Race and My Community Free Essays

Introduction Many people believe that racism is a thing of the past when in fact race related hate is still a problem in America today. There are many recorded incidences of stereotyping, discrimination, and racial issue within my community. Neighborhood segregation in the northern cities is the biggest reminder of racial division in America. We will write a custom essay sample on Race and My Community or any similar topic only for you Order Now New laws state that racism, discrimination, and stereotyping are absolutely illegal. Although race is not supposed to have an effect on communities today, racism, discrimination, and stereotypes are still present in America today. Racism is present in all walks of life and affects everyone, including the person that is harboring all of the hate. Racial division in the United States has primarily consisted of the separation of people into those with â€Å"white† skin and those with â€Å"black† skin. The degree to which skin tone shapes American social relationships is signified linguistically in the way we commonly identify each other as â€Å"White† or â€Å"Black† in everyday jargon. As Lee Artz outlines in his book Cultural Hegemony in the United States, â€Å"In practice, race has regulated legal treatment, economic opportunity, and social status, and the most defining characteristic of race in the United States has been skin color. In many communities racism hides under rocks and behind the masks of individuals that would never be thought of as a person that holds hate in their heart. It is very hard to determine if someone is being racist because they hide it and use different issues, as an excuse, to show this hate. There are people out there that see, acknowledge, and accept the complications of racism, there are people that do not or cannot see racism, and there are people that are too oblivious to notice it. Racism, discrimination, and stereotyping rears their ugly head in many different forms. This type of ignorance shows itself among the young, the old, the rich, the poor, and in every race. All communities are ill with this problem in one way or another. Majority of the members of my community that looks like me but, there are some that don’t look like me. The individuals that resemble me the most are the people that work hard, love each other, try to help the weak, and attempt to make a differen ce somewhere along the way. The people that do not look like me are the people that rob, steal, lie, and murder. I believe some others look different because of nationality; Missouri is a very diverse state so we see many races. There are leaders of my community that are wonderful role models that take pride in their community and they really care about the people who live here in North Carolina. My community members treat me with respect because I treat them with respect.As with any community there are also so members of the community who only come to work to get a paycheck and they don’t care about anyone but themselves. I have never personally been mistreated by a leader in my community but I have heard of instances were other community members have been mistreated because they were different or they were from a lower class than others. In my opinion the studies associated with this course does contain information about people like myself and people of my race because there were entries regarding African American history and great accomplishments of the black members of society. Overall, I feel like minority group interests are represented in my community. There are many programs, organizations, scholarship programs, grants, and research material available to the minority groups within my community. I am very fortunate to live in a community that offers these types of programs because there are many communities that give out scholarships, grants, or loans to only the people that they like. The administrators of these programs may turn away someone because they wear a turban or because the person in need is Asian. My manuals at work are not specifically aimed toward any particular group because everyone is pretty much the same. I feel inequities do exist in my community, if I could change any inequities within my community I would change the way people treat the African Americans in my community. . Sides and Gross (2007) state that, â€Å"negative stereotypes relating to violence and trustworthiness are remarkably common towards African Americans in the public’s mind. These stereotypes are underpinned by a similar set of factors that underpin stereotypes of blacks, Hispanic, and Asians—notably, authoritarian values. Furthermore, these stereotypes have consequences: those with less favorable views of African Americans are more lik ely to support several measures that are part of the broader American society. African Americans are people that yearn for love, acceptance, and perseverance just as others do. This type of discrimination against the people in my community is very disheartening. It is extremely difficult to understand why anyone would want to hate another person simply because they are a different religion, race, or nationality. Racism is a problem that hurts everyone. It is pure discrimination and cannot be allowed in employment, education, in churches, or on the streets. Racism can also be blind and unreasoning hatred, malice or prejudice. Discrimination is the denial of any equality based on personal attributes. I plan to continue to raise awareness by speaking to people that I come in contact with. I also plan on making a difference by being a good role model. If I see someone acting out of hate I will love them just as I love my own family. Hate breeds hate but love breeds so much more. With lo ve comes understanding, happiness, and most importantly