Every country has its own unique culture and history. I believe that each individual gets part of their identity, along with physical traits, from their heritage. Having dual citizenship has been a big contribution to how my life has turned out to be. My father is a white male from the United States, where as my mother is Argentinean. Each of them grew up with completely different lifestyles and both also experienced living in each other’s country. Structural racism is system used in society that produces inequalities based on race in institutions and the social realm (Wikipedia 2013). Being the daughter of parents from different countries has led me to the conclusion that my family has been both advantaged and disadvantaged to structural racism. I as well have personally experienced both advantages and disadvantages of structural racism.
First I’d like to explain my father’s side of structural racism. My father being a white male and from the United States has already given him a greater advantage in life than others. My father did not grow up wealthy compared to other white families, but compared to other race families my father was better off. White privilege did play an important role in my father’s life. White privilege is where immunities and rules are granted in favor of one being white (Schaffer 2012: 38). My father grew up in a decent neighborhood, went to good schools, and participated in extracurricular activities. My father was able to fool around and skip school in high school without having a fear of getting into too much trouble. My father also had the opportunity to get a higher education and attend college. He was able to obtain jobs quite easily and was never given any issues based on his race. My father ex...
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...the opportunity to have advantages, but I do feel like it is not fair that other people who are mixed do not receive the same advantages as me because they actually look like their heritage. I do not want to be given special treatment compared to others. That is just how I am. I would rather be treated equally than any other person. No one can help where they come from but society can help how one’s backgrounds are treated. I think society needs to reevaluate their ways and try to really change to make social equality among races. As you can see I have been given advantages and disadvantages based on structural racism.
Works Cited
Schaefer, Richard T. Racial and Ethnic Groups 13th. Ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print.
Wikipedia contributors. "Institutional racism." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 6 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2013
Wilkins, Roger. “Racism.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 572 (2000): 159. Sage Publications, Inc. Web. 25 Mar. 2014
A) Racism is any hate, through actions or thoughts, intentional or unintentional that causes harm to an individual or group of people based off of their color of skin. I believe one of the most important parts of understanding the definition of racism is knowing that even if it is unintentional, it is still racism, even if it is just a thought, it is racism. Additionally, looking at the formal definition in class, we talked about how race is perceived and backed by structural and institutional relations of domination. I think it is important to remember this simple fact as well: race is not biological. It was created by a society to give advantages to whites and disadvantages to everyone one. Finally, I think it is important to understand that
Next, Institutional or systemic racism refers to the laws, policies, practices, rules and procedures that operate within organisations, societal structures and the broader community to the advantage of the dominant group or groups and to the detriment and disadvantage of other groups. Institutional racism may be intentional or unintentional. Jim Crowe is a great example of institutional racism. Jim Crow laws were the name of the racist caste system put in place to segregate African Americans, Hispanics and any ethnic minority. Theses laws made it so non whites could not integrate with minorities. These laws applied to hospitals, buses, toilets and drinking fountains and restaurants. For example Buses: All passenger stations in this state operated
Structural Racism is a form of racism that revolves around ideas and beliefs of a dominant group which gets implemented in the society and are seen as the cultural norm in the community. Other ethnic’s cultural practices are obligated to confirm to the dominant group’s cultural practices or risk being outcast. Structural racism tends to favour one ethnic group over the other as it is likely to oppress and marginalise other cultural groups. (Horan, 2015)
We have a long history of racism in America that has been structured to favor White people. Structural racism can be defined as, “a system in which public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms work in various, often reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial group inequity. It identifies the dimensions of our history and culture that have allowed privileges associated with “whiteness” and disadvantages associated with “color” to endure and adapt over time”(Structural Racism, 2004,p. 11). Overt racism became illegal during The Civil Rights Movement that took place between 1954-1968 (Tuck, 2015). Although society seemed to be heading toward a more socially acceptable society, the movement enabled white people to blame the struggles black face as a character flaw. White people will believe that black people have a lot of problems because their culture is bad or they have bad values. The message they are reinforcing is that being black is inferior, and this is an example of structural racism operates. Structural racism is a system of forces that keeps people of color in a permanent second-class status, and it is the foundation of racism in our society. Society is structured in a way where the hierarchy of white people oppresses Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, etc and has
In today 's society, it is said that institutional racism still exists, but it isn 't as bad as it used to be. Institutional racism is the idea that people can have racist thoughts or actions without being blamed for it since it is often difficult to prove. People can walk down the street
The history of the United States is one of duality. In the words of the
This source is useful because it explores the idea of institutional racism in a simple manner. Using this article, the explanation of institutional racism can be used as the framework for the introduction of the argument. Due to the straightforwardness of the paper, this certainly helped give a better understanding on how to fully analyze the idea of institutional racism present in the current educational system.
