic status.

Racism is characterized by the lack of political representation by the minority groups. This is not the cause in the US where minority groups have gained significant political power in the past 4 decades.

Perhaps the greatest symbol of this increasing political visibility of minorities was seen in Obamas victory in the 2008 which clearly highlighted the diminishing influence of racism in America.

He won the presidency by gaining a substantial majority of African American, Asian American and Latino votes and a considerable proportion of white votes (Okamara, 2011). If racial prejudices had been prevalent in America, it would have been impossible for Obama to win the election due to hi Black American background.

The legal victories achieved by African Americans in the 1960s through the civil rights movements played a monumental role in abolishing racism in the US. Members of all minority groups in the USA today have numerous opportunities and achievements that their ancestors did not have (Perlmutter, 2009).

Race may never be transcended and the idea of getting beyond race may remain a utopian objective. However, racism can and is being combated by the government and communities and the racism problem in America is at a historically all time low.

Opinion polls indicate that popular racial attitudes in the country have changed significantly in the past four decades with most Americans adopting a non-racial stance.

Anti-Semitism

Jews in the USA enjoy similar rights as all other citizens and they are not subjected to any of the political, social, or economic barriers that traditionally define anti-Semitism. This is in contrast to the suspicion with which some Jews are treated in many European countries.

Dinnerstein (2004) notes that in many areas of American society, Jews are accepted and they are not regarded as a minority group in need of societal assistance or governmental protection.

The Jews have been able to thrive both culturally and economically in the US which is an indicator that anti-Semitism tendencies are low. Interfaith marriages for Jews and Catholics are about 50% which demonstrates how integrated Jews are becoming into the American society (Perlmutter, 2009).

The opinions expressed by a countrys political elite often serve as a gauge of the populations attitude on specific topics. This is because the politicians seek to popularize themselves by aligning themselves to the popular views.

In past two elections, politicians have identified themselves with Jews in a bid to publicize themselves and hence gain greater votes (Dinnerstein, 2004). If politicians viewed anti-Semitism as a significant factor in the US, they would seek to disassociate themselves from the Jews.

The fact that many of them are currently trying to embrace and identify with Jews in the US demonstrates that anti-Semitism is growing to insignificant proportions in the US.

Public opinion towards Jews has in the past decades become favorable with the ethnic group being viewed more positively today than it was in the pat decades. In polls conducted in 1945 where the question Do the Jews have too much influence and power in this country?, 67 percent of Americans answered in the affirmative.

By 1962, only 17 percent of Americans shared this view. The figure fell to a mere 13 percent in 2009 (Baum and Shimon, 2011).

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) which is an outspoken defense organization that responds to anti-Semitic acts and statements records that there were 104 anti-Semitic cases reported in police departments in 2011 which was a decline from the 134 incidents reported in 2010.

Arguments that Racism and Anti-Semitism are major Problems

Racism

The concept of race which is denounced by some post-racialist scholars as a crude anachronism& that is now an outmoded idea, continues to exist in modern day America (Okamara, 2011, p.134). The claims that racism is not a problem in the US are negated by the stark racial inequalities in employment, education, healthcare, wealth, political representation and other socio-economic measures.

While many academics and media spokespersons continue to argue that the civil rights movements achieved racial justice and the US is a post-racial society, racial equality is yet to be achieved (Okamara, 2011).

Racism still continues to be used as a tool for advancing the economic interests of the white population in the US. Wallis (2007) asserts that racism originates in dominance and provides the social rationale and philosophical justification for debasing, degrading, and doing violence to people on the basis of color (p.198).

The heart of racism was and continues to be economic in nature and as such, the economic inequality between whites and minority groups is an obvious sign of the propagation of racism in present day America.

In terms of income, the median for white Americans is $48,500 while that for African Americans is $31000 (Wallis, 2007, p.199). This combined with the fact that African Americans suffer from poverty rates that are twice as high as that of whites is a sure sign of economic inequality.

Anti-Semitism

There has been an upsurge of anti-Israeli sentiments since 2000 and this are said to result in anti-Semitism. Todays popular media has become more critical of Israels actions against Palestinians with Israel, and by extension the Jews being painted as the aggressors The Associated Press (2012).

Americans have therefore begun viewing Jews with suspicion and hate due to their perceived cause of the Palestinians suffering. This is in spite of the fact that most Jews in America do not necessarily support the actions perpetrated by the Israeli government against Palestinians.

Anti-Semitism continues to occur in America with incidents of violence which is fueled by hate for Jews being perpetrated. Specifically, there have been incidents of violence directed against the Jewish community in many locations all over the USA.

Earlier on the year, two Synagogues in New Jersey came under firebomb attacks (The Associated Press, 2012). This arson attacks were aimed at the Jewish worshipers by an individual who held strong anti-Semitic views. This is a clear indication that anti-Semitism still exists in the US.

Counterarguments

Racism

While it is true that inequalities exist in employment, education, healthcare and other social economic measures, this cannot be attributed primarily to racism. It is a fact that the lowest economic paradigm has a high percentage of minorities (African Americans and Latinos); however, this is no real proof that racism exists since white Americans are also included in this lower tier.

Perlmutter (2009) states that minority groups, which were once victimized by racism, have reaped significant benefits in terms of employment opportunities and education in the course of the past decades. There is a growing class of middle-class blacks and other minorities which shows that racism is not to be blamed for the economic underachievement of the others.

Racism is note being used today as a tool to advance the socio-economic advantage of the white Americans. On the contrary, amendments for the effects of racism practiced by previous generations are being made by the government.

As can be seen from opinion polls, personal attitudes of many Americans have moved from embracing Racism to viewing each person on his individual merit in spite of his color. The structural forces that previously fostered racism have been abolished in the years following the civil rights movements and today laws exist that deter racism.

According to research, prejudices decrease as educational levels among a countrys population increases. This is because higher educational levels resulted in increase tolerance for cultural and racial differences. Perlmutter (2009) reveals that the measures such as affirmative actions and programs that target minorities have been initiated to ensure that resources are distributed in an equitable manner.

Anti-Semitism

While it is true that the media is today more critical of Israel, this criticism does not hint at anti-Semitism. In the past, anti-Semitism was defined by political, social, and economic barriers imposed against the Jews. This view has changed and many Jews today equate any hostility towards Israel as an indicator of anti-Semitism.

As it currently stands, most of the claims that there is growing anti-Semitism in America are as a result of the stance that many Americans take concerning the Palestinian-Israeli issue. Many Jews fear that criticism of Israel and its policies vis-a-vis Palestinians automatically implies anti-Semitism.

Finkelstein (2005) suggests that there is great misinformation by Jewish Lobby groups with the issue of anti-Semitism being blown out of proportions.

For example, poll results which indicated that many Europeans felt that Jews still talked too much about the Holocaust was seen as sufficient indication of anti-Semitism among Europeans. However, Dinnerstein (2004, p.54) strongly asserts that it is possible to be anti-Israel without being anti-Semitic.

Without a doubt, there are some isolated incidents of anti-Semitism which occur in the USA. These incidents have in most cases involved the use of violence against the Jews as a result of deep hatred from the perpetrator of the crimes. The manner in which these occurrences have been reported by the media has led to an exaggeration of the problem.

The media has a habit of sensationalizing instances of anti-Semitism and giving them more attention than they warrant. As a result of this, the anti-Semitism issue in America appears to be escalating while in actual fact matters are improving.

To further compound the issue, whenever Jews hear of this incidents, they instinctively react as thought this incidents were widespread and indeed the rule and not the exceptions (Dinnerstein, 2004). This exaggerations paint a wrong picture of what is actually happening all over the country.

Perlmutter (2009) best articulates this by saying that while racism and anti-Semitism is not dead, it is nowhere what it was a century or a decade ago.

Conclusion

This paper set out to argue that while racism and anti-Semitism are still alive in the United States, they are not a problem. It has been highlighted that incidents of racism and anti-Semitism have greatly decreased in the US over the past few decades.

These decreases can be attributed to the recognition by citizens and the government that racism and anti-Semitism have had degenerative effects on the society. The country has therefore made significant progress in addressing the problems of racism and anti-Semitism with great success.

The alleged rise in anti-Semitism and racism is therefore more a perception than a reality since the facts indicate that there has been a decline in both racism and anti-Semitism within the US.

Even so, the paper has been kin to point out that these two vices have not entirely disappeared and there are still individual bigots who hold racist and anti-Semitic views and members of extremist groups who continue to be outspoken racists. The country should therefore continue to be vigilant so as to completely eradicate the racial and anti-Semitic problem that has plagued the nation for generations.

References

Baum, S. and Shimon, S. (2011). Anti-Semitism Explained. NY: University Press of America.

Dinnerstein, L. (2004). Is there a new anti-Semitism in the United States? Society, 23(3) 53-58.

Falk, A. (2008). Anti-Semitism: a history and psychoanalysis of contemporary hatred. NY: ABC-CLIO.

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

Okamara, J.Y. (2011). Barack Obama as the post-racial candidate for a post-racial America: perspectives from Asian America and Hawaii. Patterns of Prejudice, 45(1), 133-153.

Perlmutter, P. (2009). The Decline of Bigotry in America. Social Science and Public Policy, 46(6), 517-521.

The Associated Press (2012). Firebombing at 2 Synagogues in New Jersey Lead to Arrest. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/nyregion/arrest-in-firebombings-of-2-nj-synagogues.html?ref=antisemitism

Wallis, J. (2007). Americas original sin: the legacy of white racism. Cross currents, 23(3), 197-202.

After the arrival of the British colony in 1788, there has been a significant increase in the size of immigrants to Australia. In this regard, the statement that racism has dominated the peopling process of Australia is fair. The fact that the European law stipulated that a founder could claim any unused land enhances this reasoning.

