Racism and discrimination has been a part of America since
the first landing of colonists in the New World. Many people don’t believe this
but there have been many racial discrimination across different ethnic and
nationality groups in America’s history. The English colonists past judgment on
anyone who wasn’t English. Thomas Driver of the Huffington Post wrote, “Racism
is so ingrained in the American experience that no one who has grown up here is
free of it.” It’s true. We may think of ourselves as not being racist but
people will be shocked on how a simple little thought like stereotypes lead to prejudices which leads to
racism which leads to discrimination.
Stereotypes are beliefs that unfairly places all people in a
certain group with a particular characteristics. For instance, “all Mexicans
are lazy,” “Asian women are bad drivers” and “all Middle Easterners hate
Americans” are a few. Not all stereotypes are negative, some are place a
positive light on certain groups but still place unfair generalizations to all
members. For instance, “all Asians are smart,” “all African-Americans can play
basketball,” and “the French are romantics.” We all can think of people who do
not fit these descriptions but they would be lumped in with these stereotypes
because they happen to fit a certain ethnic group.
Prejudices are unfair feelings of dislike for a person or
group because of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, etc. This dislike is
often unreasonable or illogical. How can stereotypes lead to prejudices? Think
for a moment that you hold to the belief that all Mexicans are lazy and you,
therefore, think that the Mexican family that lives down the street are lazy
and mooching off the government for their needs. You think they are dirty
because their yard may not be as pristine as yours? Do you really know that?
Would it change your mind to learn that that family’s patriarch workers three
jobs in order to provide for his wife and kids. The matriarch cleans every day
to keep her house in order? Would it change your mind? Maybe, maybe not. If prejudices
are firmly held regardless of evidence to the contrary, it will often lead to
racism.
Racism is the belief that all members of each race possess
characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially characteristics
to distinguish as inferior to another race. Same scenario, because you believe
that the Mexican family is lazy and government moochers, you believe that you
are superior to all Mexicans because you aren’t lazy and don’t have any form of
government assistance. Because you believe that all Mexicans are lazy, you will
probably treat all Mexicans you will met as if they don’t deserve to be in your
neighborhood or even in your country. Never realizing the hardships they left
to come here and how hard they work to stay in this country. You may even
assume that that Mexican family are here illegally, never realizing that that
family’s ancestors have been here since colonial America.
Racist beliefs can lead to discrimination. Discrimination is the treatment of a person or particular group of people differently, in a
way that is worse than the way people are usually treated. For example, you are
walking by the family’s house and you decide to allow your dog to do his
business in their yard and you wouldn’t think to do it to the house next door.
Why? Because the house isn’t occupied by those “dirty Mexicans.” Would you want
people to treat you differently simply because you belong in a certain group? I
know I wouldn’t. I want to be treated as any human with dignity and kindness. I
give the same smile and hello to the Muslim woman in a hijab as I do a
Christian who wears the cross or a Jew who wears the Star of David.
In conclusion, I am very aware of the stereotypes and
prejudices around me and I try very hard to avoid giving them any credence. I
also get upset when my husband uses them, even as a joke, because I would like
my children to be part of the first generation to be free of stereotypes and
prejudices. Although they will probably learn them on their own, I want them to
know that everyone doesn’t fit in the same box. There are always exceptions to
the rule, that one outlier which doesn’t fit the pattern and it is wrong to
assume that everyone of a certain group is the same. It will take a little work
but it can be done.
