Premium Essay

What Is Racism?

In:

Submitted By rickyb1224
Words 747
Pages 3
What is Racism?
Ricky L. Barnes
AIU Online
January 30, 2013

What is racism? Racism is a person who dislikes or hates another race or culture. This also means prejudice and discrimination. Racism started long ago even before slavery with the Africans or blacks. For an example, the Greeks and Romans didn’t like the Barbarians which were people who lived in northern Europe. They called them barbarians because they didn’t have the education or lifestyle the way the Greeks and Romans lived. Just like the white people called Africans; niggers, which the true definition is an ignorant person. Why, because we couldn’t speak english, or couldn’t read and write. But later, the term “nigger” became a definition of a black person which is part of racism. Different ethnic groups had they partake of racism and the learning about the fight of the Native Americans, African Americans and Jews; will give you a true definition of racism. Native Americans also known as Indians were named that because; Christopher Columbus didn’t even know where he was. He thought he was in India but actually he landed on one of the islands in the Caribbean which now is called the West Indies. They say Columbus discovered America, how can you discover something if people (the Native Americans) already lived there? Which brings me to the next question, why do they call Indians, Native Americans if they were here first? America was named after an Italian navigator, named Amerigo Vespucci which the Spaniards honored him. (Amerigo Vespucci. (2011). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1.) The Natives, (there correct name) were intrigued and curious about the white man. But little that they know, there were disliked because of their culture and lifestyle. For an example you think the Natives and the Pilgrims had a feast together that’s why we have Thanksgiving. Yes, they were all there but

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

What Is Racism?

...2015 What is Racism? Racism is used widely and in many cases loosely among young people of this generation. It is an issue that has lasted through many generations. What exactly is racism and how does it define us as people? Racism is defined as the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races. This is the truth of racism, but we only see the black and white of this situation. We sometimes forget that other colors exist in the world. African Americans and Hispanics are not the only ones that suffer racism in the United States. As an Asian American we not only suffer from racism but neglect as a race, high standard stereotypes and discrimination. When it comes to racism, Asian Americans are always forgotten. It’s always issues between the African Americans and the Caucasian Americans. To them, it’s only black and white there is nothing in between. There are always side glances and a certain hatred towards Asian American. Growing I was raised with a mindset that my parents had to give up everything in their life in Vietnam in order to give me the life I live now; that I must work hard to keep that. I feel like there has always been a jealousy by other races towards Asians and Asian Americans. As I went through grade school, I came across many offensive phrases one would call “stereotypes.” Though stereotypes of Asian Americans are what people...

Words: 942 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

What Is Internalized Racism

...As children, we are taught about racism and physical differences that make us diverse; however, have we genuinely grasped the concept of how we are not different? Outside we may look different, but what is inside has no discrepancies. Coincedently, this belief adds on to what goes on in people's minds. Two reasons; internalized racism and internalized white supremacy. M;l.,m/any people get confused and mix these two reasons and their meanings up. People seem to think that the internalized racism is correlated with whites and the internalized white supremacy is correlated with African Americans. This has become the result of our school systems failures. In this day in age, many people need to understand the differences between these two terms....

Words: 1579 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

What Is Racism In Sentencing

...The last way racism happens is through sentencing. According to Thefreedictionary.com sentencing is defined as, “The judgment formally pronounced upon a person convicted in criminal proceedings, esp the decision as to what punishment is to be imposed.” Racism in sentencing is a common thing in the judicial system, it happens because colored people are more likely to be sentenced longer for the same crime that a white person could do. In an article written by the Huffington Post, the NYPD has stated that 80% of people that got pulled over were colored people, out of those people, 85% were searched down while only 8% of white people were searched. (Huffingtonpost.com) The authors believe this is unfair to colored people, it is unfair that colored...