The British arrival led to an increase in the conflicts between the original inhabitants, aborigines, and immigrants. The aborigines families occupying the land had their own system of traditional governance that was contrary to the British law. With these forms of differences that resulted from the arrival of immigrants, racism arose in the manner of governance and resource distribution in the country (Vasta & Castles 1996, p. 142).

Since the British were more powerful, they obtained multiple privileges and favor compared to their counterparts and the original inhabitants. Over time, these conflicts have continued and led to multiple negotiations in the search for the adoption of the indigenous people law into the existing law. Through the process of inhabiting the country, the immigrants and aborigines have displayed racism, which has influenced many aspects of the government.

Initially, at the arrival of the British, the aborigines suffered displacement from the productive parts of the country to the non-productive regions. This occurred despite the fact that the aborigines were the natives. Due to the civilization exhibited by the white immigrants, they subdivided the regions according to their needs and engaged in various economic activities.

The aborigines remained in the non-productive regions to engage in the traditional culture. The whites did not disseminate their civilization so that they could influence the aborigines. On this note, the whites concentrated on capitalist development and the search for profits in all the aspects of economic activity.

The whites, as masters who had authority, gave directives and conditions to the aborigines regarding the working procedures (Low 2002, p. 48). Additionally, the aborigines suffered, as they had to work under non-conducive environments without any pay. In this regard, the indigenous people did not have access to multiple resources inclusive of the freedom of movement. This forced the aborigines to practice their traditional culture in order to survive.

As Australia became popular in most parts of the world, the immigrants from Asia, Africa and the pacific islanders increased. The whites used their superiority to exploit and oppress these other immigrants. They adopted these immigrants and used them as laborers in their economic institutions.

This further upheld their capitalist culture and promoted their superiority complex across the country. In this regard, they formulated policies, which ensured that they received maximum respect and loyalty from the non-whites. Additionally, considering the civilization standards and technological power, they surpass both the natives and their counterparts.

Due to the fear of excommunication or punishment directed to the non-whites, most people became submissive and obeyed all orders. This notion enhanced the superiority complex of the whites with regard to the access of multiple resources.

As time progressed, the aborigines endured more undermining through the displacement from the non-productive regions as they had valuable resources. On this note, the aborigines as well as the non-whites did not have the chance to settle. They suffered forceful working in the mining industries. The exploitation became prevalent and any incidence of upheaval was tackled to avoid any further attempts. During this period, the non-whites as well as the aborigines gained low wages and worked in considerably un-conducive environments.

The legal system of the country favored the rights of the whites while undermining the non-whites. As witnessed from the increase in the number of the immigrants and aborigines, the whites ensured that they received minimal levels of education as to warrant literacy. Similarly, from the low wages gained, they could not access multiple social amenities that would have improved their standards of living (Lyons & Russell, 2005, p. 98).

Furthermore, the fact they were limited to access urban areas promoted the need to confine them in reserves to prevent any access to information. On this note, the non-whites had to obtain authority from the whites in order to conduct any social or economical practice like marriage or the selling of property. This practice was considerably detrimental to the rights of the non-whites under oppression for capitalist sake.

In the event that half-cast children were born between the whites and the non-whites, they gained minimal privileges to obtain low levels of education that would enable them work as subordinates for the whites. Under this position, they obtained low wages and benefits. They were not equal to the whites.

In terms of the social amenities like the health care system, the non-whites lacked such chances and their infancy and seniors mortality rates were considerably high. The need for such practices was to ensure they did not surpass the whites in terms of power and number.

Overtime, the new immigrants rights to obtain Australian citizenship was restricted. The adoption of the immigration act, which solely allowed the whites to become citizens, facilitated this cause. With this policy, the number of the immigrants from Asia, Africa and the pacific islands considerably declined.

This facilitated the prevention of the dissemination of knowledge, which would have lead to uprisings for the workers rights in terms of pay and working conditions (Welsh, 1996, p. 58). For those who had acquired citizenship, the concerned authorities prohibited the right to vote or participate in any crucial government activity. As a result, the whites could control the non-whites and receive maximum attention to warrant their capitalist development.

At the beginning of the 20^th century, the whites realize the need to relax their stringent laws, which promoted racism provisions. Nevertheless, the complete elimination of racism was unsuccessful since the superiority complex among the whites was still rampant. The low access of the aborigines and non-whites to employment benefits demonstrated this scenario.

Moreover, all the other institutions lead by the whites still displayed the monoculture prevalent among the whites. For the non-whites, especially from Asia and the pacific islands, the whites mono- culture lead to minimal assimilation as witnessed from their retention of the original languages other than English.

After the end of the Second World War, the whites once again had to relaxed their policies and laws to reduce the level of oppression against the non-whites. The need for labor after the war in order to continue with the capitalist goals promoted this fact. In this regard, the government attempted to assimilate all the cultures to the white Australians culture to enhance equality and economic growth.

The promotion of the Australian nationalism among all the cultures in the country facilitated this cause (Berra & M 1998, p. 75). Nevertheless, the aborigines remained a marginalized community since they continued to stay in the reserves where they had little access to education and resources.

During this period, the working conditions improved and all Australians had similar access to employment benefits. For the aborigines, they still became victims of discriminations since their practices remained traditional and had not fully embraced the civilization initiated by the whites.

At the start of the 1960s, the federal government identified the need for equality among all its citizens and restructured its policies and laws to accommodate various cultures in the country. Despite this effort, some states still became adamant to the changes and promoted inequality through discrimination against the aborigines.

The practices perpetuated by the leaders in power influenced government policies. Some of the rampant practices included the denial of employment benefits and access to other social amenities for the aborigines. Repeatedly, the aborigines had low access to education and this contributed to their vulnerability to such vices. Concerning the seniors, their employment benefits suffered reduction to limit their access to the most basic social necessities.

After all the states had adopted the federal government of equality for all, the aborigines remained the victims of circumstances since they have not been civilized fully. Most of the individuals in power are the whites who have considerable influence on any social changes that occur within the government.

Nevertheless, the assimilation of the aborigines to the white Australians, in most states, has remained immense. As a result, they have had influence on the government to the extent of realizing a coalition government, which address most of the inequalities. The coalition government, specifically the labor government, has aimed to resolve the aborigine problem and facilitate their assimilation among the people of the country (Berra & M 1998, p. 114).

Due to the negative attitude possessed by the whites in government towards the aborigines, any opportunity that presents to them exploits their rights while promoting the whites interests. In this regard, it shows the level of disparity that still exists towards the inferior group on matters of addressing capitalists interests.

For both the aborigines and the non-whites, the whites still blame them on matters of the government failure to address the nationwide issues. From the increase in job insecurity, low wages and poor working conditions for all Australians, the non-whites take this blame due to the competition they have created leading to further discriminations against them.

As indicated by the mortality rates of the aborigines held in custody unlike other citizens, it reveals the extent of discrimination attributed to them. Similarly, the aborigines are mainly the victims of crime due to the economic challenges that they suffer and the low literacy levels. Thus, poverty and suffering will invariably hinder their change towards better living standards.

Most of the individuals in the government not form the aborigines community continue to victimize the aborigines due the belief of their supremacy. This is depicted in the mortality rates of the aborigines who die 20 years younger than the other Australians (Low 2002, p. 98).Additionally, they are imprisoned 20 times more than the non-native Australians. In this regard, they receive minimal levels of education, which hamper their living standards.

Finally, considering the diversity of the Australian culture since 1788, people have continually changed and assimilated new cultures. Through this process, racism has been the main concern over the conformation to equality. However, the people have accepted the prevailing conditions and formed the new culture of white Australians.

References

Berra, T. M 1998, A natural history of Australia. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.

Low, T 2002, Feral future: the untold story of Australias exotic invaders, University of Chicago Press ed. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Lyons, M., & Russell, P 2005, Australias history: themes and debates. University of New South Wales Press, Sydney, NSW.

Vasta, E., & Castles, S 1996, The teeth are smiling: the persistence of racism in multicultural Australia. Allen & Unwin, St. Leonards, NSW.

Welsh, F 1996, Australia: a new history of the great southern land. Overlook Press, Woodstock, NY.

In discussions that touch on race relations, understanding what is meant by specific terms is important. Race implies that the origin of human beings is common and that they originate from a common species. As a result, human beings are equal and any variations in what they achieve are based on economic, geographical, social, historical and cultural factors.

Racism is described as any attitude or deed done either consciously or unconsciously with the intentions of subordinating individuals or groups on the basis of race or the color of their skin. It can be perpetrated institutionally or at an individual level. Racial discrimination is therefore the act of treating an individual or groups of individuals on the basis of their race.

Power is critical in racial discrimination because the practice relies on the capacity to withhold or deny facilities, opportunities, social benefits and services that individuals are entitled to.

Racial discrimination is a problem that has existed in the US for many years. The victims of the practice have always been the colored communities who include Native Americans, Asian Americans and African Americans. The practice has caused these groups of people to suffer by being denied privileges and opportunities they deserve.

There are many factors that have been contributing towards the practice both from within the communities and outside. The first factor is competition for resources. Due to the large number of members of the communities in the US, competition for the scarce resources has been stiff. As a result, some communities have been discriminating against the colored individuals in order to deny them opportunities and privileges.

The second factor that leads to racial discrimination in the US is historic prejudice. Prejudice is the prior judging of individuals or forming wrong opinions about them without full knowledge about them or understanding them fully. In the US, there has always been prejudice against the colored population.

These individuals have been discriminated on the basis of their color without trying to understand them and what they are capable of doing. This racial discrimination has caused them to suffer as a result of being denied privileges enjoyed by other Americans.

The third factor that has been encouraging racial discrimination is the need for certain groups of people to dominate the colored population and make them less influential. Domination over them has been associated with social, economic and political benefits for the dominant groups.

