Many economic systems in the country are dominated by racial, cultural and social factors that have made it difficult for diverse cultural groups to live in harmony. For instance, Whites and Asians living in the US have better incomes compared to Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans. This has made them shun areas that are populated by people from these minority groups.
They have shifted to suburbs because they are safer and less isolated compared to densely populated housing projects that dot the country’s major cities. Inadequate access to economic and social opportunities has made many African Americans and Latinos to resort to crime to survive. Therefore, this has strengthened stereotypes against them that they are more inclined to engage in criminal activities compared to Whites and Asians.
The country needs to address various challenges that face people from minority racial groups to help them overcome their hopelessness. The justice system needs to be reformed because majority of inmates serving sentences in penal institutions come from minority population groups.
Americans need to be educated more to ensure they overcome racial prejudices that influence how people from different racial groups relate with each other. Poverty in urban neighborhoods pushes young people into a life of crime and desolation which discourages them from working hard. Young people from minority communities need to be empowered to make them well prepared to compete for all economic opportunities in the country.
Urban authorities need to invest more in areas where minority communities live to ensure people living there have access to crucial social amenities. This will reverse negative effects caused by discriminative policies that have made it difficult for people from minority cultural groups to participate in nation building.
There are wide disparities in social hierarchy in different urban areas because people from minority racial groups are involved in informal economic activities which are not well defined. Therefore, this restricts people from lower classes from taking advantage of economic opportunities that exist in the country. They are unable to access vital economic benefits which are enjoyed by whites and other people from high income groups living in the same cities.
It is necessary for urban planners to come up with ideas that make it possible for all urban residents to benefit from economic opportunities that exist in different industries. The business environment in these areas needs to be made more inclusive to absorb all residents that are skilled in different professions.
Political leaders need to face realities that affect minority racial groups living in different urban jurisdictions to ensure that proper plans are implemented to uplift their socio- economic status. This will bring about more cohesion which will encourage harmonious coexistence between different city residents.
Urban planning and development needs to take note of social issues that face residents living in different sections. Gentrification in urban areas should only happen after consultations with residents of poor neighborhoods have been done to ensure they do not get disadvantaged when various development plans are altered.
This makes it possible for urban residents to live in harmony and it improves relationships between people from different racial and cultural groups. All inhabitants of any urban area need to have easy access to all resources and basic services that are provided by local authorities to minimize social and economic inequalities.
Urban development policies should not exclude the poor and other disadvantaged communities from participating in activities that improve their standards of living. Cities need to establish strong linkages between people from different communities to increase their social capital.
Urban zones need to be made more habitable because they provide a lot of support to different types of people that live there. They make it possible for citizens to use their skills to improve the way they live. For instance, Latinos are the largest population group in Los Angeles yet many of them face a lot of difficulties in the city. They do not have access to valuable socio- economic opportunities to help them turn their lives around.
Economic restructuring has made some of them jobless because deindustrialization has increased unemployment rates in their neighborhoods. This makes it difficult for people that do not have formal professional skills to get employment opportunities in the city. They are also discriminated against by financial institutions and this discourages them from setting up their own small and medium enterprises.
Urban zones need to formulate plans that ensure deindustrialization programs do not increase poverty rates among urban residents. Many immigrants contribute positively to social and economic prosperity in big cities. Several states such as New York, Florida, Texas and California act as gateways for foreigners entering the US.
Immigrants willing to work for minimum wages make it possible for economic activities in these cities to go on without disruption. Laws need to be established to ensure law abiding immigrants are given short term residence permits to encourage them to uplift their economic status. Latin American immigrants have helped large scale farmers in the country to increase their agricultural yields.
They need to be protected from unfair labor practices by the government to protect them from exploitation. This will help to resolve the issue of undocumented immigrants in the country. Lack of political representation has denied minorities living in urban areas a strong voice to advocate for positive change to help improve their welfare.
The effects of Jim Crow policies used to enforce racial segregation in the country excluded African Americans and other minority racial groups from positions of power. This led to the creation of a caste system that made it difficult for future generations of colored people from accessing valuable opportunities.
This fragmented the American society into distinct unequal, racial divisions that continue to affect many major urban centers in the country. Law enforcement systems have also been used to subjugate ethnic minorities in the country. For instance, a majority of inmates in American penal institutions are African Americans and Latinos.
This restricts young people from these population groups from utilizing their talents to improve their own welfare. The government needs to encourage large corporate organizations to establish programs that offer young, talented people from minority ethnic groups a chance to turn around their lives.
They need to be offered valuable opportunities that give them hope in life. Poor inner city residents need to be given more amenities to limit their dependence on state welfare programs. For instance, young people in New York’s poor neighborhoods do not have safe public environments where they can play and interact with each other.
This restricts their ability to acquire strong social skills to help them interact with other people easily. These youth need to be encouraged to stay positive to ensure they are not tempted to engage in criminal activities.