Different from racism by individuals, it reflects the disparities regarding criminal justice, employment, housing and education. Individual racism consists of overt acts, it can usually involve things such as violence, death and destruction of property. This form of racism is obvious and can be pointed out instantly. Institutional racism, on the other hand, is less overt and very subtle. Institutional racism usually occurs within respected forces in society, thus, cannot be confronted in an obvious manner. An example of individual racism would be if a black family moved into a white neighborhood and someone damages their property. An example of institutionalized racism would when black families are forced to live in urban cities and are not allowed to buy homes in white neighborhoods per say. Educational institutions are also an example of institutionalized racism because in many private colleges, diversity was not present, the emphasis on diversity in colleges has only recently become a phenomenon. “It is harder for a white college student to understand the need that minority students feel to band together against discrimination” (Waters, 1996, 236). Waters points out that often times in colleges where diversity is not apparent, the minority students—Asian, African Americans, Jewish, Arabian and Latino—bind together no matter their racial
Randall, Vernellia. “What is Institutional Racism?” Dying While Black. 9 Jan. 2008. Web. 16 Nov 2013.
Institutional racism are those accepted, established, evident, respected forces, social arrangements, institutions, structures, policies, precedents an systems of social relations that operate are manipulated in such a way as to allow, support individual acts of racism. It is also to deprive certain racially identified categories within a society a chance to share, have equal access to, or have equal opportunity to acquire those things, material and nonmaterial, that are defined as desirable and necessary for rising in an hierarchical class society while that society is dependent, in part, upon that group they deprive for their labor and loyalty. Institutional racism is more subtle, less visible, and less identifiable but no less destructive to human life and human dignity than individual acts of racism. Institutional racism deprives a racially identified group, usually defined as generally inferior to the defining dominant group, equal access to education medical care, law, politics, housing, etc.1 Racism by domination of bigot whites has silenced a non-dominant group like African Americans in the past and continues to do so today with other non-dominant groups through institutionalized racism that suffers the hearts and minds of those targeted.
The concept of institutional racism was introduced in 1960s America. The concept was politically powerful in expanding existing understandings of racial inequalities which focused on individual prejudic...
Racism (n): the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other race (Wordnet search, 1), a controversial topic in today’s society, a subject that many people try to sweep under the rug, but yet a detrimental problem that has been present in America since the colonial era. Will this dilemma come to a halt? Can all Americans see each other as equals despite their skin color and nationality; and what role has it played in past generations versus today’s generations and how will it affect our future? Has this on going way of thinking gotten better or worse? These are questions raised when many think about the subject; especially members of American ethnic groups and backgrounds, because most have dealt with racial discrimination in their life time.
Randall, Vernellia R. "Institutional Racism in American Society." Race, Racism, and the Law 2000: n. pag. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
Racial discrimination, from the early fifteen hundreds until today, continues to be a major problem in the United States and in other countries. Despite the different acts and laws put into place, hardly any reassuring results was shown to prove that racial discrimination has ended throughout society. Racial discrimination can vary from housing location to stereotyping to police brutality to comedians mocking a specific race or ethnicity.