This has caused the religious and spiritual traditions among the communities to take the issue seriously hence they have been looking for ways of reducing it. Religion has been a powerful way of dealing with racial discrimination because it has been influencing many people

In a bid to deal with the problem, religious bodies in the US have been campaigning for the need to treat colored communities equally. One of the ways through which they have been conducting the campaigns has been through educating members of the particular communities the need to co-exist as brothers and sisters without discriminating one another. In order to fight discrimination from the other individuals, it has been important for them to counter the practice from within.

They have been able to do this by agitating for their rights through different channels including the media. In addition, there are government policies that have been guaranteeing all citizens regardless of their color the privilege to enjoy the rights enjoyed by the rest of the citizens. By doing this, they have been able to reduce racial discrimination to a great extent.

Reference

Jaimes, A. (1992). The State of Native America: genocide, colonization, and resistance. New York: south End Press.

Laszloffy and Hardy (2000) have written an article devoted to the problems of addressing racism in family therapy. The article discusses in detail the classifications of discrimination which are three in number.

The authors of the article are sure that the awareness of the type of the racism people suffer from may help in solving some problems concerning discrimination. Trying to help people in their discrimination problems, Laszloffy and Hardy (2000) recommend to check racial awareness of a person and racial sensitivity.

Racial awareness should deal with understanding the fact that races exist and it is a norm. Racial sensitivity at the individual level is an opportunity to be able to restrict from the opinion of the society and to consider race without prejudice and discrimination.

Covert or overt discrimination presents an attitude to the races, either hidden or open. Individual or institutional discrimination show the number of people (either selected personalities or ethnical groups in general) are under the discrimination. And intentional and unintentional types of discrimination show human desire either to treat people differently or not.

These three classifications are really important for family therapy as being aware of the source of the problem and the ways how people treat other races, discrimination may be easily eliminated. The author of the article pointed at the most frequent problems (marriage of people of different races) and their desire to have a strong family.

Such people usually have covert unintentional discrimination which is easily solved by means of reading specific publications of the similar cases which have been successfully considered or attending cross racial cultural event which is really useful in the problem. Laszloffy and Hardy (2000) also referred to the possibility to shape between the reality and the imagined world with racial issues.

Akintunde (2006) points to the changes which have occurred in the modern world with the technology development. The author states that the problem of racial education is important even in the world where equal relationships are a norm.

The spread of the distance learning online has created the necessity to create the courses of racial learning through World Wide Web. Akintunde (2006) dwells upon overt and covert, individual and institutional, intentional and unintentional types of discrimination and the ways how teachers may helps students understand the material online.

The main technique the author of the article proposes to use is the reflection on the situation. Having explained the types of discrimination (where overt and covert one points to the open or hidden racism, individual and institutional show either a person considers biased just a particular person or a group of people, and intentional/unintentional type of racism where racial discrimination either depends on the desire of a human being or not), the author recommends to describe the case study and help students identify the types of discrimination and explain the types of racism presented.

Students are not only identifying the types of racism but also reflect on the case study trying to express their opinion. In this case a teacher will see the attitude to racism of students and will be able to act in accordance with the situation. The article is a good source of information for those who want to teach students the types of discrimination in the modern world and the way how the data should be presented.

Reference List

Akintunde, O. (2006). Diversity.Com: Teaching an Online Course on White Racism and Multiculturalism. Multicultural Perspectives, 8(2), 35-45.

Laszloffy, T. A., & Hardy, K.V. (2000). Uncommon strategies for a common problem: addressing racism in family therapy. Family Process, 39(1), 35-50.

The birdcage clearly illustrates Tatums idea of that members of the oppressed group always believe the distorted messages that others hold about their own group. In this comparison, a critical analysis reveals that the oppressed group does not always have a wider perspective view of their situation.

Instead, they have a narrow and fixed view of their situations. This makes them unable to see the sense in the whole activity. Remarkably, the lack of macroscopic view of the entire situations results to immobility and reduction among the womenfolk (Rothenberg, 2010). For example, the case of a burdened man hurrying to open doors for able-bodied women who are free of physical burdens.

Although the woman can shallowly view the man as caring, but in reality, this scenario portrays the woman as invisible and incompetent, thus needs help. To prove this, when a woman may require substantial assistance, there will be no man ready to offer support. Ironically, the womenfolk adore men who offer useless support.

Some of the instances that can be compared to the bars of the cage include scenarios where the people who are oppressed assume that nothing is happening, and participate in their oppression either directly or indirectly. For instance, women who are oppressed have to smile and be cheerful for them to be accepted in the society.

According to the oppressors, women should be docile and submissive to their men; therefore, they pretend to be happy even at a time when they feel oppressed (Rothenberg, 2010). In addition, women struggle to protect their livelihoods by avoiding countering oppressive situations for them not be viewed as angry, bitter, and dangerous.

Clearly, the women conform to these notions in order to be seen as good people in the society. They view themselves as sub human beings, the invisibles who do not occupy space. As a result, they contribute towards their elimination.

Moreover, young women in the U.S. frequently scorn their fellow female friends who are heterosexually active. These women view the sexually active fellows as loose and unprincipled. On the other hand, young females who restrain themselves from sexual activity receive negative comments from their parents, claiming that they may become unpopular.

Worst still, these group of females may be charged with lesbianism. In addition, there is a presumption that if a heterosexually active woman is raped, she liked the ordeal due to her active status (Rothenberg, 2010).

However, for heterosexually inactive female, rape is presumed to be due to her frustration and repression; therefore, she liked it. It is obviously difficult to defend ones self in such a society with a rotten and fixed mind. Since the society accepts these conditions and are not rebellious, these scenarios reveal a strong belief among the oppressed members in the distorted messages.

A person who is caged can either accept and conform to the distorted messages or decide to only alienate himself/herself from the misconceptions and search for the reality with an independent mind that is, they take the responsibility of finding the truth. In Beverly Daniel Tatums article, an example of a caged individual who decided not to change was the newly trained English teacher who held the opinion that there are no black authors.

Another example is that of the four-year old kids in preschool. When they were asked to draw an Indian, all their pictures had feathers and weapons, which indicated aggressive and violent individuals. These misconceptions are not due to some peoples fault, but it is the societal set up that has the stereotyping messages against some groups. Some of the people who have internalised the distorted messages can even refer to other human beings as uncivilised, uncultured, barbaric, and backward.

These groups of people can even view themselves as superior beings while others are animals. On the other hand, some people who critical and creative thinkers will have to doubt their own mindsets and the societal perceptions. In this process, they will subject their thoughts to an autonomous analysis to prove their validity and truth.

Afterwards, they will only hold what they have their evidence as true and discard those that do not have solid facts. An example is the narration by a white woman on how she enjoyed some privileges because of the colour of her skin but not because of whom she was (Rothenberg, 2010). She felt guilty and cheated even though she received such favours; she felt sympathetic for the blacks.

The above phenomena can affect the life of affected individuals. There are two groups: the victims and the actors. A victim who is racially abused can even die if the society does not develop mechanisms to mitigate such oppressive behaviours. There can be constant stigmatization in terms of colour of the skin, gender, and religious affiliation.

Further, the victims can lose their self-esteem hence perform poorly in the learning centres. The actors, on the other hand, may develop a fixed mind on different ideologies. For example, in Tatums article there were two white students who argued over Cleopatra being a Black woman or a White woman.

Notably, one of the students said that Cleopatra was not a Black because she was beautiful. This is quite astonishing on the students perception about blacks. Evidently, these students have a different notion of beautiful people.

Reference

Rothenberg, P. S. (2010). Race, Class, and Gender in the United States (8th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.

Abstract

The theory of institutional racism is frequently used in the field of sociology to explain any type of system of inequity that is based on race. The theory explains how race is used to differentiate society, particularly the institutions of government, private enterprises and institutions of higher learning, such as universities and colleges.

An activist group led by Stokely Carmichael, referred to as Black Power, first used institutional racism in 1960s. A report investigating the death of a black citizen defined institutional racism as the collective failure of an organization, particularly governmental organizations, to offer adequate and specialized services to citizens mainly because of their skin color, civilization and ethnic background.

Since then, sociologists have used the theory to establish the effects of ethnicity in society. For instance, material and social resources are distributed based on racial lines, something that hinders the fulfillment of goals and objectives among a section of the population. In 1990s, the theory took a new shape when blacks and other minority groups pressurized the government to exercise fairness in the labor market.

Currently, the theory is used to explain racial injustices in organizations, given the fact that institutions have failed to stem out racism. This paper will attempt to analyze how institutional racism affects an individuals opportunities in life. This means that the theory influences other subjects, particularly economics. The paper will go ahead to explain how the theory is used in the field of political economy.

Introduction

Institutional racism can be defined as the degree of difference to access of goods, services and opportunities in society. In the American society, the practice is common in the institutions of government, making it hard to rectify the mess. The situation is worsened by the acts of conformers and newcomers since they do not think of other strategies that would help stem out the vice.

In the American society, the government cannot claim to fight racism, given the fact that a single or identified perpetrator cannot be traced. Therefore, it could be concluded that racism has turned out to be a collective action of the American society. Scholars observe that three forms of racism exist, including personally mediated racism, internalized racism and institutionalized racism.

Mediated racism consists of specific social perspectives that are inborn, which facilitate racially prejudiced acts (Dupre 56). This would include differences in abilities, motives and aspirations. It would also incorporate discrimination whereby an individual develops certain forms of actions towards others, considering that they belong to different races.

Racism has led to the emergence of some antisocial acts such as stereotyping, which is defined as commission and omission social acts. This may perhaps entail disregard, distrust, depreciation and dehumanization of other individuals in society who do not belong to ones race. Internalized racism is a scenario whereby members of the inferior race accept their position in society, as people with low social statuses.