Words: 327 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

What Is Racism In Schools

...Racism in schools hurts both individuals and the learning and working environment. It generates tensions that distort cultural understanding and narrow the educational experiences of all students. Afraid of going to school? Have trouble focusing in class? Getting depressed? Making bad choices? These are all effects of what happens when students are being bullied. Racism occurs in explicit forms such as name-calling,teasing, verbal abuse and bullying. Racism can have a profound effect on students, teachers and can generally affect the overall school atmosphere. Students get affected the most by their race. They get called the wrong things and people say stuff about their religion. Not many Students care when they see this happen. If you see...

Words: 339 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

What Is Racism In Huckleberry Finn

...Published in 1885 by Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was very progressive for its time. The novel shed new light on racism from the past and present years; most of the people living in the southern states accepted the idea of racial separation. Many African Americans in the Southern States were slaves; most African Americans held little to no rights. The adventure begins with Huckleberry Finn, a young white boy, befriending a runaway slave named Jim. Despite the risks in helping to free the slave, Huck stays with Jim throughout most of the journey. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn does not explicitly ridicule racism, but rather implies the negativity of it through various elements of the story. Twain’s portrayal of Jim, Huck’s...

Words: 410 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

To What Extent Does Racism Continue to Be an Issue in the Usa Today.

...To what extent does racism continue to be an issue in US politics? In this essay I will assess whether racism still continues in US politics today. There is one side that believes that racism still continues in US politics and that discrimination against race and ethnicity is a big problem. However there is another side that argues that America is no longer racist and that race and ethnicity is no longer an issue in American politics. Neither of the sides will ever agree on one side. My first point that racism continues to be an issue in US politics is education. African Americans cannot get the same grades as white Americans without having to work twice as hard due to the racism that is attached to them. An example of this is that total for students in 2006 department of education, 37% of African Americans were suspended and 58% expulsion, with such high levels of African Americans subject to punish it is clear to see that racism does still continue in the US. However many would argue that American education is not racist through many African Americans getting certificates and highly paid jobs as seen with Obama being president. An example of this in action can be viewed in 2000 86.8% of African Americans achieved a high school certificate compared to 1960 where only 39% achieved one, this shows that racism is no longer a problem in US politics and is a thing of the past. My second point is the issue of racism post 9/11. Stigma is attached to minority groups because of what...

Words: 1025 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Racism

...Abstract and Annotated Bibliography: Racism in Rare Form Quinta Anderson Liberty University Abstract Racism occurs when there is a prejudice that is targeted towards a specific group or person due to their ethnicity or the color of their skin. Prejudice can be perceived as passing judgment on a person before knowing facts about an individual. If an individual allows prejudiced to consume them then it is known as discrimination. Discrimination can occur any many different forms such as not allowing someone to purchase a home, getting employment, denying them of their education rights, can all be a form of racial discrimination. For many years, there has been a major conflict regarding the African American race as well as immigrants. Although, the civil rights movement is no longer in existence, racism has started to formulate in rare form and hate crimes has been present across the country has arrived. Racism can be seen daily especially in the Southern States. However, when the color of one’s skin is not a main factor, other examples of discrimination can be seen in the form of one’s language, religion, nationality, sex. The reader will be able to explore how racism and multicultural counseling are linked together. Racism in Rare Form What is Racism? Racism and prejudice is a problem that has existed for years and still exist today, but in rare form. Racism has changed from generation to generation and is sometimes hidden. Racism has been said to exist for years...

Words: 2516 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Investigating Social Issue

...in Church. However before I get to a particular issue we have to know what a social issues is first. Social issues are political debates involving moral judgments about how people should live. The social issue that interests me is “Racism”. Racism have always been a social problem that has been around throughout different parts of history. Even dating back to biblical times racism has been relevant. My personal definition of Racism would be. The dislike of a person, by another because of their skin color; language customs. Racism exists in different ways. It can be individual, institutional, cultural, religion racism and so forth. In Merriam Webster its says Racism can be defined as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race”. Now that you know what racism is let me tell you a little something about its. Today overt racism in this country has decreased because more people believe in evaluating other by the content of their character (Macionis, 2010). Describe how your issue fits into the field of sociology. Which sociological theories and terminology from the text apply to your social issue? There are several sociological theories about why prejudice, discrimination, and racism exist. These sociological theories focus mainly on explaining the existence of racism, particular institutional racism. Audrey Smedley (1993) The three major sociological perspectives (functionalist...

