WHAT CAUSES RACISM AND HOW PREVALENT IS IT TODAY?

What Causes Racism and how Prevalent is it Today?

What Causes Racism and how Prevalent is it Today?

Introduction

Racism has been part of America's history since the land was first discovered by Columbus in 1492. It would be nice to be able to say that racism is just a thing of the past and that it no longer exists; however, that is not the case. While Civil Right's movements have helped create an “equal” America, the mentality of superiority over other races that is passed on from generation to generation still remains a major cause of racism (Bhavnani, Mirza & Meetoo, 2005). The economic and social status of certain ethnic groups is another contributing factor to the cause of racism along with the lack of diversity in certain areas and cities. These factors can lead to hate crimes often resulting in injury, or even death (Dain, 2002).

Discussion

Racism has historically been defined as the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities that a certain race is inherently superior or inferior to others, and/or those individuals should be treated differently according to their racial designation. People are not born being racist just as they are not born knowing right from wrong. Racism is said to be something that is learned, according to Murray from the American Pyschological Association. Children are born; at least that is what is told by social scientists, with purity, with no predetermined hate of others. Therefore, one can conclude that children learn hatred, racism, and stereotyping. But where does it start from in the first place? (Bhavnani, Mirza & Meetoo, 2005)

Another contributing factor to racism is social and economic status. People are often judged by where they live, how much money they make, what type of car they drive and so on. According to CNN, in 2004 the percentage of Americans living under the poverty level was 12.5%. In this same year the percentage of African Americans living under the poverty level was 24.4%, almost twice the national level. This tends to cause a feeling of superiority amongst some people over the African Americans. This also may cause people to generalize all African Americans as “poor” since the number is so high. In a study done at the University of Michigan it was found that all minorities are viewed negatively by whites in terms of potential for violence (Feagin, 2009).

Not all people who are racist are taught from their parents or an older generation. Sometimes it is the lack of diversity in the area in which one lives. Generally when people are unaccustomed to something they judge it. For example in Wallowa county racism is common due to lack of minorities in the area. One resident of the area acknowledges this also by adding that many of the children who live in the area don't have much interaction with children of other races because there simply aren't any in their schools. This also creates an atmosphere of racism (Ehrenreich, ...