A race is referred to as a group of human beings who possess similar physical traits regarded as common among people with shared ancestry. It can be considered as a crowd who share cultural, geographic, and religious backgrounds (“racism | Definition, History, & Laws | Britannica,” 2021). Biologically, a race is a group within a species that is distinguished morphologically, behaviorally, and genetically from others of the same species. An assumption is made that human beings can be divided into different and exclusive biological groups known as races. A typical racist belief is that some races are superior to the rest. Certain ethnic groups have accorded different values and access to power resources and opportunities. This leaves some of the members of the socially disadvantaged while others are advantaged.
The impact of racism on ethnic-racial minorities can be depicted from childhood to adulthood. Most of the time, racism is associated with an increase in mental health problems for both children and adolescents (Lewsley, 2020). Racism can sabotage good mental health qualities such as hope, resilience, and motivation. The lack of equal opportunities for the children in schools can take a toll on their mental health. Consequently, this increases the rate of anxiety disorder cases, depression, suicide attempts and ideation, and low self-esteem in children. Repeated stress greatly influences brain development and, therefore, might cause a delay in a child’s development and therefore affect memory and learning abilities (Lewsley, 2020). Racism can lead to a buildup of stress that causes a rise in blood pressure and a lowering of the immune system function. This increases the risk of developing long-term health complications such as heart disease and stroke.
Research has also linked discrimination with some of the vices, such as smoking, drug use, alcohol use, and unhealthy dietary habits. This further deteriorates one’s physical health, putting the risk of complications later in life. It is also important to note that most marginalized people face hardships in accessing proper health care which affects their medical intervention and worsens pre-existing conditions. This explains their poor health status in most instances due to the inability to access good medical care and to some extent, the lack of medical cover. In most cases, racism is linked to poverty directly. The absence of a good education, adequate resources, and proper housing traverses poverty from one generation to the next. The subsequent generations inherit the disadvantages of their predecessors (Wilson, 2019). Racial discrimination excludes certain groups of the population who encounter unequal access to resources, basic entities, and services. In most of these communities, the discriminated group is denied the right to work in just conditions, social security, food, and water.
The discriminated ethnic community faces a risk of marginalization in acquiring quality education, a fundamental human right. Access to a good education system is the cornerstone of strategies directed to eradicate poverty. The majority of the children tend to stay at home rather than attend school to acquire the necessary skills that could enable them to break the cycle of poverty (Trent et al., 2019). Due to poverty, most people can only afford informal housing and slum settlement whose living conditions do not meet the standard. Such places have poor sanitation and unhygienic practices, which poses a risk to one’s health.
Racism is also the primary cause of misjudgment and injustice among the discriminated community. Many policies have been made against the ethnic group. This brings a sense of anger, frustration, and sadness resulting in rebellion as a defense mechanism. From the above discussion, it is essential to note that racism affects all age groups from childhood to adulthood. It influences not only the victims but also the rest of the community, which surrounds them and acts as the root of many problems in the community.
References
Lewsley, J. (2020). What are the effects of racism on health and mental health? Medical News Today. Web.
Racism | Definition, History, & Laws | Britannica. (2021). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Web.
Trent, M., Dooley, D. G., & Dougé, J. (2019). The impact of racism on child and adolescent health. Pediatrics, 144(2), e20191765. Web.
Wilson, S. A. (2019). Racism Is Real. Racism Is Complicated. Racism Is Real Complicated.Family Medicine, 51(1), 8–10. Web.