Introduction
Racism may take numerous aspects and manifest in different settings. Bias and hostility directed toward anyone depending on skin color, ethnicity, or nationality are examples. Often, racism is connected with facades of cruelty and intimidation. However, it does not have to be aggressive or terrifying. For instance, racial jokes and slurs, or situations in which individuals may be banned from gatherings or events due to their background. Racism may be displayed in individual’s conduct as well as their views. It may also be observed in institutions and entities, though it may not always be visible. For example, while reviewing a list of prospects, anyone may opt not to interview people with particular surnames. Racism is a complicated occurrence, and this essay focuses on analyzing bias based on language use, power control, social issues, and social attitudes.
Language Use
Language discrimination arises when racist offenses are perpetrated toward someone based on their linguistic preferences. Racists target those who speak languages such as Arabic or Spanish or dialects of those languages, including African American Vernacular English (Rahman, 2012). These dialects and varieties are discounted and regarded as substandard to dominant, prominent languages like mainstream English, mainly spoken by Caucasians and wealthy people. These actions of racism might be overt or hidden.
Speakers may be publicly derided by society in an overt sense, while on a covert stage, they may be informed that they are incomprehensible since they communicate with an accent. Language was the initial tool employed to oppress individuals; therefore, words hold power. Americans with African ancestry were considered animals, a beast of burden during the slave era thus referred to as the N-word, which was deeply offensive (Rahman, 2012). In their effort to endure the damage it causes, black Americans have effectively stripped the N-word of its initial offense and given it newfound significance, making it accessible and bearable.
Power Control
The narcotic war has basically unequal impacts for individuals of various ethnicities, as witnessed by enforcement agencies’ racial bias and unnecessary narcotics war suffering for people of African ancestry. The uneven execution of narcotic laws impacts many communities of color (Berman, 2011). African Americans and Mexican immigrants face arguably the highest ethnic inequities throughout America. These groups’ formal prosecution and incarceration levels are not due to a greater frequency of narcotic possession but instead to law enforcement’s greater focus on low-income neighborhoods, urban areas, and communities of the minorities.
While Caucasians and Black Americans use drugs at same levels, persons of African ancestry are roughly five times more probably to be imprisoned for possessing the drug. Inequalities in convictions and incarceration can be observed for both narcotics possession legislation breaches and low transactions (Fairclough, 2003). Those who distribute smallest amounts of narcotics to fund their drug obsession might face years imprisoned. This imbalance in enforcement assumes the humanity of narcotic addiction and the universal allurement of drugs.
Social Issues
Racism causes numerous social issues to victims, such as denying mobility, lower economic opportunities, and marginalization. The most important feature of human economic progress is upward social mobility. Education is often regarded as the most critical mechanism for achieving social mobility (Norton et al., 2006). However, systemic racism and instruments that combine to establish and sustain imbalances between racial and linguistic groups result in severe inequity. This disparity is crucial in terms of community and educational performance, and it jeopardizes individuals of color chance of higher economic progress due to limited economic opportunities.
Globally, marginalized populations face deeply rooted cultural concerns that frequently put them in second status. This process is based on institutional racism and prejudice, which impacts each area of their life. The manner in which exclusion affects access to quality healthcare has become more apparent as the COVID-19 issue unfolds throughout the globe. The virus is wreaking havoc on black societies, indigenous populations, and other individuals of color in many places (Morales, 2021). Impoverished communities, primarily composed of persons of color, should question whether they will obtain accessibility to similar services and vaccinations as individuals with better earnings or different skin colors.
Social Attitudes
Racism is an epidemic that is so profoundly ingrained in people’s thoughts and culture that it is nearly hard to overcome. Many people’s social views are formed while they are young. When members of the family or associates display racist sentiments, it is normal for children to adopt such viewpoints. It is natural to desire to associate and engage with individuals who share similar hobbies, history, heritage, and language (Sommers & Norton, 2006). This social behavior fosters a crucial feeling of connection. However, the disadvantage is that it can create divisions among other groupings, leading to individuals believing that one party is superior to another over a period.
Individuals frequently assign labels to others based on their dress, implying that the person is into a specific musical genre. Others believe that everyone who attends school is wealthy. Furthermore, many people quickly stereotype persons of other racial origins as sluggish and ineffective (Valentine, 1998). People who appear or speak differently from them are an obvious target for people looking for someone else to criticize for their troubles. Such societal attitudes promote racism in society, widening the gap between ethnic groups.
Conclusion
In conclusion, racism has adverse effects on people and communities that undermine their economic growth. The use of words employed to oppress people has a significant impact on dividing ethnic groups. Power control has been employed to enact laws that discriminate against people of color, denying them economic opportunities and creating marginalization. Various social attitudes result in racism, widening the gap between ethnic groups.
References
Berman, P. (Ed.). (2011). Debating PC: The controversy over political correctness on college campuses. Delta.
Fairclough, N. (2003). ‘Political correctness’: The politics of culture and language. Discourse & Society, 14(1), 17-28. Web.
Morales, C. (2021). Blacks and Latino Americans confront many challenges to vaccinations. The New York Times. Web.
Norton, M. I., Sommers, S. R., Apfelbaum, E. P., Pura, N., & Ariely, D. (2006). Color blindness and interracial playing the political correctness game. Psychological Science, 17(11), 949-953. Web.
Rahman, J. (2012). The N word: Its history and use in the African American community. Journal of English Linguistic, 40(2), 137-171. Web.
Sommers, S. R., & Norton, M. I. (2006). Lay theories about white racists: What constitutes racism (and doesn’t). Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 9(1), 117-138. Web.
Valentine, J. (1998). Naming the other: Power, politeness and the inflation of euphemisms. Sociological Research Online, 3(4), 37-53. Web.