Social Strife in America
Racism and prejudice in the United States is nothing new. The very foundations of our country were poured by slaves forced to work in the fields for the white man. Enslaved only because of the color of their skin, these people were relegated to subhuman standards. Over hundreds of years, blood, sweat, and tears have only brought their widely-perceived social status to "acceptable" standards. The social stigma of the United States is that if you do not speak the same language as me, look different, have different customs and cultures, or even a different sexual orientation, "thou art lesser than I." This attitude leads to discrimination and prejudice and forms the underlying structure of racism. These are problems in our country that are suffered by many, committed consciously and unconsciously by others, and misunderstood to the point where often rational action is taken over by violence. This essay reflects the ideas and experiences of three people whom I felt represented three groups that are often discriminated or prejudiced against. In addition, I will provide a commentary on their reflections associating my thoughts in conjunction with theirs. The first person I interviewed is an eighteen year-old male from So
Unlike Saul who has a voice, Habeeb knows from experience that voicing your troubles can be harmful. A good friend of his, also form India, once had an argument with a drunk white man who said that everyone who isn't white should "go back where they came from." An all-out bar brawl started and most of the patrons ganged up on the minorities. Habeeb's friend suffered a fractured skull and was in a coma for five months. From talking with other minority teenagers, I see that they have less to risk and more to gain when standing up for their rights. Older people have families and careers that have been laboriously built up over time amidst the social ills of our country. They cannot risk this by voicing their opinions or even standing up for their own rights. Speaking of social ills, did you know that classes of the so-called "majority" are discriminated against as well? uthern California. He is the first-generation in his family to be born in America. Both of his parents are from Mexico. Also, he is brown-skinned. I will refer to him by his true name, Saul, because one question I asked was, "What do you read in people when they first hear your name?" To this he replied, "Ninety percent of the time they'll ask me where I'm from. [(San Juan Capistrano)]. 'Oh, that's in Spain, right?' they say and when I tell them its in So. California they tell me something along the lines that I look so foreign." When asked if he believes if this comment is prejudicial or racial he said he understands it to be more of a problem of ignorance. You did not have to be there to see that the only reason the INS approached him was because he looked like an "illegal." This type of behavior is unacceptable, in my opinion, and should not be committed by anyone, especially a representative of the United States government. Had the situation been handled differently, the question of prejudice would not have been an issue. Unfortunately, in this case, the officers' blatant attack on Saul based most likely on the color of his skin is extremely disturbing and frightening. From that day forward, Saul made a pledge to himself to speak out against any prejudice or discrimination regardless of whom it is against. He tells me, in fact, that he has been very vocal lately. If this is how someone of a different skin color is t
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Approximate Word count = 1569
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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