Words: 767 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Business

...Case Study 1: How Racist Are Australians? Think about this topic broadly, but try to also think about the different ways that social scientists could study issues of race and racism in Australia. For example, there are important conceptual issues. How do we define terms like race and racism? Are there different kinds of racism (i.e. old racism? colour racism? new or cultural racism? institutional racism? Can you be racist towards someone on religious grounds, or is that something different? – if interested in the latter see Dunn et al 2007 in refs below). There are also historical and contemporary questions – who has experienced racism in the past in Australia, and who experiences it in today’s Australia? Then there are questions about how we examine the issues surrounding racism. How do we measure racism? Do we use survey questions about people’s beliefs? Are the kinds of questions asked in such surveys really measuring racism? (think about the survey explained in Dunn et al 2004). Can we use qualitative forms of research to investigate racism? What about assessing racism from the perspective of its victims (i.e. from those who have experienced racist acts, or forms of discrimination?) Are there particular groups of people more likely to hold racist beliefs? In what ways can we measure and assess the extent of racial discrimination in Australia? Can you think of any other good research questions that we could ask on this topic? Here are some further ideas of things...

Words: 691 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Psychology of Racism

...Introduction Some would argue that racism does not exist today, this is not an attempt to prove anything of the contrary, instead this is an attempt to understand racism and where it comes from. Although racism lives within the hearts and minds of some people it is much more cleverly disguised, some may not even notice it right in front of their face. For some, it may be a fact that they have not experienced racism, however for others, racism has a great impact on daily life. . Due to the complexity of the human mind, I believe that it would be impossible to find one single cause of racism. This is merely an attempt to discover some contributing factors to racism and why so many people tend to accept racism either consciously or sub consciously. Finally, from an objective perspective, this research will explain how racism develops through various ideas and why. Within these pages we will explore the possible causes of racism such as ethnocentrism, or the idea that one ethnic group is more superior to another. Xenophobia, fear and dislike of people from other countries or cultures is another contributing factor to racism. National pride can be a source of unity but also an excuse to discriminate against others, by holding the belief that your nation is better than other nations. We will explore some theories related to racism such as the idea that sexual repression is to blame for violence. Also exploring the theory of energetic fields as a possible explanation...

Words: 3389 - Pages: 14

Free Essay

Rasicm in Childhood Upbringing

...Racism in Childhood Upbringing Racism is an issue that has existed throughout human history. Caused by people who believe that a person has predisposed stereotypes based solely on the color of their skin, it is an issue that is difficult to eradicate. Although there are many people who are racist, I was having a difficult time figuring out why this was. There are many different factors as to why a person could become intolerant of people with different skin colors, but the one that I felt was the most prominent factor contributing to this social disorder had to do with interference from a young age. I believe that childhood upbringing is a major contributing factor in the roots of racism. When children are young, they are extremely moldable. While some parents choose to allow their children the freedom of learning and exploring to create their own opinions, others do not. They take advantage of the naivety of young kids and shape their minds into what they believe is right, which includes racist thoughts. By forcing their opinions onto a child, it leaves no room for personal interpretation, thus continuing the never-ending cycle of intolerance. There are several reasons why I believe this happens. First, familial beliefs have a lot to do with the promotion of racism, because if a parent is very opinionated they are less likely to allow their children to make their own judgments. I also believe this occurs because some adults cannot get their own points across to others...

