Racism is a hazardous phenomenon that persists to be prevalent in modern-day society. The 20th century made significant strides to reduce the number of racial inequities by implementing multiple laws and regulations to ensure that citizens of different color have equal rights. However, it is a common misconception to consider racial bias concentrated on only one group of people distinguished by a specific skin color. It is necessary to examine cases of racial discrimination in the 21st century and prove that this attitude is not limited to certain skin color, but more dependent on cultural differences and historical background.
When American society is being discussed, it is easy to determine which group of people is typically oppressed. Afro-Americans are assumed “victimized by Euro-Americans as an outcome of White Supremacy” (Ronald 2). However, the complete opposite is true for regions where certain skin color is more prevalent. There were reports of “foreign nationals being attacked by the local South African population” (Solomon 158). A fair assumption is to tie the skin color prevalence to racism’s occurrence; however, it is not necessarily needed for people to discriminate against each other. The study of Polish immigrants in the UK done by Rzepnikowska proves that even “people of the same color can experience cases of racial bias” due to cultural differences (63). Skin color is still one of the main reasons for racism’s existence; however, as long as there is something different between the two groups of people, they will find a way to discriminate against each other.
The 21st century is a time of mass immigration; hence, it expanded on the variety of skin colors and societal diversity. It also expanded on the scope of racism, since there are “more groups of people to be biased towards” (Ariely 90). The majority of immigrants have to face racial, religious, and cultural discrimination because they are not treated as an integral part of society but rather as outsiders.
In conclusion, skin color is not the main reason for racism’s existence. It constitutes a large portion of racial bias but is not limited to it. Such factors as historical background, religion, language, and cultural differences may also cause cases of racism and discrimination. In the case of many countries and cultures, the minority of the population is bound to be discriminated against for their differences, regardless of their origin.
Works Cited
Ariely, Gal. “Global Identification, Xenophobia and Globalization: A Cross-National Exploration.” International Journal of Psychology, vol. 52, 2016, pp. 87-96.
Ronald, E. Hall. “Light Supremacy vis-à-vis Non-White Immigrants as Racism in the 21st Century: A Question of Color.” European Journal of Scientific Research, vol. 12, no. 29, 2016, pp. 1–14.
Rzepnikowska, Alina. “Racism and Xenophobia Experienced by Polish Migrants in the UK before and after Brexit Vote.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration, vol. 45, no. 1, 2018, pp. 61-77.
Solomon, Ryan. “Xenophobic Violence and the Ambivalence of Citizenship in Post-Apartheid South Africa.” Citizenship Studies, vol. 23, no. 2, 2019 pp.156-171.