Being Black&Living in the Red - Term Paper Example

Racial Stratification Racial stratification is known as a type of stratification or ification according to race. Unfortunately, classification is not based on any biological or physical trait which is measurable or identifiable; rather, basis is merely by one’s race. Frederickson ( 1988 ) defined race as “consciousness of status and identity based on ancestry and color.”( qtd .from Lee and Bean, 2004, p.223). Unfair as it may seem, society has classified people according to one’s race which resulted to limited opportunities in life in areas like education, employment and even basic civil rights. Some decades ago, Conley ( 1999 ) illustrated his sentiments about the status of African Americans in a predominantly white society : “African Americans may, in fact, be the most American of all, for by some socioeconomic indicators, they have made incredible progress since the passage of civil rights legislation. By other measures, however, they are not so “American”- that is for whatever reason, upward mobility has been more difficult “ ( p.9). Indeed, Conley’s writings strikes at the very heart of racial stratification, when people are unfairly branded and given negative stereotypes because of their ethnicity. The former cultural assimilation paradigm proposed some decades ago established the concepts that immigrants over time, assimilate in to the dominant culture. However, American society today composed of “whites” would not be the dominant culture in the future. The National research Council has projected that “by the year 2050, America’s Latino and Asian populations are expected to triple, constituting about 25% and 8% of the U.S. population, respectively (qtd. from Lee and Bean, 2004, p.221). This would have implications on how the government as well as private organizations should revise programs that is biased towards the white population. The white would be a minority one day in the U.S. Even the definition of non-white is quite offending as McDermott and Samson (2004) commented that “the inclusion of Arabs as white and Chinese as non-white seemingly reflect the idiosyncrasies of judges and the dominant political mood more than any consistent pattern of identification” ( p.246). It was surprising to hear this classification since I am an Arab myself and never thought of myself as being “white”. Nevertheless, the color of the skin apparently predicts one chances in this white society. Does racial stratification really limits one chances ? Indeed, as Conley exhaustively points out in chapter three of his book. In a study made by Conley in 1997 among blacks and whites completing a doctoral degree, only 3.1 percent of Blacks were able to pursue their studies ( p.57). The main reason for this as Conley pointed out was due to “socio-economic inequalities” not by race ( p.57 ). This means that the ministry of education must design programs that would enable African Americans to gain access to tertiary education through programs that would consider their socioeconomic status. The readings in the class provided a wealth of example of how racial stratification affects colored people. Nevertheless, a more important agenda is : how would the U.S. government address this problem as manifested in their ongoing programs and policies? Of course, this needs another paper to answer that question. As for now, this paper intends to present my sociological understanding of the issues presented as well as my reflections of my own racial identity. Racial Autobiography I was aware of my racial identity as far as I can remember. I grew up as a child with the blood of a Middle Eastern running through my veins; a Saudi Arabian. My best friend since childhood is black with a hint of American-Indian blood and I have experienced our cultures and many others throughout my life. I have had both positive and negative experiences with people of different races. I have been ridiculed for my descent and complimented by others. I was culturally disoriented for some time and “cultural assimilation” seemed more of a challenge than a theory. I have often-times become mistaken for being of Mexican descent by Mexicans or even as a Latino. I find it a little embarrassing when a random person speaks to me in Spanish only to find out I don’t speak their language. Then they complain, “Why didn’t your parents teach you Spanish? It’s part of your heritage!”Indeed, people judge the book by its cover. The sad part is that their perception is colored by their own experiences. I became aware of racial inequality when I was just an elementary student. There were many fights amongst students trying to prove that they had the “better” race. Other exposures I have had with racial inequality was when we learned about the slave trade that occurred centuries ago. I have experienced racial inequality both personally and institutionally. Through my personal experiences I have been a victim of discrimination. I was visiting my best friend’s grandmother when one of her sons took offense towards me being inside of her house. My institutional experiences have been learned through reading and visiting government institutions which were attended primarily by racial minorities. Most were black and Mexican students. The institutions were vocational schools that trained its students to work in blue-collar jobs such as plumbing. They are intended for poor youths who want to have a productive future ahead of them. It can support as evidence that whites are generally wealthier than other races in the US. I do not have any preference any race at all. In fact, I don’t really care about what runs in my veins. I tend to get holed into a category and the irritation I feel from it knows no boundaries. The experiences I have now with most people are biased. I am expected to have a large amount of money at my disposal because of Arabian heritage and I experience being stereotyped by others on a constant basis, most of which are negative such as being a potential terrorist. Whether it is about what I don’t eat ( such as pork) or my habits, religion, beliefs, somebody already has an assumption. People have expected me to be a good student because of my descent, ignoring the fact that it requires strong work-ethic and understanding to accomplish tasks effectively. Implicit Racial Bias The racial test I took was the “Asian-American - European American” IAT. The result I received reads as follows: “Your data suggest a strong association of European American with American and Asian American with Foreign compared to Asian American with American and European American with Foreign.” This means I associated European Americans as primary representatives of the US and Asian Americans as foreign. I find my results to be accurate. I associate European Americans as the primary figureheads of the US for a few reasons; they are the majority population and most presidents are of European American descent. The test score is quite useful in understanding the American society. Amongst the other test results, my result was the 2nd most common result. The most common result was neutrality between European Americans and Asian Americans. The statistics of the test scores can reveal what a person thinks about society consciously or subconsciously and possibly the mindsets of the American people and people around the world. What the test does not provide is why people think a certain way and where the people taking the test are located. In conclusion, racial stratification has existed in American society ever since the days of colonial America. In modern times, it is manifested through limited opportunities for cultures that are branded as “non-white” such as immigrants. However, racial stratification would hopefully be reduced in practice as minorities gradually dominate the population. Growing diversity in the workplace is an indication that times have changed and society must adapt to the minorities who would be the future majority. My personal conviction is that the young generation must take the lead in removing or lessening racial stratification. While it is inherently true that I am an Arab, I believe that a better world means not judging people by their culture or ethnicity. WORKS CITED: Conley, Dalton. "Wealth Matters." Being Black, Living in the Red: Race, Wealth, and Social Policy in America . California: University of California Press, 1999. 9. Print. Conley, Dalton. "From Financial to Social to Human Capital ." Being Black, Living in the Red: Race, Wealth, and Social Policy in America . California: University of California Press, 1999. 57. Print. Lee, Jennifer, and Frank Bean. "Americas Changing Color Lines :Immigration, Race/Ethnicity, and Multiracial Identification ." Annual Review of Sociology 30 (2004): 221, 223. Print. Samson, Frank , and Monica McDermott. "WHITE RACIAL AND ETHNIC IDENTITY IN THE UNITED STATES." Annual Review of Sociology 31 (2005): 246. Print. Read More