Racial and ethnic differences have for a long time been blamed for the existence of social and economic discrimination and inequalities in the United States. This is especially prevalent as a result of a belief that the white Americans enjoy more social and economic privileges and benefits as compared to the people from colored ethnic groups. The existence of such ethnic inequalities in the American history has resulted to aggression and hatred between people from different racial and ethnic identities. It has also increased perceptions that some ethnic groups are more superior as compared to other ethnic groups. This indifference has existed regardless of the fact that the racial and ethnic identity of some white Americans cannot be traced due to several factors that have erased their origins. Thus, understanding social and cultural concepts involving racial discrimination, ethnic identity, and cultural values among other ideas plays a vital role in enlightening and understanding of the existence of such issues so as to embrace the reality and enact change towards a better social relationship.
First, the concept of racial discrimination and inequality is a fact that has existed in the American history from the time the whites settled in America and used the people of color as sources of labor for their farms. In addition, whites have enjoyed certain privileges that were denied to other races, yet many whites avoid the topic of racial discrimination D'Angelo and Herbert 285). Furthermore, the current experiences of whites kids such as attending to particular universities as well as the existence of black only or whites only social gatherings at school is a disturbing experience especially for those students who know nothing about the existence of racial and ethnic-related superiority versus inferiority issues.
These experiences are made worse by the fact that most white kids do not feel as they if they are different from other races despite the existence of ethnic ridge that was created by historic acts of inequality and discrimination. In reality, the ethnic identity of most white Americans cannot be described due to several factors such as intermarriages between people from different ethnic background. Others cannot trace their origins since they cannot trace the identity of their forefathers who settled in America for a long time ago. Despite not knowing their racial and ethnic identities, most white kids are also ignorant of the existence of racial and ethnic-related conflicts as they grew up in neighborhoods or high schools where racial discrimination is barely talked about. The fact is that the exposure to the learning on the topics on inequality based on race and ethnicity is a suitable way of enabling the young white Americans to come up with ways of correcting the way system treats people on basis of their ethnic identity.
The concept of understanding why people of color perceive the existence of racial inequality exist is also worsened by the white American’s way of judging the behaviors of other ethnic groups instead of identifying the behavior of the whites in the society. Thus, getting to know that this issue has existed in as early as the seventeenth century will enable the whites to identify some traits that people of their ethnic group portray that suggest the existence of discrimination. As a result, this will allow them to come up with a suitable way of learning and embracing ethnic and cultural diversity without prejudice or mythical beliefs. Accepting the fact that the modern-day privileges are based on socioeconomic status and merits of a person is regardless of their ethnic group is also an essential point that will help promote equality if embraced by both whites and persons from other races.
Works Cited
D'Angelo, Raymond, and Herbert Douglas, eds. Taking sides: Clashing views in race and ethnicity. McGraw-Hill Contemporary Learning Series, 2006
