The Reality
America is often deemed land of opportunity by many the world over. A good percentage of the American population consists of people who were either brought there by their master’s generations ago or who have migrated themselves in search of greener pastures. Many want to come to this land of opportunity to avail the benefits which their counterparts are taking advantage of.
The United States prides itself in accommodating a diverse ethnic and cultural mix. People around the world are in awe of the American Constitution and policies which promise equal rights and privileges of liberty and freedom to all its citizens irrespective of their color, caste, creed, religion, language, and ethnic and cultural affiliation. However, they do not see, or rather their vision is obscured from seeing the downside and the misery associated with being members of a minority group or groups. The suffering intensifies among such groups who belong to low socioeconomic classes.
As the United States is a media mogul having overwhelming ownership of and control over media, a rosy picture is usually painted of the lifestyles and the standards of living of the ethnic and cultural minorities. Nonetheless, the actual plight is often not disclosed by the media. It is true that now many ethnic and non-ethnic Americans are raising their voices to ensure that the rights of minorities are not infringed upon. Several human rights movements are been launched which campaign in favor of the due rights and privileges of the ethnic and cultural minorities.
No matter how financially sounds an ethnic group is, if it comprises people who are not white or follow the same culture as that of white Americans, it is likely to have suffered from some form of unspoken and implicit discrimination at the hands of those in the majority. Prejudice does not have too obvious and intense to be proclaimed as discrimination. Even though African Americans have been living in the United States for centuries and follow the same culture as the whites, they still feel discriminated against in some way or the other.
A great many societies, committees, forums, and groups are coming up to address the issue of discrimination and unpleasant experiences of African Americans. This ethnic and racial group represents the largest minority in the United States and follows the culture and social norms of white Americans.
A good number of citizens in the United States are of British, German, French, Spanish, and Italian origins. Some of them have adopted the cultural social values of white Americans while others have not. Nonetheless, they form a good portion of the workforce American. They face the same problems of discrimination as African Americans.
Another major minority is that of Asians residing in America. They constitute a large group that is diverse in itself. The Asians consist of people from the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, South Asia, East Asia, and the Far East. Although collectively referred to as the Asians, this group has a lot of subgroups within it and each abides by different cultural and social values and norms. As many of these subgroups belong to developing countries and are from low socioeconomic class, they endure far bitter experiences than many of their counterparts of other ethnicities. They come to America in search of an opportunity to elevate their own and their family’s way of life by earning a decent living for themselves. However, little do they know before they come to United State that what is in store for them in this land of opportunity.
Those from foreign countries who come to receive higher education in the United States experience some form of prejudice at the hands of their fellows at college or university. The discrimination may not necessarily be blunt and stark. A sarcastic remark or a comment made jokingly may depict the hidden sentiment of resentment and biasness against ethnic or cultural minorities. It would be wrong to say that discrimination is at its height in America and all ethnic minorities are being victimized. However, it would be right to say that biasness does exist in different forms. Discrimination can be very subtle and unobvious.
Barbara Ehrenreich’s Bitter Experience
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America is a commendable piece of work by Barbara Ehrenreich. How she has elaborated on her experiences as a low-wage earner is an eye-opener for the upper and middle socioeconomic class. She went undercover to discover and experience herself the atrocities borne and the ordeal tolerated by the less or rather unprivileged groups within the American society. The book provides a deep and mind-boggling insight into the struggle “so-called unskilled and semi-skilled workers” make and the difficulties they face to earn a living for their families in the United States. (Petschauer, 2002).
Ehrenreich went “undercover” “as part of an assignment by Harper’s Magazine”. The aim was to “discover” the lifestyles lived, problems encountered, and the physical and psychological trauma endured by those people who get an “hourly wage of $6 to $7”. The author was particularly eager to learn about the plight which such approximately “four million women” undergo in the United States. (Petschauer, 2002).
Although the study did not focus on any one particular ethnic or cultural group within the United States, it revealed a lot about the difficult life of the minorities particularly those who were not white and were not well-versed in spoken American English. If she found the life of a low-wage earner so tough despite having so many privileges, it is not difficult to imagine the plight borne by those who are much under-privileged.
Ehrenreich (2003) realized that to live a relatively decent life and “afford a one-bedroom apartment”, the worker must earn a minimum of “$ 8.89” or approximately “$9” per hour. If a worker gets a $6 to $7 hourly wage, his annual income comes to around “$11,520”. (Ehrenreich, 2003). This salary is not inclusive of “health insurance and vacations, benefits that most civilized societies consider part of their obligations to all citizens”. (Petschauer, 2002).
Ehrenreich started her expedition from Florida. Her enthusiasm intensified as she explored the “challenges” borne by the low socioeconomic class. She traveled further “to Maine and Minnesota” to understand the life of the less privileged. (Russell, 2004).
After working for 16 hours every day, the author realized that although she enjoyed many advantages and privileges over her low socioeconomic class counterparts.
Conclusion
Life has been a constant struggle for the minorities residing in the United States of America. Despite enjoying the supposedly granted privileges such as freedom, liberty, and social security, the ethnic and cultural minorities suffer from discrimination and biasness at the hands of those in the majority especially the ones who have a sound financial standing. The forms of prejudice are not obvious and harsh. They can be subtle and unobvious. A sarcastic remark or a condescending comment made jokingly attacking an ethnic minority is included in the definition of discrimination.
Many writers and journalists have raised their voices against such discrimination. However, their appeals and cries have not had a long-lasting impact on the majority and American society in general. There has not been such a great revolution that has led to changing of the attitude of the majority towards the minorities. The zeal of a campaign dies with time or rather it can be said to be erratic as another movement is launched after some time. Yet, no permanent solution to end the misery of the minorities has been reached.
References
Ehrenreich, Barbara, 2003, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, Wheeler Rockland.
McConaughey, Alex. Summary of Lee Siegel’s Reality in America. n.d. 2007. Web.
Peterson, Doreen. Portraits: The Black Experience in American Culture. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. 2007. Web.
Petschauer, Peter. “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich” NWSA Journal 14.2 (2002).
Russell, Angela. “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America” Journal of Multicultural Nursing & Health 10.1 (2004).