The United States of America is a country with a large concentration of various ethnic groups. There is typically a difference between the notions of race and ethnicity. The first term generally refers to the distinctions drawn from physical appearance, and the second one is based on the concepts of national origin, religion, language, and other cultural factors. Throughout history, minority groups have been identified in social and cultural aspects, although, they often have lacked legal status. Moreover, the rights of these communities have been continuously violated as people from minority groups often appear to be deprived of such basic needs as housing and medical assistance. They also tend to have fewer employment opportunities and lower wages, and often face open discrimination. Throughout history, it became a reason for multiple conflicts all over the United States, especially in big cities, such as New York, which may serve as a good example, representing the problems with minorities in the country. However, there are specific government programs and measures, which can help to control this important situation.
The United States has always been a country, attracting millions of people from all over the world. People come here as voluntary migrants from European countries or as a result of the forced migration of slaves in Mexico, Porto Rico, and others. It led to the appearance of multiple racial groups, which exist together with the native residents of the country. Among the most widespread “federally designated minority groups are blacks, Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asian-Americans” (Waters, n.d., para. 11). In many aspects, these ethnicities remain separated from other groups in society as their socio-economic status is often different, which leads to problems of cooperation among the communities, conflicts, and even crimes.
The situation in New Your City may serve as a good example of the situation with minorities in the United States. According to the statistics, in 2021, there are 8,230,290 people living in New York (World Population Review, 2021). The population density in the city is the highest in the country with 26,403 individuals living in each square mile (World Population Review, 2021). There is also the biggest amount of foreign-born residents in New York than in other counties, approximately one-third of the population, which makes the region multicultural. Ethnic groups in the city are represented by the Jewish, the Chinese, the Indian Americans, the Irish, the German, the Russian, and others. According to the most recent data, more than 10 million of the population is white and they are followed by the representatives of the Hispanic or Latinos group as they are more than 3 million and a half (Statista, 2020). The rest of the residents are Black or African American (24,31%), Asian (14,09%), Native American (0,43%), and Hawaiian (0,06% ) (World Population Review, 2021). This situation has led to many conflicts caused by the lack of cooperation throughout history.
The presence of multiple nations in one country often results in ethnic conflicts, which are caused by national differences. However, such problems usually arise due to political, economic, cultural, or territorial matters, and not by the specific traits of a certain race. Such conflicts become a threat to the peaceful existence and security of society and they are always accompanied by severe violations of the human rights of minorities, which leads to the suffering of numerous people. Among the brightest examples of ethnic conflicts in the history of New York City is a civil disturbance, which began with the fight between the members of two groups, the Dead Rabbits and the Bowery Boys (Tran, 2017). The first community was the Irish-American gang and the second one was nativist, anti-Catholic, and anti-Irish. The tension between these groups’ political views had been arising for a long time and resulted in the riot in 1857, which led to many injuries and even deaths (Tran, 2017). Today, such open confrontations can be rarely seen, however, racist exclamations can be heard throughout the country and the rights of minorities continue to be violated.
The recent world events, connected with the COVID-19 pandemic, had contributed to the further aggravation of racial inequality. As a result of the global crisis, approximately one in four New Yorkers of color have lost their job (Alyass, 2021). People of minor ethnic groups suffer from a lack of employment opportunities and struggle to make a living. Most of the businesses owned by the representatives of these groups went bankrupt and closed. The disparities between minorities and the major part of the population can be found in all the spheres of life. People of color and other immigrants often receive smaller wages, have fewer employment opportunities, and often have limited access to services, including medicine. According to the statistics, Black New Yorkers are “underrepresented in many industries” and comprise “just 10 percent of all workers in dental offices, 12 percent in doctor’s offices, and 14 percent in food manufacturing” (Bowles, Dvorkin, & Shaviro, 2020, para. 4). In the light of these circumstances, the racial injustice, which has been present in American society for the last centuries, is to become more agile and there is a need for new solutions, aimed at managing the situation.
There is no unique strategy, which would help to cope with the problem of racial injustice. However, the most important step is careful consideration of the rights of minority groups. The first rule, which should be accepted in society, is toleration of the existence of various ethnicities. All communities should be guaranteed to have the full protection of their identity. Discrimination should be completely excluded as it is the main reason for the appearance of ethnic conflicts because it makes individuals feel divided and limited in rights. People need to have equal opportunities in all spheres, including work, housing, education, and medical services. The government can introduce programs, which are targeted at guaranteeing similar rights to all people, not depending on their race and gender. Among the examples of such initiatives in New York City is the Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) Certification Program, expanding opportunities for minority and women entrepreneurs to participate in government contracts and start their businesses (NYC Business, n.d.). The project contributes to the elimination of the problem of social disparity as more than half of its participants are from minority groups.
To cope with the problem of racial injustice, there is also a need for strong objective laws, assistance in understanding them, and ensuring that all minority groups can use their language in the legal system. In addition, there is a mechanism of political parties founded on minority identity, which may serve as a way of support for minorities, allowing them to be heard. It can be helpful as these social groups often appear to be excluded from politics and not given the right to speak. This lack of power can lead to the feeling of deprivation and may result in an increase in violence, which would cause more conflicts and crimes. Minorities should have a right to participate in the process of decision-making about economic and political issues, which influence their life. From this perspective, the government needs to reserve places in the parliament for the representatives of minority groups as it permits these people to express their opinion on all the important subjects. All of these measures contribute to the cooperation and involvement of various ethnic groups in the life of society and help to prevent conflicts.
In conclusion, there are many various nationalities in the United States of America. Throughout history, people were coming to the country to seek refuge or become volunteers and now ethnic groups there are represented by the Chinese, the Afro-Americans, the Mexicans, the German, and others. The situation led to the appearance of multiple conflicts and crimes, caused by the violation of the rights of these communities. People, who are not born in the country, especially those of color, face lower wages, lack of employment and education opportunities, and limited access to medical services. The situation became more agile in 2020 after the beginning of the global crisis after the COVID-19 pandemic. To cope with the problem and control the situation, there are various measures, which can be implemented by the government. Among them is the provision of equal rights to all people, not depending on their gender and race, the organization of special programs, aimed at supporting minorities, the creation of objective legislation, and inclusion in political and social life. These mechanisms can allow minorities to be heard and can prevent further conflicts.
References
Alyass, K. S. (2021). Review: Benjamin P. Bowser and Chelli Devadutt’s Racial Inequality in New York City since 1965 [Review of the book Racial Inequality in New York City since 1965, by B. P. Bowser and C. Devadutt]. The Gotham Center for New York City History. Web.
Bowles, J., Dvorkin, E., & Shaviro, C. (2020). Stark disparities in employment and wages for Black New Yorkers. Center for an Urban Future. Web.
NYC Business. (n.d.). Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Certification Program. Web.
Statista. (2020). The resident population of New York in 2019, by race and ethnicity. Web.
Waters, M. C. (n.d.). Ethnic and racial groups in the USA: Conflict and cooperation. United Nations University. Web.
World Population Review. (2021). New York City, New York population 2021. Web.