Introduction
There are several countries that have many racial denominations today. It appears that there are tremendous differences between various cultures and parts of the world regarding the treatment of racial minorities. The following paper is indeed to describe and explain how people with black skin or other uncommon races are perceived and respected by native populations of some territories.
Comparison and Contrast
This paragraph will compare and contrast how races have been constructed in two different cultures. The two nations chosen for the comparison are the United States of America and the Dominican Republic. As almost every person in the world knows, America is the most loyal country in the world, where people do not base their opinions about the social statuses of other citizens by looking at their skin colors anymore. In turn, people from the Dominican Republic classify humans with black skin in many different categories (Moreton-Robinson, 2015). Unfortunately, this classification also influences the way these people may be treated by society. Inhabitants of the developing country are divided into such skin color categories like coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, wheat, indigo, rosy, faded, blond, fair, dark, and ashen. In turn, Americans with any shades of dark skin would be referred to as black (Moreton-Robinson, 2015). Moreover, there are not many racial denominations in the USA as all the cultural minorities are generalized (Chinese and Japanese are Asians, immigrants from Mexico and other countries situated nearby are Hispanics, whereas almost all white people are known as Caucasians).
Similarities and Differences
As it is mentioned above, there are not many similarities between Americans and people from the Dominican Republic regarding their relations to races. It appears that the latter country’s territories are still important for the global economy and export of such products as cocoa, coffee, sugar, and tobacco that are sold on the international market at high prices today. Therefore, many individuals from poor African Commonwealths and some Arab states prefer to come here to earn money. Hence, the number of different “races” has been increasing in the Dominican Republic within the last several centuries (Moreton-Robinson, 2015). The main similarity between this country and the USA is the fact that slavery was a common practice in both of these territories. Spain was once in the rule of its neighboring state, where white people were allowed to buy as many slaves as they wished – it all depended on the sum of money they offered. In turn, Americans had the opportunity to do the same with African immigrants (sometimes, even Indians, the native population of the continent, could be seen serving Europeans).
However, there are many differences between the United States of America and the Dominican Republic regarding local inhabitants’ relations to different races. For instance, Haitians form a special racial group in the European country as they do not speak Spanish (mostly, it is Creole), and follow Catholicism as their main religion (Moreton-Robinson, 2015). Although the skin of this nation is darker than that of other people, this factor is not emphasized in society. Hence, these people feel free here. There are no “special” races in the USA either. All people are equal here, regardless of their religious beliefs, ethnic backgrounds, places of birth, and so on.
General Concept of “Race”
The general concept of “races” can be understood and interpreted as a cultural phenomenon developed by people living in a certain area. As various nationalities are treated differently across the globe, it means that there are no set standards of how people should treat immigrants from other continents. Unfortunately, there are many stereotypes in social groups of developing countries regarding the division of people with different skin colors into several groups. This classification is not beneficial for economic growth anymore (Moreton-Robinson, 2015). Many individuals think that Europeans are dominating over other nationalities as their progress in the spheres of labor, technologies, and intellectual achievements were several significant centuries ago. Today, the entire world is different from what it was in the medieval. People do not need slaves anymore. Therefore, the division into races is nothing more than a stereotype formed by people’s ancestors (Moreton-Robinson, 2015). The perception of races and division in them varies across the globe. Sometimes, it is hard to differentiate people of separate races because of their appearances or certain similarities in their behaviors.
Conclusion
It appears that racism is not common in the modern world. Therefore, contemporary people do not have a need to differentiate individuals by race. I have never experienced any difficulties or congestions because of my skin color. Moreover, my family and friends do not pay attention to this factor in their everyday lives. Hence, the division of social groups into races is useless today as all citizens are treated equally. Indeed, there are some ethical considerations that must be remembered and followed not to abuse representatives of various nations. Nevertheless, these norms of behavior are influenced by the history of the United States of America as freedoms and rights of colored individuals were limited before.
Reference
Moreton-Robinson, A. (2015). The white possessive: Property, power, and indigenous sovereignty. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.