Discrimination defines the distinguishing or prejudicial treatment of a person on the basis of their perceived or actual membership in a certain category or group. This includes gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or national origin. This forms the basis under which members of a group are restricted from the privileges and opportunities that are offered to another group (Haslyn 2012). This leads to the exclusion of a person or entities on the basis of irrational or logical decision making. Discrimination has been experienced in the United States especially between the whites and the black Americans. This has affected many aspects of black Americans who have been facing discrimination especially the adolescents. This is because the adolescents are in a stage of constructing a general sense of their identity and formation of their personal definitions.
Notably, the understanding of adolescents over their social identity has considerable influence on their responses and adaptations in salient domains such as education. There has been reported disparities on educational measures especially performance defined by race, gender, socioeconomic status and ethnicity in the United States. The black American adolescents have lagged behind in education compared to their white peers. This has been reflected through grades, disciplinary action rates, test scores, graduation rates of urban high school and conferral of undergraduate degrees rates (Christina 2010). The black Americans adolescents have shown low grade average points, low standard test scores, high dropout rates, low completion and rate of enrollment over the years due to discrimination. Noteworthy, the main causes of unequal opportunities among whites and black Americans adolescents in the United States has been contributed by the education system in America. The African Americans have no equal; access to highly effective principals and teachers or safe schools. They also have challenging classes of college preparatory and unreasonably experience referrals to special education and school discipline.
Noteworthy, adolescents of African Americans experience inequity in health care. These adolescents receive primary care that is not consistent and relates to their overall level of health. United States have had considerable disparities in adequate healthcare access between the whites and the African Americans. Evidence shows that this disparity has persisted thus becoming an issue in social health. These adolescents receive less consistent insurance coverage and quality of health care compared to their white peers (Nancy 2012). This implies that their level of access to ambulatory and preventive care is limited. Research shows that they have received lower quality and less intensive care than their white counterparts. Additionally, they receive preventive care and specialist care that is less than whites. Noteworthy, they also have fewer technical and expensive procedures than the whites’ adolescents.
Denied access to proper education leads to having African American lag behind their peers by two grades averagely. Notably, a third or more of these students are late to graduate from high school with a diploma. Furthermore, only a small percent, 4%, of African American graduates are ready to join college across various subjects. There are also a large number of African American males who fails to graduate with a regular diploma in high school (Gilbert 2010).
Notably, health disparity has affected the health and other aspects of African American adolescents. This has resulted to higher chronic disease incidence, poorer overall outcomes of health and higher mortality than their white peers. For instance, research indicates that the rate of cancer incidence among African Americans is ten percent higher than among the whites. There has been a notable difference in health among white and African American adolescents (Haslyn 2012). The African American adolescents have a higher percentage of chronic diseases, as well as poorer health than the white adolescents. Additionally, they experience higher rates of illnesses such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes.
Discrimination affects inter-group relations among African American and white adolescents. This is because the African Americans adolescents are considered inferior by their peers. This leads to stereotyping which prevents them from having personal relations among them especially those leading to marriage as they grow up. This also leads to unjust treatment of the African American adolescents by the whites on the basis of devaluation, hostility, inferior and non-normative. The whites’ adolescents may also exhibit violence and rejection towards their African American peers. This is because the society socializes them to perceive them as inferior to them and of low social class (Christina 2010).
In conclusion, discrimination defines treating individuals in a prejudicial way on the basis of their category or group such as race, gender and sexual orientation. Additionally, discriminated individuals are denied opportunities and privileges available to others. Discrimination among the African Americans in United States has been a long-time issue. This implies that adolescents in African American population are not left behind in this discrimination. The adolescents have experienced disparities and inequality in aspects of education and health care. They have been receiving a substandard education, which has resulted, to poor grades, making them lag behind their peers. Additionally, poor health care has made them have poorer health and higher illness incidences than their white peers. Discrimination has also affected their inter-group relations preventing them from interacting and socializing with their white peers because they are considered inferior.
References
., ., , , , ,. (2010). “You Don't Go Tell White People Nothing”: African American Women's Perspectives on the Influence of Violence and Race on Depression and Depression Care. American Journal of Public Health100:8, 1470-1476
,& . (2010). Associations Between Racial Discrimination, Limited English Proficiency, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among 6 Asian Ethnic Groups in California. American Journal of Public Health 100:5, 888-895
, & . (2012). Perceived Discrimination and DSM-IV–Based Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use Disorders. American Journal of Public Health 102:12, e111-e117Online publication date: 1-Dec-2012.
. (2012). Methods for the Scientific Study of Discrimination and Health: An Ecosocial Approach.American Journal of Public Health 102:5, 936-944Online publication date: 1-May-2012