Words: 1487 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

How Is Racism Still Relevant Today

...Racism is the act of passing judgment on someone on the idea of their skin color , Social , or cultural historical past . Treating people badly or unfairly due to their race is a issue that travels farther back into the history of America and remains very much alive today . A prejudice idea that separates and labels race as superior or better than any other . Racism is about power , it’s the belief that white people are higher than others , which has advocated over a century of hate crime and hate speech . The bad and unfair treatment of human beings due to their race is often used in a free and thoughtless way to explain the horrific or bad feeling of one group people towards another . Racism is apart of human nature , But “No one is born hating...

Words: 1562 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Avoiding Racism in Care Work

...In Unit 11, both Rosie Purves and Elvis Malcolm talk about their experiences of racism at work. Compare their different experiences and discuss how racism can be avoided in care work. Racism involves inappropriate behaviour towards another person due to their race, colour, nationality or ethnic group. Racism is made up by people’s Stereotyping, prejudices and discrimination towards others who are different from them. Racism is then applied by someone with the power to act on it. The power relationship gives us understanding to how prejudices and racism are acted upon. I am going to compare Rosie Purves and Elvis Malcolm’s experiences of racism at work and discuss how racism can be avoided in the care work. A comparison between Rosie and Elvis was that Rosie didn’t have the support from management that Elvis had. Rosie was under racist actions due to the colour of her skin. The consultant went along with the mother’s request to move her child away from Rosie’s care. This was due to the mother not wanting anyone who was black looking after her child. By the consultant not challenging the mother made it look like he was agreeing with her actions and saying that racism was ok. ‘Nobody at the hospital apologised. The priority was the child, according to the consultant. The team was saying, “We don’t see you as being black” but they were still prepared to move the child’. (Purves, 2010, p 23) By the consultant going a long with the mother’s request caused the hospital to be...

Words: 1833 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: The Reality Of Racism

...The Reality of Racism Throughout our lives, we will all experience racism in some form xr another. We learn racism from society and we see how it affects people as we grow. In the novel, Scout who is a six-year-old child born and raised in 1930’s Maycomb County, Alabama. She grows up in a racist society were “colored people” are discriminated and learns about racism from society. In “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee the theme of racism is explored and it becomes clear that racism is something we learn from society. Scout starts to learn more about racism from society when she is talking to Francis. When Scout and her family go to Finch’s landing for Christmas and talks to Francis she learns a segment of what racism is. She realizes the prejudice of being associated with a “Colored person” when Francis says “I guess it ain't your fault that Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover” (94). Scout feels enraged at Francis when he calls Atticus this because even though she does not know what that word means, she still felt the prejudice of his words and she felt that what Francis called Atticus is not a good thing. From Francis’s words, Scout begins to develop an understanding of what racism is....

Words: 615 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Racism

...Topic: Racism Racism - Boundless Open Textbook. (2015, July 21). Retrieved February 07, 2016, from https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/race-and-ethnicity-10/race-79/racism-473-3288/ This website provides straightforward information on racism and how it applies to sociology. It discusses racism as a social fact and covers individual, structural, cultural, and historical racism. Racism is when discrimination occurs based solely on inherent traits in a racial group. This site is useful because it provides a foundation for information on racism and key term while giving you a general overview and helps you understand other resources better. I could see the control theory working with some of the content of this source, while it’s purely informational source it contains the fact the racism can be deliberate and that given the opportunity that people will have racist thoughts or actions eventually. One thing that is missing in this source is that it lacks clear examples on the outcomes of racism. It clearly defines it and shows the responses to racism like affirmative action but it fails to show any type of real world actions. This is related to sociology because of lists key points and facts about racism. Racism has a larger effect on the population and society. Eckholm, E. (2008, May 05). Racial Disparities Found to Persist as Drug Arrests Rise. Retrieved February 07, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/us/05cnd-disparities...

Words: 1179 - Pages: 5