Discrimination has been a major challenge affecting the US in many ways. Some members of American society get more income than others based on gender, education, or race, among many others. It is hard to ensure equality when segregation is high because the more privileged will gain a higher social status than those who are not. This problem negatively affects all aspects of human life, including education and health. Therefore, the rampant problem of income inequality and discrimination that affects people in different ways has serious causes that can be resolved.
Income inequality and discrimination affect people from colored races more than the native white Americans who have more privileges than the rest of the population. African Americans are the most affected racial group since the time of the slave trade and slavery, followed by other races such as the Latinos and Asians. The victims of discrimination have fewer opportunities for high-quality education, something that is associated with high poverty levels due to unemployment or poor pay for those who acquire jobs. Their income is less than those who receive a better education, which leads to high chances of obtaining high paying jobs. Therefore, income inequality is predicted by the level of education, yet many less privileged Americans do not afford the limited opportunity, which creates a huge gap between the high and low-income individuals leading to income disparities.
Income inequality and different types of discrimination are the major factors that predispose many Americans to gender and health disparities. Most of the American men earn more than their female counterparts just because of their gender because men are exposed to many opportunities that include securing jobs and getting promotions, which is not easy for women who compete for the same privileges. African American women are the most affected race, while the native whites have the least disparities compared to men of the same race. Income inequality worsens the problem of health disparities because people with low incomes lack experience many problems acquiring health services due to poor accessibility.
Consequently, poor health is an outcome of poverty for the discriminated and less privileged members of society. Such a thing does not only affect the health of those living in abject poverty but also increases the occurrence of societal problems such as crime and drug abuse, all of which are serious problems affecting every American. These problems are associated with enormous economic losses, including reduced productivity of those suffering from different health conditions, loss of productive workforce who succumb to the illnesses, and increased expenditure towards the treatment of the sick who cannot afford care services.
However, this problem can be solved if the American government and its agencies work with the citizens to formulate and implement effective mitigation strategies. The government should implement anti-discrimination policies and laws to protect the vulnerable populations and increase their chances of accessing different types of resources such as health care and education. Also, the government should educate the general population about the negative consequences of discrimination and the importance of avoiding this vice by the use of civic education campaigns and incorporating racial and ethnic diversity content in the learning curriculum. Furthermore, employers should be encouraged to consider the skills and abilities required to fill job positions rather than recruiting people based on their gender, disability levels, and race, among others.