The United States population is characterized as diverse and heterogeneous due to its inclusion of nations from various ethnic and racial backgrounds. While people of color include Latinos, Pacific Islanders, and Asian Americans, BIPOC stands for black, indigenous people of color, relating to all citizens with darker skin shades in the US. Although these differential terms prove the comprehensive approach to identifying every group within society, African Americans are still fighting for more equal conditions.
Although all immigrants and African Americans have fought for inclusion in society throughout history, their experiences differ significantly. For example, immigrants are more successfully incorporated into American society due to their differentiation from blacks starting from the 20th century (Waters et al., 2014). Regarding people of color, their fight for inclusion is primarily based on the African American experience, serving as a role model for other indigenous groups. Some of them, such as West Indian immigrants, struggle less than African Americans since they have more opportunities for upward mobility and better educational and occupational outcomes (Waters et al., 2014). This example proves that some groups of people of color are accepted better in the US community than Black Americans.
In contrast, African Americans have long fought for equal rights. However, some still live in poverty and isolation, unable to access public assistance. They are more prone to racism, thus settling in segregated neighborhoods. Moreover, the frequency of intermarriage between whites and African Americans is much lower than in Latino or Asian groups, pointing to the high segregation levels regardless of socioeconomic status (Waters et al., 2014). Comparison between Asian and African Americans drawn by Strmic-Pawl (2016) emphasizes that the former has a more positive racial identity based on stereotypes while the latter is often associated with a pathological low-class status. It is further justified by Asian Americans considering their ancestry and racial background a privilege. This stratification within the different racial minorities in the US justifies that each has a unique experience.
Considering that most affirmative actions targeting racial justice incorporated immigrants rather than native African Americans, there should be more measures to consider them as a particular category. For example, creating new names, such as ascendents for African Americans living in the US for a long time, ensures that the universities consider these applicants more frequently, destroying the educational gap between different groups (Waters et al., 2014). Moreover, affirmative action for African Americans’ integration into politics should increase the number of native blacks in elite positions since Obama has already initiated his newfound diversity in the White House (Strmic-Pawl, 2016). Thus, these actions help enhance African Americans’ inclusiveness in society.
Racial and ethnic stereotypes serve as the basis for rectifying past discrimination toward African Americans. The image of the angry black woman relating to irrational and coarse females should be replaced with a more tolerating alternative to avoid inappropriate social stigmatization (Strmic-Pawl, 2016). Moreover, the stereotype of deviant African Americans should be eliminated so that this ethnic group could find better job offers and educational opportunities. Since this social stigmatization traps the marginalized group within the low-class status, people should avoid discriminating behavior and attitudes.
To conclude, African Americans have a long history of fighting racial discrimination compared to other minority groups in the US who enjoy more assets. Promoting the most politically correct and positive diversity starts with shifting the focus of affirmative action to diminishing the existing stereotypes and providing more privileges to native African Americans. They should be classified as unique to ensure that educational and occupational institutions recruit them more often.
References
Strmic-Pawl, H. V. (2016). Chapter 6. The matrix: Complicating the color line, Chapter 7: Conclusion. In Multiracialism and Its Discontents (pp. 105–128). Lexington Books.
Waters, M. C., Kasinitz, P., Asad. A. L. (2014). Immigrants and African Americans. Annual Review of Sociology, 40(1), 369–390. Web.