Racism And Discrimination

Stereotypes and racism remain present in our society, and will not be going away any time soon. That being said, it is important to know how different forms of racism and stereotypes affect the mental health of different minorities. Not every minority is discriminated against and stereotyped in the same way, which means that minorities may be affected on a mental level differently. Understanding the different affects that racism and stereotypes have on minority groups is important to the values of well being, equality, and a healthy life style.

For instance, Asians are a good example of how one minority can be affected differently by stereotypes. Lwamoto, Derek, Lejuez, Hamilton, and Grivel state, “Asian American young adults are increasingly

According to Seaton, and Eleanor in the article The Influence of Cognitive Development and Perceived Racial Discrimination on the Psychological Well-being of African American Youth, “racially discriminatory incidents are prevalent among African American youth given that 91% of pre-adolescent African Americans reported experiencing at least one discriminatory experience in their lifetime” (695). It’s both disturbing and shocking that young African American youths experience racism at such a young age. Being discriminated against at such an early age can cause serious mental health issues for African Americans. Seaton, and Eleanor state, “racial discrimination have been linked to lower life satisfaction levels, decreased self-esteem, increased depressive symptoms, increased anger and problem behaviors, decreased achievement motivation and an increased likelihood of alcohol consumption”(695). African Americans should not have to suffer from any type of discrimination especially the youth who are too young to even really comprehend why racism and discrimination is even present in our society. Our youth should be able to learn and live their lives in a friendly and supportive atmosphere, but instead, young African American youth have to deal with racism, which can lead to all kinds of problems to their mental well-being Problems that include a

Ahmed, Sameera, and Linda describe in the article Understanding the Mental Health Needs of American Muslims, “A 1,600% volume increase since 2000 in the number of hate crimes perpetrated against Muslims. As a result, many American Muslims experience increased feelings of anxiety, fear, and rejection” (2). It is wrong to hate against a group of people just because they may be different then you. These hate crimes that are performed against Muslims cause American Muslims severe mental suffering, such as living in constant fear and a feeling of being 2nd class citizens. American Muslims are treaded as unequals just because they appear different and believe in a religion that most people are not familiar with which Is Islam. According to Ahmed, Sameera, and Linda, “Despite increased attention, American Muslims continue to be misunderstood and misrepresented. These individuals represent a highly diverse group who are American and follow the religion of Islam”(1). This misunderstanding of their culture causes people to hate against Muslims since people fear what they don’t necessarily understand. American Muslims get a bad rep just because of how they look as well as a misrepresentation of Muslims in our society. Which ultimately causes hate crimes towards American Muslims causing a mental state of fear, anxiety, and rejection to this particular