The term race refers to different things in the contemporary society. Individuals view it from an aspect of social interactions, physical appearances, genetics and culture. Experts who look into issues of race assert that race refers to biological differences that exist between and among individuals.
They judge these differences according to physical appearance and internal differences arising from genetics. On many occasions, people define race from the physical appearance, and tend to combine this with social construction of race (Tsuda 15). This paper looks at two issues; race and discrimination, in an effort to understand how racism affects the African Americans living in the United States.
Immigration has led to the existence of many races in the United States. People move from their countries of origin for different reasons including; further education, search for employment, as well as asylum. Many Africans have been moving from Africa and West Indies, into America. This immigration rate has intensified in the past fifty years, especially due to escape from slavery.
What this means is that there is a large number of African Americans in the United States. The African Americans are people of African origin attempting to acculturate into the American culture (Tsuda 3-7). They often face several difficulties in this attempt, especially due to their color, which is different from that of the Americans. The idea of viewing culture from a social construction point has led to discrimination of the black race in America.
Racism or racial discrimination arises from an outlook of race as a culturally-determined and diverse thing, which changes with time. The Americans view themselves as the superior race due to their white color, and according to them, all other races are inferior. The case is even worse for African Americans often referred as “Negroes.” They are inferior people with “bad blood” and thus, they should not mix with the Americans.
Prejudice against them occurs in almost all sectors of America including; schools and colleges, transport, employment, and health sectors (Tsuda 52). In terms of education, disparities among Americans and African Americans present themselves in classes, courses and staff. For instance, in nursing, women of color are rarely listened to by lecturers and professors. Similarly, their colleagues still view them as people who evolved from monkeys.
They are, therefore, more related to monkeys than human beings. Therefore, social interactions between these two groups are minimal. In the elementary schools, young blacks get ridiculed by their white peers from time to time. They ran away from them during play, and are less likely to interact with them in class discussions. In the past few years, remarkably few Americans could travel with Africans in the same bus. They viewed these people as unworthy and socially-disruptive people.
This inferiority complex was the basis to colonize African countries, and it lays the foundation to exterminate Africans from jobs (Tsuda 123). Furthermore, it is imperative to note that many whites in America view black immigrants as criminals. Thus, if a crime occurs in a neighborhood where there is a black immigrant, he or she is the first suspect.
In essence, the list of vices arising from racial discrimination is endless. Racism in America justifies the social inequalities that exist in different states. It is exceedingly rare to find equal treatment of blacks and whites in America. Unequal distribution of resources and opportunities continues to persist in the country.
It is good for the American government to realize that we are all human beings, regardless of being black, white or yellow races. It is time that this government puts in place measures, to enhance equal opportunities for all.
Works Cited
Tsuda, Takeyuki. Immigration and Ethnic Relations in the U.S. (Revised Edition). San Diego, CA: Cognella Academic Publishing, 2011. Print.