love breeds change. If one person will just stand up to make a difference then others will follow. Sometimes it just takes that one person to take the lead when others are too scared to stand up and do so. Men and women have lost their lives in the fight for freedom and equality. Racism, discrimination, and stereotypes are still present in our communities today even after everything that this country has gone through. Even though we do not hear about this hate every day is it still present. People are just less likely to be open about it because of fear. Racism has even gotten as bad as restricting people to certain circumscribed areas of residence or to separate institutions and facilities on the basis of race or alleged race. Racial segregation provides a means of maintaining the economic advantages and higher social status of politically dominant races. Historically, various conquerors — among them Asian Mongols, African Bantu, and American Aztecs — have practiced discrimination involvi ng the segregation of subject races. Racial segregation has appeared in all multiracial communities, except where racial amalgamation has occurred on a large scale, as in Hawaii and Brazil. In such places there has been occasional social discrimination but not legal segregation. In the Southern states of the U.S., public facilities were segregated from the late 19th century into the 1950s (see Jim Crow law), and in South Africa a system of apartheid sanctioned discrimination against nonwhites until it was abolished in the 1990s. While many people believe that racism is something of the past, race related hate is still a serious problem in America, even today. If everyone would realize that ignorance and hate can be channeled into something productive, every single person would be able to live a happy live and thrive in a community of personalities instead of a community of color. Cultural diversity exits in every corner of the world. With diversity unfortunately comes negativity and struggles. Each one of us has our own unique story about where we came from and the different struggles we all faced throughout the years. This is more than true for minority groups Even though we may be different on the outside, we all are here for a common cause, to make the best of what we have and ensure our culture lives on. Although the fact that we are different is never going to change, the negative way we treat out fellow brothers and sisters of the human race can definitely change. The bottom line is that we must accept each other for who we are and what we represent if we are ever going to live in peace. REFERENCES: Race and Place: African American Community Histories, Retrieved December 4, 2009 www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/afam/raceandplace/index.html – Cached Sides, J. M. and Gross, K. A. , 2007-08-30 â€Å"Stereotypes of African Americans, Their Causes, and Their Consequence† Retrieved December 3, 2009 http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p209079_index.html Ethnicity and race: Nature of ethnicity http://www.anthro.palomar.edu/ethnicity/ethnic_2.htm, Retrieved December 4, 2009 Ethnic groups and discrimination, African American Muslim Http://www.Everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1463139, Retrieved December 3, 2009 How to cite Race and My Community, Essay examples Race and My Community Free Essays The cultural differences and many races and ethnicities make this community what it is. Henderson is second largest itty in Nevada with over a quarter of a million inhabitants, second only to Alas Vegas, Nevada. Henderson population is made up of four different races making the total 267,270 people. We will write a custom essay sample on Race and My Community or any similar topic only for you Order Now There are over 210,000 Caucasians, over 15,000 African Americans and more than 35,000 Hispanics. As in many US cities, the gender balance Is fairly even at 49. 1% male and 50. 9 % female community members. (icosahedrons. Mom) I have noticed that members throughout my local community generally are Caucasian and look Like me, this Is because my race and my skin color make up over 70% of the entire population of Henderson. I have not experienced the leaders of my community treating people differently based on race, ethnicity or cultural differences but I imagine it happens. In researching where to rent an apartment I looked for a location that was near my work and college and was in an area where people were most like me. That doesn’t mean I am biased in my opinion due to the population facts of Henderson. I do not feel I would be comfortable living in an area where I was completely different in cultural background. I would be able to adjust to living in areas where there were many races and ethnicities represented but I like to be rarest to people who share my same cultural background and my religious beliefs. This has been true throughout my life as I am originally from the Midwest, in particular – Dimension, Iowa. There are some things that are very different about Iowa and Nevada, yet some things that are very much the same. The population make up of my hometown in Iowa is much the same with 70% of the population being Caucasian, although vast majority of the remaining 30% of the population are of Hispanic descent. There are a few African Americans and Asian Americans in my hometown as well, much like here n my new local community of Henderson. The major difference is only in the quantity of people as there are only 12,000 people living in Dimension, Iowa. That is a huge difference for me to adjust to culturally but I feel I have adjusted well to my new setting. One cultural concern I had was finding a Christian church that met my needs and expectations after living in the Midwest and attending