This acceptance is characterized by negative acuities concerning their own capabilities, fundamental values characterized by low confidence, and little respect of other members belonging to his or her race. Such form of racism amounts to stratification based on skin complexion, self-devaluation, such as cultural insults, monikers, negative response towards own culture, acquiescence, defenselessness and despondency.

For school going children, they might end up dropping out of school while other members of black race might end up boycotting political processes such as voting (Naughton 68). Another section of society consisting of inferior races may end up engaging in health-risk practices such as rape, drug abuse and kidnapping. This paper will analyze how all these affect economic prosperity of the nation.

Institutionalized Racism in the US

Institutional racism stems from importunate pessimistic stereotypes, which would as well as affect interpersonal relations in social interactions. It is proved beyond doubt that social labeling amounts to racial residential segregation, meaning those believed to be from superior races would have better chances of living comfortable lives that is, in well-established residential areas.

State authorities usually neglect those perceived to be from inferior races meaning they might find themselves living in remote areas with appalling conditions. Minority races are associated with social evils such as rape, kidnapping, mugging and drug trafficking. Furthermore, policy formulators and implementers are usually influenced by race in their process of policymaking.

White Americans have a tendency to believe that blacks and Latinos are lazy individuals, who are less intelligent preferring to engage in shortcuts, such as robbery, instead of working hard to achieve their dreams. This makes it hard for Whites to associate well with both blacks and Latinos.

Institutional racism is different from racial bigotry because institutional racism is supported by the government through formulation of policies that infringe on the rights of minority races.

In the US, the government has propagated the formation of policies that would always subjugate the minority races economically and politically. For example, the government has always exercised racial discrimination, particularly in the education sector. The public school budgets have always been discriminatory because the government has been assigning quality teachers to schools perceived to be with many white students.

The education policy recommends that schools should be allocated resources based on property values. It is expected that rich neighborhoods would have many whites hence schools in such areas are allocated quality teachers and enough resources. This would have an implication to the economic lives of individuals because students from such public schools are expected to excel.

Those from poor neighborhoods are given inferior services, including undertrained teachers and few resources. This would definitely lead to dismal performance among students from minority races. Such students will end up in mid-level colleges that would only guarantee them low paying jobs, as compared to their white counterparts who join prestigious universities, offering well paying courses in the labor market.

Institutionalized racism borrows heavily from the system theory, which argues racism stems from a number of mutual cumulative aspects. Systems theory does not subscribe to the postulations of reductionists but instead believes in the interactions among institutions, which leads to widespread structural racism.

From the systems theory, it is true that social class theory, as formulated by scholars such as Karl Marx and Max Weber, is directly related to racism. In the US, property appraisal system was formulated in 1930s and was incorporated into the governments lending system.

The system was purely based on race meaning members from the minority race could not access loans using the same techniques as the whites, who were the majority.

This could be interpreted to mean only whites were eligible to apply for governmental loans since their properties were rated highly, as compared to those of blacks and Latinos.

Relationship between Institutionalized Racism and Marxs Economic Theory

In economics, financial aspects are usually taught in isolation meaning that politics is to be separated from economics. However, economic life cannot be understood without understanding social and political forces that affect the lives of the minority races in the US and other parts of the world.

Economists could not predict the 1997 economic meltdown in the Asian continent because they failed to incorporate other theories from other disciplines in their investigations. The 2007 global cash crunch was not exceptional because economists did not predict it at all. For economists, they believed capitalism would go on uninterrupted.

In fact, economists gave wrong results in 1998 since they predicted that financial growth of the Asian continent would expand. Economists misled investors to believe that their stocks would generate more profits, which would be used to expand their business elsewhere. In fact, many people lost their capital through defective economic predictions.

Economists utilize mathematical figures and statistics to predict the performance of financial systems. Mostly, they would use graphs and charts to show how economic aspects would be realized. Marx however formulated a theory that would predict economic performance from a human perspective. Marx analyzed the relationships between people and classes.

In this regard, he interpreted the economy to mean a struggle between races, classes and age groups. The economy, according to Marx, is full of contradictions and uncertainties meaning that it is subject to constant changes. In this paper, the theory of Marx shows that economics is not about goods, prices or supply and demand but it is all about people, as well as their social relationships.

It is established that a section of society owns wealth while the other section owns nothing, apart from their labor (Hallman 44). The owners of the means of production are referred to as the bourgeoisies while the working class is the proletariat.

The owners of the means of production utilize their power to subjugate and dominate the inferior class, which is the minority race in the US. Life is all about production and distribution of scarce goods and resources. From the above analysis, it is true that economics should be understood to mean political and social struggles in life.

Marx started his analysis of economic aspects by first appreciating the existence of classical economic theories. Adams Smith and David Ricardo supported new industrialization and the banking system. However, they did not appreciate the fact that the two sectors were dominated by a single race. Other races were incorporated into the two sectors as underdogs.

They came up with a labor theory of value suggesting that the working class was an important element in any production system. The two economics scholars observed that the value of a product would be determined by the amount of time spent in producing it. In this regard, all commodities would be sold based on the labor applied in producing it.

Smith never explained some of the important concepts because he only suggested that the commodity or a service would be sold based on its production costs. However, he did not explain the relationship between the worker and the capitalist. Ricardo came up with another concept that affected the lives of workers in the 19^th century.

He argued that workers were spending little time in producing goods and services hence their wages had to decline (Lockheed 19). Marx capitalized on the findings of Ricardo to claim that workers were being robbed of their skills. Following widespread complaints concerning exploitation, economists rejected the labor theory of value, given the fact that it exposed the secrets of the bourgeoisie to the proletariat.

Marx conducted a private and extensive research to define the concept labor. Marx came up with a perfect answer to issues to do with socio-economic and political economy. Just like other commodities, labor possesses a use-value meaning various types of labor exist.

Some of the forms of labor are important and rigorous training is needed to achieve such forms while others are simple forms of labor, which is readily available in the labor market. In the US, the readily available labor is more than the skilled labor (Chappell 78). The minority races possess this cheap labor meaning they cannot achieve their dreams through employment.

Marx noted that theoretical aspects and the amount of labor applied in the production process influence the exchange of values of commodities. Marx believed that wages are not determined by the expertise of an individual or the skills applied in the manufacture of the product.

Marx differed with other scholars such as Smith and Ricardo because he believed that use value and exchange value could only be applied in the context of labor. According to this scholar, what mattered most was the ability to work not the skills possessed by an individual. He referred to this as the labor power.

Social classes determine the labor power. Those belonging to the white race have higher labor power as compared to peasants belonging to the inferior races, such as African, Asian and Latino.

Race, Ethnicity, Discrimination and Stereotyping

Racial and ethnical discrimination and stereotypes are some of the issues that affect economic capabilities of individuals. In this section, we are going to address the issues of race and ethnicity and define and analyze the components of discrimination and stereotyping.

Contemporary discrimination practices have their roots in the history of development of the United States and closely related to American anti-Semitism that was part of the late-nineteenth century racism emigrant from all parts of the world, as well as African Americans, Native Americans and Mexicans.

The discriminatory treatment included closing the doors to immigration from Europe and Mexicans, between 1882 and 1927. Contemporary discriminatory practices are similar for African Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans; they include denying equal access to opportunities, certain housing areas or membership in social organizations.

In the contemporary society, there is still a room for hidden forms of racism against ethnic groups mentioned earlier. The situation has changed since the early 1990s, when blatant racism was more common for them.

Barriers to Implementation of Policies

Various interpretations of the terms race and ethnicity can lead to the types of discrimination identified in the first section. Thus, race is often associated with physical specifications such as skin color, and ethnicity is defined through the background, historical or cultural aspects of an individual. Historically, people created various forms of prejudices about race and ethnicity.

Thus, the prejudice that African Americans are low-intelligent race leads to the institutional and employment discrimination. There are two models (social and biological), according to which race and ethnicity are defined. Both of them state that there are dominant and subjective race. However, they have considerable gaps.

For example, from the biological perspective, all people have the same construction and functions of the body and it is ridiculous to distribute people into different races. From the social perspective, all people are members of the society they live in and live according to the same social rules, thus, this gap in the sociological model cannot properly reflect race and ethnic identity.

There are voluntary and involuntary models used to promote discrimination. Separatism model suggests that racial groups should be segregated from the rest of society. Assimilation model is associated with the issue of racial supremacy. For example, it defines what races are allowed to assimilate with the dominant culture, and what races will not fit social and political standards of the dominant race.

Pluralistic model define a racial group as a distinguished one and, according to Naughton (14), groups will not dissolve into an anodyne melting pot, but individuals will have considerable leeway in deciding how and how much group identity matters to their lives.

Thus, racial profiling contributes to personal, spiritual, political, and procedural conflicts identified in the previous chapter. For example, as it has already been mentioned, the PATRIOT Acts provisions are discriminatory and leave many individuals especially aliens vulnerable to harassment and torture (Ewing 12).

The race of the individual becomes an identification used to attribute him/her to terrorists. Moreover, federal agencies have right to freeze bank accounts of persons perceived as terrorist, it a form of racial discrimination as well. This analysis can be helpful in addressing the issue racism in the United States.

It is necessary to consider the diverse nature of employees within organizations, as well as people in communities, schools and other organizations. Racial prejudices should not be issues for classifying people in bad and good ones. In addition, international relations should be improved with diplomacy being preferred instead of military confrontations based on racial diversity.

Race and ethnic identity of a person is often a reason for social discrimination. The PATRIOT Act should find different approaches to international relations so that prevent racial and ethnic discrimination.

Conclusion

The problem of Ethnicity and race is a big challenge to the policymakers both in private and public organizations. It is an issue that has threatened to divide the country into various subcultures because every ethnic group and race identifies itself with certain distinct features.

