The Concept of Categorizing People - Essay Example

?A look into human history proves that race is a social construct, not a biological or anthropological one. While the term ‘race’ often categorizes people based on their physical appearance, ‘ethnicity’ tends to categorize people based on their culture. This concept of categorizing people changed over the years. To illustrate, in the first half of the nineteenth century, there were four main census categories, free white males, free white females, all other free persons and slaves (Dr. Armstead). However, after a century, the number of groups increased considerably. By 1930, the main races were Whites, Blacks, Mulatto, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Hindu and Korean. According to reports, in the present day American society, nearly 63% of the population is Whites and 16.90% is Hispanics. The remaining constitutes 13.10% Africans, 5.10 % Asians and 1.20 % Native Americans. (Dr. Armstead) In the case of Florida, one can see that as of 2012, whites enjoy no considerable majority in the population. According to reports, just 57% is whites and 23% is Hispanics and Latinos. The remaining is constituted by African Americans, Asians, and various other groups. It becomes vey evident from the data that Miami is a majority minority city. This is so because whites constitute only 16.3% of the total population there. In the population, majority is constituted by Hispanics and Latinos. They make up 64.3% of the total population. (United States’ Census Bureau) Admittedly, this disadvantageous situation of the minority is visible throughout the U.S. To illustrate, while the richest 1% of the United States population consists of 91.2% whites, the percentage of Asians is 0.20 and that of Hispanics is 1.6. Surprisingly, the representation of Native Americans and African Americans is nil. A very similar situation is seen in the case of discipline in high schools, which includes suspension or expulsion. While Native Americans and African Americans constitute more than two thirds of the total punished students, white representation is less than 15%. (Dr. Armstead) This socially disadvantageous situation of the ethnic minorities can also be seen in infant mortality rates. While about 15% of the mortality occurs in Blacks and about 10% in Native Americans, the percentage is far less in Whites and Hispanics. Moreover, one can see that health problems like asthma and lead poisoning are much higher in blacks than whites. When one looks into the school readiness of various groups, it is seen that whites come first at 70% and Native Americans score least at 35%. Similarly, while more than 80% of the white kindergarten students successfully complete graduation, Native Americans come last with 45%. (Dr. Armstead) It is pointed out rightly in “Race Matters” that African Americans face serious levels of inequality within the criminal justice system of the U.S. The work claims that African Americans are more likely to be racially profiled by the sleuths and have gang loitering laws imposed on them. In addition, the report finds that Latinos and African Americans are more likely to get longer and harder sentences and poor plea bargaining. (Race Matters 13) Evidently, there are various factors resulting in continued inequality. In the case of healthcare, it is claimed by ‘Race Matters’ that minorities often do not have proper access to available resources. The first reason is a mistrust for the government systems and the second main reason is language barriers. In addition, some people remain ignorant about various supports and services. Another main reason is the poor economic status of the minorities. The study points out that poor economic situation is linked to poor living standards and higher exposure to polluted air and water and higher exposure to lead hazards and dust molecules. Thirdly, there is a lack of culturally competent and color blind programs to accommodate the minorities. (Race Matters 3) In the field of education, the existing racial segregation acts as a hindrance. The students who enroll in high-poverty racially segregated schools get fewer resources, less skilled teachers and poor curriculum. As a result, the quality of education in such schools remains very poor as compared to the higher income schools. Another point is the poor treatment the students of color are likely to get in their schools. It is pointed out that they are more harshly disciplined than the white counterparts. (Race Matters 3) The mere fact is that despite the widespread realization that race and ethnicity can no more be used as valid categorization of people, there are a large number of invisible advantages enjoyed by the white population, as pointed out in the article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” In the article, McIntosh elaborates a number of instances when she enjoys this privilege in daily life. To illustrate, it is possible for her to be with the people of her own race whenever and wherever she goes. In addition, the scholar points out that in education, entertainment, health care, and every office, she is in no danger of getting singled out for her color or race. In fact, the history of America saw a lot of developments in racial relations. In the year 1903, Mexican and Japanese farm workers came together to form JMLA. This was an important milestone for the working class as 90% of the workers came together and won most of what they demanded. Another important achievement is the Latino Civil Rights Case of 1954 which ruled against discrimination on the basis of ethnicity. The period thereafter witnessed increasing attention to accommodating ethnic differences. In the year 1963, Coral Way Elementary School introduced bilingual education program. Following this, in 1970, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare declared that students should not be denied education for speaking a different language. It was followed by another important step in the year 1974 in the form of Educational Opportunity Act. This Act helped in making bilingual education more accessible. (Dr. Armstead) From the analysis, it becomes evident that the concept of racism and ethnicity undergoes changes from time to time and at present, it is considered not as a biological construct but as a social construct. Despite this understanding, this evil is clearly visible in the American society in all walks of life, ranging from education, healthcare, criminal justice, and financial status. However, as racism is a vey complex issue, the way it surfaces in social relations is often too subtle to see and the privileged ones often do not even understand the existence of such an evil in society. Thus, despite all these efforts, there is still a long way to go in achieving anything distantly near to equality. As has been pointed out by McIntosh, racism exists in various visible and invisible forms which are often interlocking. Works Cited Dr. Armstead, Cathleen, Race & Ethnicity, Microsoft Powerpoint. McIntosh, Peggy. “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” Amtoons.com. June 2011. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. United States. Department of Commerce. Department of Census Bureau. State & County Quick Facts. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/12086.html “Race Matters”. The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Print. Read More