Fear and suspicion of immigrants inspired discrimination and persecution of immigrant groups in the United States long before the term “xenophobia” was even formed during the early twentieth century. Xenophobia is distinguished from prejudice or bigotry in the sense that the latter denotes disrespect and hate based on one’s belief that another group is inferior; whereas xenophobia is promoted by a perceived threat to one’s own culture or group. Xenophobia stems from the colonial times and has manifested in American culture through racism and fear; it is something that will affect the world for generations to come.
September 11, 2009, was a horrific day in American history and one that changed the environment of the nation. The fear created
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When the Americans moved past Native Americans towards African Americans, their racist sentiments followed. After the slave systems of the Western Hemisphere became fully developed, racial arguments became the foundation of the proslavery argument. Supporters of slavery claimed that persons of African descent were so degraded and inferior to Whites that it would be dangerous for society to release the slaves from the control of a master. Even after slavery was abolished, American beliefs on the inferiority of African Americans had not changed. Americans had still treated African-Americans differently by implementing segregation de jure. From the late 19th century till mid-20th century, a set of laws called “Jim Crow Laws” were enforced by the local and state governments. They mandated racial segregation in all public facilities including restaurants, schools, restrooms, and public transportation. Eventually, the Jim Crow system governed nearly every aspect of daily life, and White supremacy became a norm in the South. The negative feelings that stem from racism, eventually become so intense that they turn into an irrational dislike towards all people of a country. Because a majority of the people of a race originate from the same country, racist people project their prejudiced sentiments towards the whole …show more content…
A prime example is President Trump’s anti-immigrant sentiment through his immigration policies and regulations. The United States is a nation built by immigrants and yet every new wave of immigrants to enter the country is viewed with suspicion by xenophobes and racists. However, there is a stark difference between a threat to national security and personal prejudice. Whether it be immigrants from the middle-east who are perceived as terrorists or those from Hispanic origins being stereotyped as drug dealers among other things. The president wants to create a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent immigrants from crossing over and is working to have all Muslims registered. If the leader of the nation himself is prejudiced, then what is to stop the citizens of the country from following. Even African Americans remain in a subordinate state, albeit one different from that of their ancestors, due to the xenophobia that has continued to develop. Ellis Island is an idyllic image and America is said to be a “melting pot” but it never actually achieved that point to its fullest
Xenophobia is a long-lasting problem in the United States. From founding fathers to presidents of liberal colleges, immigrants were viewed as inferior who needed to be brought of darkness. Through Labaree’s analysis, the perception of immigrants in the United States, the prejudices people held towards immigrants, and the roles teachers are expected to hold were explored. It is quite remorseful to recognize that xenophobia currently exists and people who have power in the world system still hold prejudices toward immigrants. (Labaree, 1850 in Cohen
... Tindall 100). Although slaves were initially treated as indentured servants, Americans believed Africans were racially inferior and imposed lifelong servitude on them (Shi and Tindall 75). Both institutions faced horrible circumstances that can never be justified, but without both of these crucial groups, the American economy would not have developed into the powerful economy it is today.
Some slaveholders were at one end of the spectrum, arguing that free blacks were dangerous to American society and should be taken back to Africa. Supporters of free blacks, on the other hand, reasoned that blacks would never surmount the racial prejudice in America and thus would be better off among the blacks of Africa.
Jim Crow. “What is Jim Crow?” You ask. “Is that a person?” No, actually, it is not. The term Jim Crow was a “colloquialism whites and blacks routinely used for the complex system of laws and customs separating races in the south” (Edmonds, Jim Crow: Shorthand for Separation). In other words, it was a set of laws and customs that people used that separated white people from the colored. The Jim Crow laws and practices deprived American citizens of the rights to vote, buses, and “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Laws can change, and be enforced, but if people 's hearts don 't change nothing will. The eternalization of Jim Crow entertainment helped fuel the fire of peoples indifferences to african americans. Jim Crow entertainment usually involved white men dressing up as blacks, and putting on extremely derogatory caricatures. In 1941 this deceptive propaganda was still striving during the 1900’s, and is shown no clearer than in Warner Bros, “All This And Rabbit Stew” featuring Bugs Bunny. Children aren 't born resenting a race or ethnic group its programed into their heads by what they see around them, and what the society around them views as right, or even just normal.
Targets of suspicion: the impact of post-9/11 policies on Muslims, Arabs and South Asians in the US. (2004, May 1). Retrieved from http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/special-reports/targets-suspicion-impact-post-911-policies-muslims-arabs-and-south-asians-us
Although many individuals believed that segregation was wrong, many southern states continued to practice racial segregation. Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. Segregation may apply to a variety of situations. Before the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s laws, policies, and practices were aimed at segregating blacks. After the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in America, Jim Crow Laws regulated racial discrimination. Many states and local governments passed legislation to separate people of color from whites in many areas, such as, schools, housing, jobs, and public gathering places to name only a few. While millions of former slaves hoped to become equal citizens, some people continued to view African Americans as second-class citizens (Spartacus Educational).