The government officials have found it hard to come up with strategies that are all encompassing mainly because of the continued resistance from some groups feeling that their interests are well catered in the plans. In general, the government is trying but more effort has to be put for there to be equality and equity in distribution of both material and non-material resources.

It can be concluded that ethnic and racial groupings cannot be eliminated in the country but instead it can be engaged to function positively. The policymakers should conduct an extensive research to identify how racial groupings have affected the development of the country.

Upon the findings, the government should design policies based on the findings. The issue of extending favors to racial members at workplaces should be discouraged and severe measures ought to be formulated to deal with the problem.

Works Cited

Chappell, Marissa. The war on welfare: family, poverty, and politics in modern America. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2010. Print.

Dupre, Ben. Fifty Philosophy Ideas You Really Need to Know, New York: Quercus, 2007. Print.

Ewing, Doyle. The USA Patriot Act Reader, New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2005. Print.

Hallman, Max. Traversing Philosophical Boundaries, New York: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007. Print.

Lockheed, Marlaine. Gender and social exclusion. Paris: Education Policy series publishers, 2010. Print.

Naughton, John. From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg. What You Really Need to Know about the Internet, New York: Quercus, 2012. Print.

Introduction

Many studies that have been conducted to investigate the causes of poor performance outcomes among African-American students, especially those who come from poor economic backgrounds (DeCuir-Gunby, 2009). Racism has been recognized as a major cause of unsatisfactory academic performances. Some researches to investigate the causes of low grades have focused on institutionalized racism (DeCuir-Gunby, 2009). This paper focuses on investigating the effects of racism among African-American adolescents at school level vis-a-vis performances.

Research question

What are the effects of racism on academic outcomes among African-American learners?

Literature review

Racial ideologies and segregation influence academic performances of African-American adolescents. In addition, there is the development of fears in relation to self-concept, which leads to low self-esteem (DeCuir-Gunby, 2009). This has made them perform poorer than it has made their counterpart whites. Black students have been denied rights to use informal elements of education that are crucial to good performance outcomes (Walton & Cohen, 2011). They do not have access to teaching aids that are important in learning, especially those who come from poor economic backgrounds (Walton & Cohen, 2011). A black learner would find it difficult to interact with a white student to access the informal materials. Critical information from the administration and faculties is not availed to black adolescent students (Walton & Cohen, 2011).

Data and methods

The representative sample was made up of 150 students from African-American high school adolescents. The population was from different schools. The sample was made up of students aged between 15-17. Both males and females were represented reasonably in the sample. Data collected focused on racial perception, interactions, and favoritism experiences among the blacks. Questionnaires were administered to the interviewees.

Strengths

Most learners who participated in the study responded to the questions without any problems. There were clarifications from the interviewees to gain more data. In addition, discoveries were made with regard to how students considered and felt about particular topics, and why they thought that their views were correct.

Weaknesses

The method required many questionnaires, which were difficult to administer. The method was time-consuming, i.e., interviewing, analyzing data, and reporting took a lot of time.

Findings

Black adolescents who were experiencing difficulties in interacting with white students obtained lower grades than those who easily interacted. In addition, there was a difference in the dependent variable where boys obtained higher grades than girls. Most of the participants reported that their parents and/or guardians had high school certificates and did not have good earnings in relation to white citizens. This indicated that they came from poor economic backgrounds. In most district schools, the schools had 60% whites, 18% blacks, 3% Asian, and 19% other minority races (Walton & Cohen, 2011).

Theory

The study utilized the conflict theory that holds that a society has varying environments (Neblett, Philip, Cogburn & Sellers, 2006). In this context, the black students were the weak, while the strong were the white learners, and all of them were struggling for education (Neblett et al., 2006). This is contrary to symbolic interactionist and functionalist theories that concentrate on affirmative characteristics of a community that lead to its security.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are adverse effects of racism on academic outcomes of African-American adolescents at school level. Therefore, governments should intervene and make regulations that will promote performance outcomes of black students. In addition, they should equip the students with learning materials.

References

DeCuir-Gunby, J. T. (2009). A review of the racial identity development of African American adolescents: The role of education. Review of Educational Research, 79(1), 103-124.

Neblett, E. W., Philip, C. L., Cogburn, C. D., & Sellers, R. M. (2006). African American adolescents discrimination experiences and academic achievement: Racial socialization as a cultural compensatory and protective factor. Journal of Black psychology, 32(2), 199-218.

Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2011). A brief social-belonging intervention improves academic and health outcomes of minority students. Science, 331(6023), 1447-1451.

The aspect of racism in institutions of higher learning is dealt with in its early stages considering that the universities shape the discourse of the society as a major agent of socialization. Perpetuation of racism in these two institutions discussed has consequences.

Having received appointment from the Alberta provincial government to reduce racism in Alberta there are two institutions, which would receive first priority in this matter. The first institution is the University of Alberta, which is a major institution, and it is one of the areas in Alberta with high concentration of the minorities because either the minority populations come here for further studies or they work within the city of Alberta.

The other institution, which would receive priority, is the University of York, which is an institution accused by certain quarters of having racist environment, and even one of its students newspapers had a series of jokes that are termed as racist. These two institutions are of strategic importance in the adoption and implementation of measures and policies against racism (Kobayashi, 2003).

After choosing the institutions, the second step as person appointed to reduce racism would be in ensuring that the environment in those institutions is accommodative to students or any other minority person. The environment in this case regards the people and the surroundings such as the policies and the institutions rules and regulations. Fortunately, currently there are no rules in both institutions described as discriminatory. Therefore, the most important thing would be ensuring that the rules are followed and no one is allowed to discriminate based on race.

In addition, it is a well-known fact that racism develops because of ignorance of other peoples culture and lack of non-biased interaction. To deal with this unawareness of other peoples culture the first step will involve introducing a compulsory and examinable unit called multiculturalism that will involve studying literature from all over the world especially from Africa and Asia. This will be necessary in providing the students with the necessary information about other races.

Interaction is also a major aspect of dealing with racism. Ensuring that there is constancy and in this case, positive contact with people from different races is a major issue in reducing racism. There should be a policy where students distribution in hostels is in a manner that promotes integration and interaction between people of different races. This means that for every one black student there will be five white students in that hostel.

This will ensure the white students will interact with the black students. Lecturers will also participate in this program by creating group tasks and assignments, where these groups will incorporate students from all races. This cooperation of working together to handle tasks and assignments will go a long way in reducing racism (Bonita & Dua, 2000).

As a way of reducing racism, the students will also participate in co curricula activities where these activities will be in teams. These will be important in creating an atmosphere of multicultural awareness, which leads to appreciation of diversity. Activities such as music festivals and art festivals where students from different racial background come with their art or their music and present it to others in a non-biased environment will ensure significant reduction of racism.

Racism in the two universities will be rampant and dealing with it calls for positive appreciation of other people irrespective of their color or background. These views need adoption early in life so that it will not be hard to appreciate others later in life.

Racism in University faculties that focus on colored lecturers need containment because they are also entitled to freedom and right of appreciation just like other members of faculty. These essays look into the mechanisms adopted by Grant Mc Ewan in an effort to reduce racism.

This other part will deal the measures, which the staff will adopt to deal with racism and in the university faculties and departments of Grant Mc Ewan University. The first measure for adoption in an attempt to achieve racial equity is to ensure that there is racial representation in the university faculties and departments. This representation is important in ensuring that the voices and opinions of minorities receive attention. Without proper representation, the discriminative actions are likely to continue in the university.

The issue of discriminatory actions taken against the staff or the students who are colored needs evaluation. This is because there is a tendency for the minority to feel that they are being discriminated by the education board especially because there is no one of their color in those boards.

Therefore, to eliminate such feelings, the disciplinary committee of Grant Mc Ewan University needs an overhaul or to include colored person in that committee. This will ensure that there is fairness of judgment and the suspension or any disciplinary action taken against a student is not based on color. This will ensure that the cases of indiscipline from colored students especially from black community reduce significantly (Bonita & Dua, 2000).

The university should also adopt policies to criminalize acts of racism. This is very important in ensuring that the environment is for everyone and there is no one who is endangered or threatened based on race. Issues such as racial graffiti threatening with an intention to demean students or lecturers of any race require little or no tolerance.

Disciplinary measures should be taken against anyone who is perpetrating such activities. This is because such graffiti or racially biased messages and threats affect the learning environment and increase racial tension between students of different races (Bonita & Dua, 2000).

The need to recognize students and lecturers that have contributed in the world of academia is very important in reducing racial discrimination in Mc Ewan University. This is because the colored staff indicates that their papers are not appreciated like those of white lecturers.

They are criticized, which indicate that their papers are political, or racially inclined especially when they are about social issues. The University has to put in place policies that entitle everyone to unbiased critique especially on academic journals (Bonita & Dua, 2000).

Race based statistics or studies with an aim of portraying one race of community as lesser than the others require abolishment. Positive studies that aim at promoting cohesion and interrelationship between people of different races need applause and encouragement. The lack of unbiased studies is one of the major reasons why stereotypes concerning race still exist (Bonita & Dua, 2000).

The leadership policies in the university also require changes. The changes are usually in writing but their implementations take a long time. They involve the need to ensure that leaders of department and faculties are chosen because of merit rather than race.

There have been cases where competent lecturers who would have played such roles did not receive appointment and their juniors in terms of experience and achievements were appointed based on their race. This promotes racial biasness and racial tension within an institution (Bonita & Dua, 2000).

The minorities also need platforms where their opinions and feelings receive attention and expression just like anyones feelings, ideas, and thoughts. If it is in a students magazine, it should be mandatory for such a magazine to have a writer from the minority community especially the black community. In addition, such platforms need prohibition from use as a basis or a platform of perpetrating racial hatred and bias (Bonita & Dua, 2000).

