Racial Issues Are Still a Part of Our Society

Racial issues have been plaguing society for so long and are still continuing until today. A human being's need to belong is an innate characteristic that can sometimes result to unfortunate results, including racism. This is especially true for a country like the United States of America that has been called the 'melting pot' of the world.

I have been fortunate to live in a community that I can call 'racially enlightened'. Majority of the members of my community look like me but I have people in my neighborhood who are of different color and persuasion than mine: African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics. I have grown up and gone to school exposed to these different races that I have lost the need to be conscious of how they differ from me. Nowadays, I cannot really differentiate how they differ from you or me. These friends of mine share the same music I like, the same movies, books, sports, even food. They talk with American accents, drive American cars, and go to American schools so I really do not agree how we can say that they are of a different 'nationality' than I am, except when it is taken in context of ethnicity. Some of them even do not even practice their distinct traditions or religion. Aside from their color and physical appearance, you cannot really say they are any more racially different than me and my brother.

There are however, occasions that I have witness some of my acquaintances look different. I have once been invited to my friend's sister's birthday and being Mexican, their family logically celebrated the occasion in such manner. What I can say of the Mexicans is that they are a colorful people. Everything from their decorations, their clothes, even their food speaks of rainbows of colors. And they tend to be very filial. I felt out of place in a small place crammed with cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. It was an exhilarating experience, especially when I tasted the food. I have always been used to the Taco Bell version of Mexican food but eating something truly traditional and authentic was disarming.

My community, as I have said before and observed are people who have seen past the outside appearance of the other members of the community. I wouldn't use the term 'racially tolerant' because that would mean that we consider people of other ethnicity as inferior. The best I could explain it is that the people in our community has recognized that we are not the only people who have the right to occupy this great country and be called Americans. It is a homogeneity that could only be classified as harmonious co-existence.

However some writers (Reitz, 1998: 50) state that race is more a traditional issue in the US than it is in other countries, like Canada or Australia. The US has been facing serious issues when it comes to race and minorities. Although most of use would think of ourselves as enlightened individuals, it is still hard not to have our prejudices when it comes to the color of one's skin. People in my community may be enlightened about race and color but a lot of them have stereotypes when it comes to certain minorities in the community. Take for example the Chinese who they cannot see other than being business-minded people. There is a whole block of stores owned and managed by Chinese-Americans. Most of them are eateries, the other grocery shops. I know several Chinese-American friends who have gone to college and have become accountants, teachers and even one who is now a lawyer. Some of them complain that even with a degree from a reputable college, some of their clients cannot look past their physical appearance, oftentimes asking them where they can get great Chinese food. My accountant friend even had one client who asked about Chinese herbal remedies for skin allergies.

They say they don't take it personally. I believe there's nothing apprehensive about being asked about things that relate to your culture but stereotyping can be very offensive to some. Black-Americans have been labeled by a lot of people as thugs but facts have been provided showing them to be entrepreneurs, musicians, actors, and great athletes. Latin Americans in the same way, have been placed as a marginalized minority, compelled to work longer hours and live in less than standard residences. I can personally attest that Latin Americans in my community are one of the poorest.

Majority of them hold jobs in the food industry business and other skilled labor industries. Mexican-Americans especially are one of the largest workforce in the US. They are the second largest ethnic minority group in the United States today and have scored high in studies conducted to determine competencies in work areas such as managerial and simple skills tasks. Studies of Mexican-American job satisfaction indicate a higher and consistent work satisfaction compared to Anglos or Blacks (Rubaii-Barrett & Beck, 1993: 503). These numbers show the enduring spirit of the Hispanics despite their fledging economic conditions in this country.

