Racism is among the social constructs that affect the Asians and Black Americans living in the United States. They suffer from racial discrimination from the Whites who consider them as weak, helpless and are related to everything bad because of their skin color. They face discrimination from the police who arrest and mistreat them instead of protecting them as in the case of Michael Brown.
According to the New York Times article written by George Yancy (2014), racial discrimination is portrayed in different ways. The first way is that Asians and Black Americans are considered as being bestial and animalistic. This means that they are viewed as people who are wild and brutal like animals. Their skin color is related to monkeys and they are characteristics are compared to those of Lions, Cheetah, and other deadly wild animals. For instance, Asian soldiers took part in the civil war but the Americans took advantage of them just to enjoy the benefits of staying in a new world free from war and fights. This point is critical as it depicts how the whites’ are biased by taking advantage of blacks and using them as a source of protection.
The second way is that Asians and Black Americans are seen as “model minority”. Americans believe that they are overachievers because they are aliens but they have a higher household more than the whites. Americans feel that Black Americans and Asians have more than what they deserve as a foreign race and thus they have every reason to be hated and bullied by Americans. The whites see them as a threat in their economy and a hindrance towards achieving their success. This point is essential because it depicts how whites show prejudice against other races because they believe that other races have deprived them of all their resources without considering how those people had to work hard in order to become wealthy.
The third way is that other races are prohibited from acquiring citizenship by naturalization. They are considered foreign people who do not qualify to become US citizens naturally. Therefore, they have to look for other methods of being citizens such as birth and paying fees to become citizens. This prohibition was aimed at taking control of other races since they had no right to speak or to fight for their rights because they did not have any citizenship. This point explains how the whites lack moral values of fairness and equity by denying other races the right to acquire citizenship naturally.
Based on the scholarly journal written by Joy James (2014), racism is found everywhere in the state and most people fear to protest because of the consequences they are likely to experience. The first point is that white anti-imperialists are often discouraged by the racist government when they attempt to resist with other races. Severe treatment and torture that the anti-imperialists are normally subjected to are what discourages the whites from engaging in protests. This point shows how the racist governments are biased on themselves without considering the efforts of their own citizens. Putting protestors in prison clearly shows that racist government lacks political values of freedom and justice because they do not allow citizens to exercise their rights in peace.
The second point is that other races are viewed as prison rats. They are imprisoned for the sake of the whites and this causes devastation to Black communities. They are placed in unhygienic cells with less food and a lot of labor. They receive minimal education in prison and yet they are capable of becoming poets, activists, educators, writers and other professionals who can provide a radical appraisal of American Society. This point is important because it shows how the administration of United States provides unequal rights and favors to people in the same capacity.
The third point is that the whites not only discriminate against other races but they also have materialistic discrimination. Minority whites who are poor and lack nothing to noble are discriminated against just like any other race. They are seen as a disgrace to the community since they live within the standards of other races. Similarly, whites who support other races are mistreated and imprisoned because they are rebellious against the state. This point is critical because people are criticized based on material things without considering the benefits they can give to the society.
The website written about white people for black lives portrays how whites from Los Angeles have decided to share similar values with the blacks in order to end racism. The first point is that the whites have decided to join local racial justice groups as a way of taking action to stop racism. They are able to unlearn their own racism in these groups and acquire knowledge on systems contained in the racist government that allows other races to be mistreated. The whites are able to spread information to other white people who are likely to take part in anti-racism protests after obtaining the knowledge. This point is important because it explains how the whites can be of great help if they join hands with other races to stop racism.
The second point is that white people have been able to incorporate the moral value of sharing a mutual interest with other races. White supremacy harms both the white people and people of color but in different ways. Allowing the system to take control makes the white people forget about their traditions as and cultures and to focus on worshiping power, fame, and money. Similarly, other races suffer from brutality, torture, and mistreatment based on this system. Fighting against this system collectively will weaken its functions and it will benefit both the white people and the colored people since they share a mutual interest.
The third point is that white people have decided to show up for racial justice. They have decided to take risks, make mistakes and learn from them as they keep pushing for racial justice. They do this by supporting anti-racist organizations through fundraising, mobilizing people, transforming cultures and educating people internally and externally on racial justice. The racial justice movement has incorporated people of all races in order to advocate for equality during their campaigns and protests against social justice. This point is critical because it shows that some white people have stopped being biased and have developed moral values to help them understand what is right and wrong. By taking part in fighting for racial justice, they have experienced what it takes to be a black person and they have stopped judging other races based on their own thinking.
According to my understanding, not everyone who practices racism likes it or knows more about it but some are doing it because it is what has been seen in the household. Some white people practice it knowing that it is wrong but they later join the anti-racist movement in order to stop racism from being prevalent. Similarly, leaders in the white supremacy have trained its citizens to believe that resources are minimal and that’s why they have to own all of them without sharing with other races. They have also been made to believe that their culture is less important than being in power and having money, thus they have to compete for the top position and acquire all the wealth that other races have in order to be different from them.
Typically, some black people act in unlawful ways due to the stereotypes they undergo from the whites. For instance, Ismaayl Brinsley traveled to New York and shot police officers after the murder of Michael Brown who was innocently killed by police. Believing that other races should be taken to prison as a punishment for their race is what makes them steal or engage in other acts which will make them go to prison lawfully rather than being in prison for the mistakes of others.
I support the coming together of whites and blacks to fight against racial discrimination. Their collective efforts will lead to the abolishment of white supremacy because all races will be against it. Fighting for racial justice will enable leaders to know that racial discrimination not only affects the other races but it also affects the whites who are related with the blacks through marriage, work and lifestyle. Failure to take risks by some white people in protests due to fear of going to prison is not right. This is because the racist government will take advantage of their fear and continue oppressing the blacks without anyone intervening for them.
I disagree with the whites taking advantage of the blacks and using them as protection during wars. They simply don’t care about their well-being or whether they live or die in the battle. They are mainly concerned about their own safety. Depriving the colored race of their wealth is not morally right because they have worked for them without complaining about their civil rights. The whites should instead embrace the spirit of hard work and acquire their own wealth. Discriminating against other whites because of material wealth is completely biased because those poor people are the ones who work hard to make the rich people get all the benefits.
Based on my reactions I learned that I am biased to believe that most of the racists were not born with it, instead, they acquired such attributes from those taking care of them as they grow. I also believe that other races engage in unlawful acts because they feel belittled and stereotyped when they are mocked and abused by the whites. I expect everyone to have moral values and do what is right by treating other races equally. This is contrary to what white supremacy leaders portray because they are after acquiring what is of interest to them by putting their personal values ahead of moral values.
Understanding diversity from a professional perspective is important because it helps one to acquire different opinions and perspectives because professionals have come across different experiences, opinions, cultures, and ideas. A professional has come across various views and responses from different people and can, therefore, provide an absolute solution and answer to a particular problem. Professional perspective is useful in helping an individual create the best cultural diversity through focusing on core values of a particular attribute. By learning from professionals, individuals are able to improve their understanding of various values, biases, and prejudices. Professionals enable individuals to increase their creativity and problem-solving because they provide a variety of ways in which problems can be identified, implemented and solved. They provide people with a diverse mindset that is necessary for developing different solutions to a particular problem.
Understanding diversity from an individual perspective enables individuals to learn about themselves and improve on areas that they might be wrong. Individuals are able to understand their own biases and prejudice and correct where necessary. Individuals are able to evaluate and appreciate themselves and others since they are able to be open-minded when dealing with others. It enables individuals to acquire a better understanding of the human relationship and to create a mutual understanding concerning expectations in the real world.