a parochial school for part of my education and attending Christian churches all my life. I did find a church I Like very much In Alas Vegas not too far from where I live. This church fits the need of Christian but It sure was a cultural shock to go to a church with ten to fifteen times more attendees than my hometown church but I do believe that is representative of the community with nearly 80% being Caucasian in our city. The Council has 4 member, two females and two males, which is also representative of the gender make-up of Henderson. I think that my local media represents everyone pretty equally. For example: if a person commits or is involved in any way of a crime, the local media is going to broadcast the story whether or not the criminal is Caucasian like me or any other race/ethnicity. When I watch the local news as I do most days, I see the broadcasters representing different races and ethnicities as well. This is also much the same as my hometown City Council which is made up of Caucasians and one Hispanic member and representatives of the news media in the cities of Omaha, Nebraska; Sioux City, Iowa; and Des Monies, Iowa are all much the same with various races/ethnicities represented. In my larger community of the United States I see the demographics of the governmental agencies and news media much more broadly representing the many races that make up our nation. I do feel very strongly that all minority groups throughout my community are represented in some way or another. There are a lot of activist group activities and mission statements that have successfully been completed and a lot, if not all, have been continuing to proceed over the years. Block parties for example, is a personal favorite on encouraging neighbors to interact and be comfortable regardless if another person in the community or neighborhood is a different race. I knew my neighbors in Dimension, Iowa, quite well and sharing food and fun is one way to bridge cultural gaps as we did with our Hispanic neighbors. Another personal favorite of mine is Joining the program called Henderson Shines. I could resolve some and if not all inequalities within my community by taking part and encouraging others to participate in Henderson Shines. The 2013 Henderson Shines program allowed over 600 people to drop off unwanted items that could contaminate our environment if left to rot, things that could be recycled, or Just get rid of what would be an eye-sore in the community. This information is also from the Henderson website at icosahedrons. Mom: â€Å"The Our Henderson Sustainability Program encompasses a variety of efforts to conserve energy and water, promote cycling, enhance the built environment, reduce air pollution, and increase transportation options. In all of these efforts, the City of Henderson is working together with our residents and businesses to ensure a high quality of life in our community. Our Henderson. Our home. My responsibility. † I think this is a great motto to live by in any community. This encourages us to take a personal stake in our surroundings and helps to create collaboration with neighbors. I would be able to help resolve any differences in my community by bringing everyone together to help in the Neighborhood Cleanup Program too. I think that this would help other members see that we are not all that different from each other. I can show everyone that no matter what race someone is, we all have trash that needs taken out, we all need to eat, and we all need to give back to our community. This could be an opportunity for myself and people within my community to see past the skin color and see that there are things in common between numerous cultures. (A Place to Call Home, 2013) When I was a student at Dimension Middle School we had a Spring Clean Up each year in which all 350 students were split up into groups to go out into the his project I do feel that it helped build a sense of civic responsibility and community service to build pride in my surroundings as it did for most of my fellow students and friends. The month before I moved to Nevada I was part of a church event called Love Dimension that did much of the same things as Spring Clean Up except we also had groups visit nursing homes and decorate doors, groups passed out business appreciation bags of snacks to business owners along Highway 30, and painted all the structures at the baseball fields for youth programs. These opportunities in my past have helped me become a much stronger volunteer and immunity activist. Most recently I was part of the Life is Beautiful festival near Fremont Street in Alas Vegas which is part of the Downtown Renovation. I got to work alongside other volunteers to complete a mural that represents the cultural differences coming together for a common goal. I enjoy seeing that mural and I hope it gives everyone a sense of pride in that area as well. I want members of my community to grasp the idea that two or more people are always going to be stronger and more efficient than one person who refuses to see past another member’s skin color. One of the main concepts in our text that relate to race is Chapter One: Exploring Race and Ethnicity. In this chapter I learned about unequal treatment towards minority groups. Also stated in Chapter One is â€Å"Minority women are more likely to be poor. † (Schaefer, 2010) I am Caucasian and I am not the wealthiest in my community. I believe that I can get whatever I set my mind too and so can everyone else regardless of race, ethnicity, or cultural beliefs. If one person could start a small neighborhood activity to bring everyone together and then if another would do the same thing inside the same neighborhood as the first, slowly the entire community would come together. How to cite Race and My Community, Papers