In the earlier days of the 20th century, racism was largely black and white; today racism has become multicultural and multicolored. The period from 1890 to 1940 is known as the Jim Crow era in the history of prejudice against the African-Americans. Millions were brutalized, killed and frightened to death for voting and taking formal education, during these years. The concept of 'lynching', where the whites openly 'punished' the black population, was a rampant practice. White people would publicly hang black people for petty reasons, all over the country. Up through the middle of the twentieth century, for example, African Americans were denied access to certain public places, including hospitals, universities, and parks and were “granted admi...
Since the beginning of colonization, America has been controlled by religiously and ethically diverse whites. The most profound cases of racism in the “United” States of America have been felt by Native Americans, Asians, African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Muslims. Major racially structured institutions include; slavery, settlement, Indian reservations, segregation, residential schools, and internment camps (Racism in the U.S., 1). Racism has been felt and seen by many in housing, the educational system, places of employment, and the government. Discrimination was largely criminalized in the mid 20th century, and at the same time became socially unacceptable and morally repugnant (Racism in the U.S., 1). Although racism was
As long as civilizations have been around, there has always been a group of oppressed people; today the crucial problem facing America happens to be the discrimination and oppression of Mexican immigrants. “Mexican Americans constitute the oldest Hispanic-origin population in the United States.”(57 Falcon) Today the population of Mexican’s in the United States is said to be about 10.9%, that’s about 34 million people according to the US Census Bureau in 2012. With this many people in the United States being of Mexican descent or origin, one would think that discrimination wouldn’t be a problem, however though the issue of Mexican immigrant oppression and discrimination has never been a more prevalent problem in the United States before now. As the need for resolve grows stronger with each movement and march, the examination of why these people are being discriminated against and oppressed becomes more crucial and important. Oppression and Anti-discrimination organizations such as the Freedom Socialist Organization believe that the problem of discrimination began when America conquered Mexican l...
Slavery is the idea and practice that one person is inferior to another. What made the institution of slavery in America significantly different from previous institutions was that “slavery developed as an institution based upon race.” Slavery based upon race is what made slavery an issue within the United States, in fact, it was a race issue. In addition, “to know whether certain men possessed natural rights one had only to inquire whether they were human beings.” Slaves were not even viewed as human beings; instead, they were dehumanized and were viewed as property or animals. During this era of slavery in the New World, many African slaves would prefer to die than live a life of forced servitude to the white man. Moreover, the problem of slavery was that an African born in the United States never knew what freedom was. According to Winthrop D. Jordan, “the concept of Negro slavery there was neither borrowed from foreigners, nor extracted from books, nor invented out of whole cloth, nor extrapolated from servitude, nor generated by English reaction to Negroes as such, nor necessitated by the exigencies of the New World. Not any one of these made the Negro a slave, but all.” American colonists fought a long and bloody war for independence that both white men and black men fought together, but it only seemed to serve the white man’s independence to continue their complete dominance over the African slave. The white man must carry a heavy
There were a set of laws about segregation and discrimination called Jim Crow Laws. Jim Crow laws were state and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the South. The reasoning for the making of these laws are to keep African Americans and Caucasians “separate but equal”. Some prime examples of Jim Crow Laws are: “It shall be unlawful for a negro and white person to play together or in company with each other in any game of cards or dice, dominoes or checkers”(n.d.). “It shall be unlawful for any white prisoner to be handcuffed or otherwise chained or tied to a negro prisoner”(n.d.). “No colored barber shall serve as a barber to white women or girls”(n.d.).These may seem cruel and unusual and indeed they were. That was there intent. Fortunately, these laws have ceased and no longer remain thanks to the Civil Right
What would it be like to wake up everyday knowing you would get bullied, mistreated, and/or abused just because of where you were born? Discrimination still exists! “Discrimination remains and there is an increase in hate crimes against Hispanics, Latinos and Mexican-Americans, as one of the perceived symbols of that discrimination, the U.S.-Mexico Border Fence, nears completion. Instead of pulling together in these difficult times, we may see a greater polarization of attitudes” (Gibson). But why are hate crimes increasing towards Latin and Hispanic aliens and what types of discrimination are occurring against them? Understanding violence towards the Hispanic and Latin alien is divided into three main classes; the difference between legal and illegal aliens, the attacks and effects, and the point of view of different people towards aliens.
Black youths arrested for drug possession are 48 times more likely to wind up in prison than white youths arrested for the same crime under the same circumstances. Many people are unaware how constant racism has been throughout the years. It is important to understand the problems of racism because it is relevant to society. Racism in America is very real and Americans need to know it.
In order to justify keeping an entire race of people enslaved, slaveholders claimed that blacks were inferior to whites, placing them on the same level as livestock and other animals. “There were horses and men, cattle and women, pigs and children, all holding the same rank in the scale of being, and were all subjected to the same narrow examination” (73). The fact is, whites are not naturally superior over blacks. Therefore, slaveholders used a variety of contrived strategies to make their case that blacks were inherently inferior to whites. To...