The institution should also have literature and books, which represent racial equity and the library, should not have only European literature and books. The literature from other parts of the world should be available to provide the necessary environment, which is multicultural and does not discriminate anyone (Bonita & Dua, 2000).

Racism in university faculties shows the gravity of racism in Canada as a whole as one would expect that the university is a place where the intellectuals shape the society. Reports of racism are indeed worrying as they show how racism is prevalent in the gutter. The above recommendations are necessary in creation of an equitable society with no discrimination.

Racism permeates every aspect of Canadian education. One would expect that the education system as a major agent of socialization would be the last in perpetuation of racism. However, there are many instances where the school curriculum promotes racism.

This topic is compelling because Canada just as most of the developed nations all over the world has endowment of people from all over the world. Some are the majority, indigenous people, minorities, as well as immigrants. It is therefore important to address the issue, which affects them all.

Therefore, it is imperative to see how racism permeates Canadian educational institutions. The education systems are very important as the agents of socialization other than family and religion. The concepts, which are acquired in school, have a great influence on perceptions and interactions with others (Kobayashi, 2003).

A number of things evidence the issue of racism in Canadian education. The first evidence of this bias is the literature studies in schools. This literature establishes biased notions which are transmitted to students at a young age and if they are not corrected this is the meaning they will live with. Books such as merchant of Venice have bias against some races such as the Jews through portrait of Shylock and against blacks through the portrait of the prince of Morocco (Kobayashi, 2003).

The curriculum development in Canada is one of the perpetrators of racism in the country. This is because much of the literature provided is racial with an intention to portray some races positively in comparison with others. One cannot therefore explain why there is no literature authored by a black person, which has ever been mandatory for the students curricula. This means that the curriculum does not expose the black lifestyle and value to the other cultures. This is not because that there are no aspects of the culture, which are not worth of study, but it is because the formulators of the curriculum are racially biased (Kobayashi, 2003).

There are stereotypes, which students come with from home and are preconceived notions of how an individual will behave based on race. When students and teachers come to school with such notions and the school authorities go ahead and declare such notions as the truth, the reality is that racism will still thrive. Examples of such notions include blacks are criminals, the indigenous people are alcoholics and that the whites are superior.

When the teacher or the school does not provide avenue for students from different races to interact with each other and do away with such notions, they will engrave the notions in the mind of the students (Kobayashi, 2003). In the institutions of higher learning, there is a tendency to provide or to hold surveys based on race. These race-based surveys perpetrate racism especially when they are intended to show that one race is superior or inferior to the other.

The discourse of race is one of the issues in many countries and it requires sobriety in dealing with it in an effective way. This essay has discussed various ways of minimizing racism and promoting multiracial coexistence in the schools. Overhauling the whole school curriculum and adopting a multicultural curriculum will certainly make the young children appreciate people from all races without bias.

The ways of dealing with racism have always existed but putting those policies and recommendations seems easier said than done. Self-will and the ability to accept everyone as equal irrespective of color or background are the most important virtues, which will help the implementation of such policies.

References

Bonita, L. & Dua, E. (2000). Challenging white hegemony in university classrooms: Whose Canada is it? Ellington: Atlantis.

Kobayashi, A. (2003). GPC ten years on: Is self-reexivity enough? A Journal of Feminist Geography, 10(3), 345349.

Introduction

Racism is the act of disliking, oppressing, and discriminating people of a particular ethnic group because of their inferiority or marginality. Black Americans are the main people who went through brutal acts of slavery and hunger assault in the ancient days. Indeed, human beings do not have the power to choose their races, and neither do they have the power to choose their background. Unfortunately, African Americans became victims of slavery, and they were not happy about it. Through tireless struggles, they opposed racism and fought to gain self-pride and identity.

From a general point of view, racism has reduced significantly, but one cannot rule out that people have eliminated the innate trait of creating boundaries when interacting with people of different races. Although people in the contemporary world regard racism as an ambiguous and outdated subject, the reality is that non-native Americans still experience some form of discrimination in their daily lives. This paper will give a brief literature about racism and the various methods used to carry out the research. Thereafter, the paper will base its discussion on the interviewees answers to address the issue of racism through different perspectives.

Literature Review

People living in the enlightened era can only imagine of the brutality and prejudice that was present in the past. Slave trade was a common business, and Africans would undergo major sufferings besides going for days without sufficient food. Caucasian Americans could always feel superior to the blacks, and they coached their descendants to act in the same way. Since prejudice is a learnt behavior, the Caucasians would adapt the habits of their ancestors and behave in the same way. Children learnt to distinguish colored people at a tender age, and they could always feel superior to them.

The question on whether America has achieved racial equality is unanswered to date. Some people would say that America has indeed achieved racial equality; however, a significant number of people feel that racism still exists because of the illusionary laws that literally discriminate against non-white people. To some extent, public education laws, criminal laws, and laws regarding the voting rights are wanting, as they do very little in rectifying racism (Finch 309). It is discouraging to note that African Americans are always the first suspects of crimes regarding drug trafficking. Although some Caucasian Americans are great drug traffickers, the law enforcers mostly arrest, sentence, and impose harsh penalties to African American suspects instead of acting fairly.

Various scholars have done researches to identify ways to diminish racism. Apparently, introducing a curriculum that supports equality in all educational programs would play a great role in reducing racist behaviors. Open discussions about equality and the possible dangers of discriminating people because of their color would play a great role in enlightening students at an early age. There is a need to educate the youths and ensure that the environment in which they operate supports equality and racial tolerance. It is worth noting that the current youths will form the future generation; therefore, educating them to stop stereotyping colored people would play a significant role in minimizing racism in generations to come.

Over the decades, civil rights movements have tried to improve the situation to ensure that Africans have equal rights to access public utilities. However, there still exists a modern trend of incidental racism in America, where, some races use certain elements to justify their racist behaviors (Tehranian 830).

Theoretical Perspectives

Sociologists have analyzed racism from various perspectives to explain the behavior of the racists. Conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, structural functionalism, and postmodernism are some of the commonest theoretical approaches to explain phenomena in the social world.

Conflict theory tries to explain the disagreements that occur when two parties compete for scarce resources. Conflict arises when the elite people desire to control the poor, weak, and inferior people in the society. Racism occurred because the Caucasian Americans wanted to live comfortably at the expense of the powerless African Americans (Tolnay 221).

The few cases of racism in the current generation occur because of the desire to have the best at the expense of feeble people. The domination affected the Africans to the extent that a conflict arose between the oppressors and the oppressed. For that reason, various racism activists are on the ground fighting for equal rights.

Structural functionalism explains the interdependence that exists between members of a particular society. In any society, people must work and pay taxes to the government. In return, the government offers healthcare, education, and other public services. Unfortunately, cases may occur where there is unequal distribution of the public resources. In this case, racism occurs when people can only access public resources according on their race.

Symbolic Interactionism tries to explain the fact that people attach meaning to what they can see, touch, and feel. For that reason, Caucasian Americans discriminate the African Americans because of their skin color. Caucasians associate the colored people with poverty, slavery, and evil. Therefore, the blacks will always be the first suspects in case of crime. Similarly, postmodernism explains that images and symbols influence the social life of human beings. For that reason, identity comes in and people are able to create reality out of the rational choices that they make. The Caucasians identify themselves as superior to the African Americans, and they desire to demoralize the blacks because of their inferiority.

Research Methods

Racism is a very delicate subject, as it deals with personal matters that affect people in different ways. Therefore, it was very necessary to find appropriate research methods to collect accurate data that would produce decisive results. Personal interviews were among the commonest research methods used to obtain in-depth and comprehensive information from the respondents. The researcher took sufficient time to have a one-to-one chat with the respondents with the aim of obtaining particular answers. The interview pamphlet contained a number of questions to guide the interviewer towards obtaining the needed information without discussing matters that were out of topic.

Firstly, the researcher inquired for information about the demographic characteristics of the respondents before proceeding to the main questions about racism. The questions sought to inquire about the knowledge that the respondent had about racism. The respondents would then describe how racism has affected the United States of America, as well as their opinion on how to punish racists. Although formulating focus groups was sometimes difficult, the few groups that happened to be successful proved to be helpful in exploring the respondents ideas and attitudes.

Observational research method was also important, as the researcher was able to observe the state of affairs without interference. During the observations, the researcher was very keen on noticing any unusual behavior that happened whenever people of different races interacted.

Research Design

The entire research was quite comprehensive, as it required submissiveness while handling the respondents. It was very important to employ the highest level of ethical considerations for the successful completion of the research. Firstly, it was very essential to ensure that the respondents had informed consent before taking part in the study. The researcher handed the respondents a statement that described the main purpose of the research and what it involved. Although there were limited risks, it was very essential to inform the respondents that their responses would be confidential, and in any case, participation was voluntary.

The participants of the study comprised of people of different ages, genders, and races. The researcher selected 10 respondents from various communities in the study region at random. The random selection and inclusion of different kinds of people was very efficient, as it played a great role in achieving randomization. It was very necessary to intermingle with the respondents during the real study to collect observational data.

At some point, the researcher would sit in a strategic viewpoint and observe the target respondents behavior without causing any interference. It was very important to be keen about any unusual behavior that could show any signs of racism. The following questions were very helpful in guiding the researcher to obtain the necessary information from the respondents during the face-to-face interviews.

Demographics information

1. Age, Sex, Ethnicity
2. Nationality, Religion
3. Highest level of education
4. Relationship status

Main questions about racism

1. What is racism?
2. Why is racism bad?
3. How does racism affect the society?
4. How can racism be dangerous?
5. How would you explain racism to a child?
6. How can people diminish racism?
7. How does racism vary?
8. How should the society punish racists?
9. How can you eliminate racism at work?
10. Do you think global racism is getting better or worse? Give reasons.