I talked to a member of the community, Mr. Garcia who is one of the leading councilman in the city. With both grandparents originally migrating from Cuba during the 1940s, he says he is blessed with more opportunities that his ancestors before who had to wash and clean other people's clothes and houses just to survive. He says that times are better now than it was before. More and more jobs are available to him and fellow Hispanics. With better educational opportunities (he finished a college degree in Economics on a scholarship), minorities can explore new professions and lives that were not available to his parents or grandparents. Currently, he is fighting to pass a city ordinance that will help fund more scholarships for Hispanics and other minorities. He is a great believer in education and prioritizes it above all virtues.

I asked him about equality when it comes to job opportunities and he says that it is still hard to find careers for Hispanics and the latest stricter immigration laws passed makes it even more difficult since most employers would assume that the applicant is an illegal Mexican immigrant even before checking their papers. He also believes that even with the great number of Hispanics in the community, they are still severely underrepresented (there are only 2 Hispanics in the council). He says they are more prone to exploitation and abuse when it comes to work and even social activities.

An article by Carol Swain (2004) states Blacks and Hispanics lag behind whites when it comes to unemployment, education, poverty, and household income. These are problems that should be addressed when it comes to minorities in the community. Equal opportunity employment may be nothing but a sign put up for adherence. However, as US companies tend to favor cheap outsourced labor, more and more minorities are losing their jobs. "For several decades unemployment rates for Latinos (with the exception of Cubans who stand midway between other Hispanics and Whites) and blacks have been double that of whites". Minorities are also disproportionately underrepresented in some sectors including transportation, communications, utilities, government employment, social services, hospitals and health care, cleaning and building services, protective services, prison personnel and the military (Goldfield, 1997: 80). This needs to be addressed by appropriate legislation.

I would also propose that a better educational system be organized for minorities, especially those who have yet to learn English. Although bilingual classes are given free, it should be enforced more strictly to give better opportunity for the minorities in socio-cultural aspects. Housing has also been a problem with minorities living in affordable yet substandard tenements. An article by Reuters said that "minorities are more likely than whites to get subprime mortgages, which are high-cost loans made to people with poor credit" (2007). Minorities, in fact, have been hit hardest by the housing crisis affecting the US today, forcing majority of them to sell their houses (some newly purchased from hard-earn savings) and let go of the dream of raising kids in a safe and spacious neighborhood. The article mentioned how "disproportionately represented" minorities are when it comes to loans. This is quite true. As low-wage earners, they have smaller savings and hence poor credit ratings. The sad thing is that this fact is exploited by banks, offering them high-interest loans and mortgages. I think that minorities, especially those purchasing real-estate should be better informed of their rights and regulations should also be enforced when it comes to interest rates.

A newspaper article (2008) gave a negative view of the role of minorities in the United States, advising more stringent rules when it comes to immigration laws ("Race and ethnic relations are worsening because of failed immigration policy aided by a failed welfare policy"). I also believe that immigration laws should be enforced to the fullest. However, we have to remember that this country was founded on immigrants and no matter how people say that the United States appear to be a neat homogeny, the 'melting pot' factor is still there and alive. The Constitution dictates life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and does not require skin color to be successful in this dream. When it comes to pursuing goals, competition should relate only to one's qualities and dtermination and not to one's ethnicity or race.

References
Beck, Ann C.; Rubaii-Barrett, Nadia. Minorities in the Majority: Implications for Managing
Cultural Diversity. Public Personnel Management. Volume: 22. Issue: 4. 1993: 503+.
Goldfield, Michael. Race and Labor Organization in the United States. Monthly Review.
Volume: 49. Issue: 3. July-August 1997: 80+.
Minorities Hit Hardest By Housing Crisis. November 26, 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2008.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0936310120071126?sp=true
Reitz, Jeffrey G. Warmth of Welcome: The Social Causes of Economic Success for Immigrants
In Different Nations and Cities. Boulder, Colorado. 1998: 50.
Swain, Carol M. Race and Representation: In Our New Multiracial Society, Minorities Need
Strategically Effective Coalitions. The American Prospect. Volume: 15. Issue: 6. June
2004: 11+.
The Price Immigrants Pay and the Price the United States Pays. The Washington Times.
November 16, 1996: 12.