Racism and Discrimination in the United States - Free Essay Example

Racism and discrimination seems to be the dominant theme here in the United States. It’s painful and humiliating, people of color that have experienced that. Being judged on the color of your skin and being generalized into a cruel and ignorant stereo-type is not acceptable by any means. Having the horrible gut feeling every time they step out of their home because of the possibility of yet again experiencing racist remarks or being looked down upon and discriminated is traumatic for these innocent people, some don’t know when they’ll have a good day. This is an epidemic that has been going on for generations and generations and is only getting worse now with Mr. 45 in office. I honestly don’t think there’s anything we ourselves can do to help put an end to this problem, but what we can do is not tolerate it. Tolerating this type of dehumanizing behavior will further encourage it to continue, the first step is to set the boundary straight and start by respecting all cultures equally. I personally have never experienced racism or have been discriminated against. The only time I faced some sort of discrimination was in the Marine Corps, but nothing there is taken seriously because everyone is racist to each other in a joking manner. However, there’s a phrase that goes around that says, â€Å"That all jokes contain some kind of truth behind them†. Through this, minorities are also denied services or looked down upon due to their appearance and ethnicity. This by any means should not be an act anyone in their right mind should commit. I believe everyone is to be viewed equally, regardless of their race, vocation, or gender. Then again, I also see the adversity that minorities face as a form of fuel. They use this pain and humiliation as motivation to prove all the ignorants wrong and furthermore excel in their lives academically, financially, and career wise. They want to put the offensive stereotypes to an end and show that they are not just a stereotype but a human being capable of achieving their goals regardless of color, race, and ethnicity. Racism seen through a functionalist perspective. They would view this as part of a social structure that will help society function as a whole. Not accounting for racism, and discrimination which cause oppression, tension and conflict. Overall these tensions and conflict will bring social equilibrium to our society. They believe that racism and discrimination serve a purpose in society as a function or they wouldn’t still be a thing of our society today. This is suppose-to somehow bring people together and work in unity. Conflict theorist perspective on racism and discrimination. They would view the disparities and the struggles between various racial and ethnic groups. This as systematic social inequality. Bringing various forms of tension and oppression. They think that these conflicts are interrelated, forming a system of oppression that consist of different forms of discriminations. Symbolic interactionist perspective on racism and discrimination views what certain races and ethnic groups consider strong symbols as a source of identity. They believe it’s the symbols people use that enforce racism and discrimination and not the race itself. In other words, this is all an important source of an individual’s identity and social symbolism.