Introduction
Racial discrimination refers to the unfair systems of social relationships, justified by principles whereby one racial class benefits from controlling the other and uses this control to define its self as well as other people, (Piven F., Richard A. 2007). The system of racism entails degrading and harmful actions and beliefs that are implemented and expressed by both groups of people. Racism over the years has been one of the reasons behind poverty and lack of access to social mobility in the United States.
Explain the relationship between discrimination and poverty
Discrimination has time and again been a factor that strongly contributes to the economic exclusion of the indigenous and minority people in the U. S. The one reason that reduction of poverty in Latin America, Africa, and South Asia has strongly been linked to the segregation of from markets, social-political bodies and resources, (Ronald T., 2006).
On an international level the indigenous people and the minority experience higher poverty rates, lower access to health, education, and basic services. They also have fewer chances to adequate opportunities for employment. The following points show the relationship between discrimination and poverty:
- The minority groups are often non-employed or commonly have low-income informal jobs. This could be as a result of a lack of opportunities in their remote residential areas or discrimination.
- There is a high possibility of the minority groups being poor and experiencing higher poverty levels than the other members of society.
- These groups of people struggle to attain equal education levels as a result of discrimination in the delivery of education and the curriculum as well as their rural locations.
- The minority are excluded from land and housing. They have to struggle to secure land rights recognition. Lack of such rights makes it difficult or impossible to access credit facilities. Moreover, minority groups are prone to displacement to pave way for development projects.
- By far, the minority groups of people have low participation politically and higher levels of criminal activities, industrial unrest, and drug abuse, and suicide imprisonment.
Describe how racism and prejudice fit into the problems of social mobility within the United States
Since the era of colonialism, the issue of racialism has been a topic of serious debate in the U. S. Sources from available history claim that the United States has been subject to a settler society of ethnically and religiously diverse whites. Racism in this developed country has fallen upon Asian Americans, Native Americans, Latin Americans, African Americans, and other immigrant groups as well as their descendants.
The institutions that have been affected by racism include mobility, residential schools, internment camps, slavery, and Indian reservations, (Ronald T., 2006). Though discrimination by race was officially banned in the twentieth century in America, it still remains a major social phenomenon. Prejudice or racist attitudes are still largely held by a significant proportion of the population in the United States.
Geographical mobility in the United States is by large influenced by race. For starters, accessing citizenship in the United States was limited by race. Though it has been prohibited officially, the United States officials have continued to apply laws differently where illegal immigration is concerned. This law is being applied depending on the individual’s nations of origin, (Piven F., Richard A. 2007). They refuse to enforce the laws of immigration on citizens who come from rich nations such that they overstay their visa duration. In addition, foreign people who are stable economically in regard to the property that they own and their bank balance are able to access social mobility more easily than their counterparts.
What can be done to make access to affluence more just?
Racial differentials have been massive in regards to access to wealth in the United States. The gap between African Americans and whites in access to affluence is a factor of 10. This gap is not only a matter of achievement and merit but more of the well too known history of the legacy of race. This has been applied in Social Security Act, the incentive to military officers and private developers, (Ronald T., 2006). To make this access more just the following can be done:
- Improving policy targeting by constantly identifying the groups that are most vulnerable. Using geographical indicators is most appropriate since there is a high concentration of minorities in remote and rural areas.
- Improving the collection of data on the indigenous people and the minority. This requires that the state and the non-governmental organizations collaborate in building statistical capacity.
- There should be international and state recognition of all the minority groups.
- The human rights institutions should make a point of promoting the access of the minority to education and health, land rights, and policies on the labor market that are non-discriminatory.
- The groups termed as minority should be given a chance to take part in the drafting of new interventions on poverty reduction.
Conclusion
Racism in the united state is a major reason behind the high rates of poverty and immobility of the minority groups. This has resulted in the widening of the gap between the majority and the minority economically. The minority does not have equal access to wealth with the majority. Policies should be designed to lift the standards of the minority as well as their access to education and health.
References
Piven F., Richard A. (2007); Racial segregation, the concentration of disadvantage, Vintage Books, New York.
Ronald T., (2006); A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America, Little, Brown & Co, New York.