Data collection

The researcher approached the data collection procedure in a very professional manner. After ensuring that the respondents had informed consent, the researcher proceeded to the data collection procedure. Whenever time allowed, the researcher would carry out face-to-face interviews with the respondents. As the respondents proceeded with their busy schedules during the day, the researcher would sit in a strategic viewpoint and collect visual data as well as observational information. Focus groups proved to be efficient at some point, as they helped in collecting data regarding the respondents ideas and attitudes towards racism. After completing the data collection procedure successfully, the researcher was able to obtain the following data from the 10 respondents.

Respondent one

• Age: 25
• Sex: Female
• Ethnicity: Caucasian American
• Nationality: Native born child
• Religion: Christian
• Highest Education level: College
• Relationship status: Single

Racism is the act of discriminating people because of their skin color and their ethnical background.

Racism is bad because it causes the affected people to have low self-esteem, which reduces their productivity.

Racism affects the United States society by creating classes, where, the immigrants feel oppressed while the Caucasians consider themselves powerful.

Racism can be dangerous if the Native Americans molest the immigrants, and the government takes no action.

I can explain racism to a child as the act of classifying people according to their skin color, and denying them some rights because of their race.

The only way to diminish racism is to advocate for equal rights regardless of the ethnical background of a person.

Racism varies depending on the affected people and the way they perceive the racists.

The society can punish racists by imposing harsh sentences on them.

I can eliminate racism at work by empowering the minority ethnical group and encouraging other employees to treat them with respect.

In my opinion, global racism is getting better because people can now mingle with others regardless of their ethical background.

Respondent two

• Age: 17
• Sex: Male
• Ethnicity: Native American
• Nationality: Native born child
• Religion: None
• Highest Education level: High School
• Relationship status: Single

Racism is discriminating black Americans and white Americans.

Racism is bad because it brings unfairness in the society.

I do not have an idea of how racism affects the society.

Racism can be dangerous if physical wars arise between the blacks and the whites.

I can explain racism to a child as the act of treating colored people unfairly.

Diminishing racism would require the whites to intermarry with the blacks.

Racism varies from one place to another depending on the population of the blacks and whites.

The society can punish racists by imprisoning them for more than ten years.

I can eliminate racism at work by firing racists.

In my opinion, global racism is getting worse because the whites are still powerful than the blacks.

Respondent three

• Age: 43
• Sex: Male
• Ethnicity: African American
• Nationality: Immigrant
• Religion: Christian
• Highest Education level: Masters degree
• Relationship status: Married

Racism is an evil spirit implanted in the Native Americans, as they will always view immigrants as less powerful than the white Americans.

Racism is bad because it encourages unequal distribution of resources.

Racism affects the United States society by reducing the productivity of immigrants, who feel overwhelmed because of discrimination.

Racism can be dangerous if the state takes no initiative to ensure that there is equality.

I can explain racism to a child as the classification of people according to their color with ill motives.

Imposing harsh rules charges against racists would play a great role in diminishing racism.

Racism varies depending on level of discrimination accorded to an individual.

The society can punish racists by rehabilitating and educating them that all people are equal regardless of their color.

I can eliminate racism at work by encouraging employees to interrelate with all their coworkers regardless of their race.

In my opinion, global racism is getting better, as the American society has accepted to have non-native leaders who are fighting racism.

Respondent four

• Age: 22
• Sex: Female
• Ethnicity: Asian American
• Nationality: Immigrant
• Religion: Hinduism
• Highest Education level: College
• Relationship status: Married

Racism is the discrimination of people in the workplace, in schools and in the society because of their ethical background.

Racism is bad because it leads to unequal distribution of public resources.

Racism affects the United States society by reducing the morale of the most productive age group, thus reducing productivity.

Racism can be dangerous if the racists have the right to deny human rights to the non-natives.

I can explain racism to a child as a selfish act that denies the minority group the right to live comfortably.

Discouraging racism from a tender age would help in diminishing racism.

Racism varies depending on the level of discrimination that a person experiences daily.

The society can punish racists by imprisoning and rehabilitating them.

I can eliminate racism at work by empowering the minority ethnic groups.

In my opinion, global racism is getting better because governments are doing their best to discourage racism.

Respondent five

• Age: 35
• Sex: Male
• Ethnicity: Alaska Native
• Nationality: Immigrant
• Religion: Christian
• Highest Education level: College
• Relationship status: Single

Racism is the act of being unfair to others because they belong to different ethnic groups.

Racism is bad because it encourages discrimination and brings hatred amongst people.

Racism affects the United States society by increasing the gap between the rich and the poor.

Racism can be dangerous if non-natives cannot secure lucrative jobs because of their race.

I can explain racism to a child as an unfair act of classifying people according to their color and origin with an intention of denying them some human rights.

Punishing racists is the only way of diminishing racism.

Racism varies depending on the age and maturity of the affected person.

The society can punish racists by isolating and counseling them accordingly.

I can eliminate racism at work by insisting on justice in the entire workplace.

In my opinion, global racism is getting better because people are becoming enlightened on a daily basis.

Respondent six

• Age: 38
• Sex: Female
• Ethnicity: Caucasian American
• Nationality: Native
• Religion: Christian
• Highest Education level: University
• Relationship status: Married

Racism is a devastating factor that leads to discrimination of people because of their color and background.

Racism is bad because it demolishes the spirit of cooperation, leads to war, and social injustice

Racism affects the United States society by discouraging cooperation and reducing productivity.

Racism can be dangerous if people judge others according to their skin color rather than their productivity.

I can explain racism to a child as an evil act of unkindness to people of different races.

Advocating for cooperative, kindness, love, and understanding is the only way to diminish racism.

Racism varies depending on the level of injustice that the affected person experiences.

The society can punish racists by rehabilitating and encouraging them to embrace simple acts of kindness.

I can eliminate racism at work by encouraging people to exercise the simple acts of kindness.

In my opinion, global racism is getting worse because people have become too selfish to think of others.

Respondent seven

• Age: 20
• Sex: Female
• Ethnicity: Latin American
• Nationality: Immigrant
• Religion: Christian
• Highest Education level: High school
• Relationship status: Married

Racism is the act of hatred that occurs amongst people of different ethnic backgrounds.

Racism is bad because it may lead to civil wars.

Racism affects the United States society by creating hatred between people and discouraging cooperation.

Racism can be dangerous if one race feels powerful to the extent of taking advantage of its superiority to assault others.

I can explain racism to a child as the act of avoiding people of a particular race.

Understanding and appreciating minor races can help in diminishing racism.

Racism varies depending on the education level of the two groups of people involved.

The society can punish racists by sentencing them according to the laws against racial discrimination.

I can eliminate racism at work by mingling with people of other races.

In my opinion, global racism is getting worse because the Native Americans are still powerful than other people globally.

Respondent eight

• Age: 28
• Sex: Male
• Ethnicity: Caucasian American
• Nationality: Native
• Religion: Christian
• Highest Education level: College
• Relationship status: Single

Racism is an inhuman act of discriminating people because of their skin color.

Racism is bad because it prevents the progress of a nation.

Racism affects the United States society by destroying the relationships between communities and ruining the society.

Racism can be dangerous if people make no effort to understand the negative effect that it has to the society.

I can explain racism to a child as the act of avoiding to intermingle with children of different races.

Banning racism and racist insults can help in diminishing racism.

Racism varies depending on the level of insult and the hatred that exists between the affected people.

The society can punish racists by sentencing them and rehabilitating them thereafter.

I can eliminate racism at work by insisting people to be cautious of what they say about people of other races.

In my opinion, global racism is getting better because people are becoming enlightened.

Respondent nine

• Age: 12
• Sex: Female
• Ethnicity: African American
• Nationality: Immigrant
• Religion: Christian
• Highest Education level: Junior high school
• Relationship status: Single

Racism is differentiating students according to their skin color.

Racism is bad because the white students are powerful than the blacks.

I am not aware of how racism affects the United States society.

Racism can be dangerous if war arises between students because of their difference in color.

I can explain racism to a child as being unfair to other children because of their skin color.

I do not know how we can diminish racism.

Racism varies depending on the ethnicity background of students.

The society can punish racists by imprisoning them.

I do not know how I can eliminate racism at the workplace.

In my opinion, global racism is getting worse because there is unequal treatment of the white and black students.

Respondent ten

• Age: 60
• Sex: Male
• Ethnicity: Caucasian American
• Nationality: Native American
• Religion: Christian
• Highest Education level: University
• Relationship status: Married

Racism is hatred that the whites portray to the non-natives because of their skin color, where, the whites perceive blacks to be dangerous criminals.

Racism is bad because it ruins the trust that people can have towards one another.

Racism affects the United States society by hurting and degrading the most productive population.

Racism can be dangerous if employers hire people according to their race.

I can explain racism to a child as an unfair act of discriminating people because of their color.

People can diminish racism if they learnt to appreciate one another regardless of their ethnical origin.

Racism varies depending on the maturity level of the affected person.

The society can punish racists by rehabilitating and keeping them informed of the negativities that racism has to the society.

I can eliminate racism at work by encouraging people to work together and emphasizing on team leadership.

In my opinion, global racism is getting better because people are becoming enlightened unlike in early days where racism was evident in many nations. The fact that America has an African American president is a clear indication that racism has decreased significantly.

Data Analysis

Descriptive statistics was very essential in coming up with a clear understanding of the entire research results. The selected sample was a good representation of the study population, as it represented males and females without bias. The age of the respondents ranged from 12-60 year to capture the opinion of people across all age groups.

As evident from the data collected during the face-to-face interview, 80% of the respondents have sufficient knowledge about racism while 20% have moderate knowledge. It is also noteworthy that the United States of America hosts a significant number of immigrants who desire to have equal rights to access public facilities. The summary of some of the key factors in the interview pamphlet is as shown in table below.

It is encouraging to note that 80% of the respondents strongly believe that the issue of racism is improving, and it may end in the near future. One of the respondents feels encouraged by the fact that the United States of America has an African American president, which is a clear indication that racism will soon end. However, as evident from the literature review, there is a need to introduce a curriculum that supports equality in all educational programs to reduce the racist behaviors globally.

Findings

This research paper clearly indicates that racism is a subject that needs serious action. I did not expect people to have strong sensations of discrimination because of their race. The fact that 50% of the respondents were immigrants is a clear indication that there are a significant number of immigrants in the United States. Although racism might be an outdated subject, the immigrants are experiencing some form of discrimination in their daily errands. In the modern age, all Americans deserve to have the freedom and power to walk as proud citizens of the American community regardless of their originality.

Conclusions and personal reflection on the topic

From the research findings, it is evident that a great percentage of people are aware of the discrimination that occurs to non-native Americans. Moreover, 80% of the respondents are aware of the adverse consequences that may arise in case racism is not controlled. Interestingly, a small child of 12 years can feel the distinction that happens in schoolchildren of different races. Therefore, it is evident that racism is a social construct issue that is omnipresent in the entire world.

Although contradictions could arise while addressing the subject, racism in real, as people will always have the innate trait of creating boundaries while interrelating with people of different races. Indeed, were it not for the strict laws concerning racism, the issue would still prevail in most states. Therefore, African Americans and other non-native Americans should ensure that the struggle for equal opportunities in every aspect of life is an ongoing process. The racism activists should keep on reminding people that skin color is an insignificant aspect of the human being, as all people are equal in every aspect of life.

Works Cited

Finch, Brian. Perceived Discrimination and Depression among Mexican-Origin Adults in California. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 41.3 (2008): 309. Print.

Tehranian, John. Performing Whiteness: Naturalization Litigation and the Construction of Racial Identity in America. The Yale Law Journal 109.4 (2009): 817-848. Print.

Tolnay, Stewart. The African American Great Migration and Beyond. Annual Review of Sociology 29.1 (2003): 221. Print.

At the conclusion of the First World War the United States of America became a legitimate global military superpower. Its colonies in Asia were a proof of that burgeoning military might. Aside from its military presence in the Philippines, the U.S. government had created a significant force projection in Asia, through the military base located in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Relative peace was the general description in the two decades that followed the First World War. But in the decade of the 1940s Hitler and his allies were ready to take over the world. Japan was Germanys major ally in the East. Americas military presence in the Asia Pacific was a major roadblock to Japans Asian plan. It was the presence of Pearl Harbor that served as the thorn-on-the-side of the Japanese Imperial Army. One Sunday morning in December of 1942, Japans air force enacted their version of Hitlers blitzkrieg or lightning-fast surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The treacherous attack justified Americas entry into World War II. The United States utilized a two-pronged attack to defeat Japan. The first one was through the use of military force, and the second one was through the use of propaganda. The postcard from William H. Hannons Special Collection Library entitled: Setting the Rising Sun is a good example of the use of propaganda to defeat the Japanese imperial army.

Background

Analyzing the postcard entitled: Setting the Rising Sun requires background information on racism and the significance of the surprise attack of Pearl Harbor on the general consciousness of the American people. A preliminary investigation on the said postcard requires a two-stage process. The first stage is an overview of racism.

It is common knowledge that racism is not a good thing (Acosta 15). However, it is not clear why. According to one commentary, race is a way of making up people, an act of defining racial groups is a process fraught with confusion, contradiction, and unintended consequences (Omi and Winant 105). It is also important to point out that the process of making people up is not a static undertaking. Concepts of race prove to be unreliable as supposed boundaries shift, slippages occur, realignments become evident and new collectives emerge. State-imposed classifications of race, for example, face continuing challenges by individuals and groups who seek to assert distinctive racial categories and identities (Omi and Winant 105).

Racism is wrong because it does not cover all the realities regarding a certain people group. For example, a racist comment regarding African-Americans focuses on the significant number of Africa-American men behind bars. It prompts the generalization that this ethnic group is prone to a life of crime. This racist comment is not true, because there are many African-American men who are important contributors in nation building.

Although racism is not a recommended course of action when it comes to interacting with people coming from a different ethnic background, it is an inevitable consequence of socialization. In the book entitled Racial Formation in the United States, Making up people is both basic and ubiquitous. We must categorize people in order to navigate in the world  to discern quickly who may be friend or foe, to position and situate ourselves within prevailing social hierarchies, and to provide clues that guide our social interaction with the individuals and groups we encounter (Omi and Winant 105). In other words, it is human nature to develop an easy way to deal with a complex social question regarding a particular people group (Leon and Nakashima 112).

With regards to the interaction between the American and Japanese people, it is human nature to focus on certain features and exaggerate them in order to create a racial profile on particular groups (Anzaldua 76). It is also human nature to focus on certain aspects of a culture or physical characteristics of a people group to create an ethnocentric view on other ethnic groups.

Since racial profiling is not a static process, it is important to note that during this particular time in American history, the American peoples perception of the Japanese people were negatively affected by the Japanese Imperial Armys surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. On top of the negative and exaggerated view of the Japanese people, the less than ideal view was made more difficult by the resentment felt by American citizens. These are critical viewpoints needed to understand the reason behind the creation of the said postcard.

Postcard Analysis

At first glance, the postcard uses visual images to tell a story. The postcard depicts a setting sun in the horizon. It is easy to conclude that this is a setting sun because of the color of the sun. It is not a bright yellow sun. It is a red-orange color that is a universally accepted notion of a setting sun. In addition, the postcard depicts a platoon or battalion of soldier marching in the background. In the forefront, there are two soldiers trying to subjugate a young boy with Asian features. They seem to force the boy to sit into a crude type of urinal. It can be argued that they are trying to subjugate or punish a mischievous child.

A standard World War II book with pictures of the men in mortal combat will reveal the common type of uniform and weaponry that the U.S. Armed forces issued to American soldiers. The common denominator is a type of military uniform that distinguishes American troops from other combatants coming from other military units from other countries. In addition, the ubiquitous symbol of the American G.I. is the M1 Garand. It was the favorite rifle of U.S. infantrymen.

An overview of the postcard will reveal that there are other pieces of evidence that serves as proof that it was created at the height of World War II. Aside from the battle uniform of the soldiers and the weapons, the caption says: Setting the Rising Sun. A review of World War II history will reveal that the Land of the Rising Sun is a common epithet used for Japan (Cromwell 5).

It is understandable why the creator of the postcard used racism to depict the Japanese people in unflattering terms. The way the Japanese people were compared to mischievous children was an objectionable fact. However, it must be made clear that the American people were utterly disgusted by how the Japanese Imperial Army treacherously attacked Pearl Harbor. Historians talk about the assurances made by the Japanese Imperial Army that there were no battle plans drawn up to attack Hawaii (Cromwell 6). It was the diplomatic ploy used after the United States manifested its concern in the aftermath of Japans announcement that it has sided with the Axis Powers that was later known as the integrated forces under Hitlers military coalition. However, the assurances were made in poor taste as the Japanese Imperial Army went into Hawaii and destroyed Pearl Harbor.

The postcard was made to made fun of the Japanese Imperial Army. It was the attempt to belittle the capabilities of the Japanese people to defeat the United States Armed forcers. It was unfortunate that the creator of the postcard used racism to offend the Japanese people (DiMarzio 10). However, it was the emotions, and the political situation of the 1940s that prompted people to demean the Japanese people.

It is also important to point out that the Japanese people were depicted using exaggerated facial features. The Japanese people were caricatured using a small frame, chubby arms, and feet. It was contrasted with the imposing figures of the American soldiers that were beside the child-like figure near the ground. The position of the Japanese man near the ground was a powerful statement regarding the insignificant physical capabilities of the enemy.

Without a doubt the postcard was a part of the psychological warfare or propaganda that was utilized to boost the morale of the American soldiers. It was also a way to rally the supporters in the U.S. mainland. The United States government needed war funds and volunteers. It is through the use of propaganda that inspires the American people to provide financial support and to send their sons to the battlefront. Nevertheless, the caricature of the Japanese people was offensive. One of the most glaring examples is the way the soldiers forced the child-like person into a urinal. It is not clear what is the intended message of the creator but it can be argued that the use of the urinal was a means to make fun of the Japanese people. It was sending a strong message that the U.S. Armed forces are going to force the Rising Sun into submission.

Conclusion

Racial profiling is utilized to get a handle on complex social information. Racial profiling is the inevitable consequences of socialization as one people group tries to create a mechanism to describe or deal with other ethnic groups. However, human nature exaggerates certain physical characteristics or cultural features due to ethnocentric tendencies. The postcard is not just a way to profile the Japanese people. It was also a negative reaction to the Pearl Harbor attack. Thus, the words and images used were harsh. It was not only to demean the Japanese people, but also to rally those who were left behind in the U.S. mainland to support the troops in the battlefields of Asia.

Works Cited

Acosta, Oscar. The Revolt of the Cockroach People. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. Print.

Anzaldua, Gloria. Borderlands. CA: Aunt Lute Books, 1989. Print.

Cromwell, Sharon. GI Joe in World War II. MN: Compass Pointed Books, 2009. Print.

DiMarzio, Daniel. Finding the Real Japan, Stories from the Land of the Rising Sun. CA: Lulu Publications, 2009. Print.

Leon, Teresa and Cynthia Nakashima. Mixed-Heritage Asian Americans. PA: Temple University Press, 2001. Print.

Omi, Michael and Howard Winant. Racial Formation in the United States. New York: Routledge, 2014. Print.