Introduction
The US has the largest number of minorities compared to the other countries. The population of the minorities is rising each year, and it is estimated that it will match up to the majority in a few years to come. In the US, the minority are classified according to race and ethnicity. The minorities in the US include Hispanics, Asian Pacific, African Americans, Asian Indians, and Native Americans (Cintas, 2014). There are many issues that are afflicting the minorities in the US. These issues include poverty, poor education, and poor health. These issues have an impact on the entire society of the US. The government has provided solutions to the issues experienced by the minorities, but it has not been able to fully solve these issues.
The issues of the minorities in the US have been voiced many times because there are many people who are affected. These issues have created a large gap between the majority and minority of the US. There is inequality with regard to quality of life and wealth (APA, 2014). The government has put up measures to solve these issues, but a lot still needs to be done. These disparities can be alleviated at both societal and individual levels. The major inequalities arise in the distribution of income, resources, and wealth (Loughlin & Powell, 2014). The social economic status of the minorities results in their segregation from the majority. The US will benefit if the gap between the minorities and the majority will be reduced.
The minorities want to escape issues such as poverty, but they encounter barriers that thwart their efforts. These barriers include issues such as marginalization and discrimination. The minorities face discrimination when acquiring loans. The minorities are charged higher interest on mortgages compared to the whites (APA, 2014). The minorities tend to avoid taking mortgages due to the high cost. The rate of unemployment among the minorities is higher compared to that among the whites. The minorities who are working full time are paid lower than the whites who are in the same level of employment. The issues of discrimination at employment bring a lot of bitterness among the minorities.
Education standards of the minorities are poor compared to that of the whites. Many children of the minorities attend schools that have high poverty levels. Such schools are not able to provide the quality education that the children need. The schools do not have adequate resources that can enable the students to exploit their full potential. Most minority students tend to drop out of school because they cannot afford the high fees. The society assumes that the minority students cannot perform well; therefore, less is expected of them compared to the white students (APA, 2014). Such kind of attitudes affects the performance of the high achieving minority students.
Health care provision to the minorities is also subjected to prejudice. The barriers hindering the minorities from accessing quality health care does not care about the societal status of the individual. The minority are discriminated without being asked whether they can afford the treatment. When the minorities visit health care facilities, they are given very cheap treatments that do not meet their health requirements. The health facilities avoid subjecting the minorities to hospitalization, and treatment procedures (APA, 2014).
The minorities are also denied access to proper psychological health. The children living in areas that have high poverty levels are exposed to tobacco and alcohol advertisements. These children are also exposed to the distribution of drugs. Exposure to drugs leads to antisocial behaviors and usage of drugs. The minorities are more likely to be subjected to involuntary psychiatric commitment compared to the whites (APA, 2014). An officer of the law will be more likely to refer a minority to psychiatric treatment rather than finding out what is the cause of the problem. The whites, on the other hand, are handled with care and deep investigations are carried out.
Government Actions towards Solving the Minority Issues
Congress has made efforts to outlaw private and public discrimination in housing, employment, accommodation, voting, and federal programs (Yarbrough, 2014). The High Court critically scrutinizes the laws that affect gender issues. There are several debates that have been held so as to develop concepts that promote equality. The nation is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the minorities are treated fairly. That responsibility has proven to be very difficult because the US has other functions that it needs to fulfill.
The US government has taken the responsibility of protecting the interests and rights of the minorities. These efforts are, however, challenged by those people who discriminate the minority at an individual level. The government has tried to solve the minority issues by recognizing the minorities. The government has allowed the minority to participate and dialogue about the issues affecting the US (UN, 2014). The government has also encouraged all Americans to interact with each other so as to have a deep understanding of each other. The government has also utilized the community leaders and the political representatives of each region, in the promotion of unity.
The government has put up high measures that are geared towards the prevention of racial discrimination. It has done that by introducing very high penalties to crimes that are inspired by racism (UN, 2014). The government has also put in efforts to monitor the number of people in employment based on their race. The idea behind this monitoring is to ensure that all the races are fairly represented in employment areas. The government has also launched campaigns aimed at creating public awareness of the negative aspects of discrimination. The campaigns are also aimed at motivating people to tolerate and understand each other.
Recommendations for Better Solutions
The government should ensure that the minorities are treated equally by law and also by the society. The collaboration of the government with the NGOs and civic organizations can help in solving the issues of the minorities by educating the society against discrimination. The minorities should also try to fit in with the majority (UN, 2014). The two groups should both make efforts to promote unity between them.
The minority should be provided with high quality education. Quality education will enable the minority to become empowered, and live better lives. Education will enable the minorities to know about the dangers of drug abuse. Consequently, they will be psychologically healthy. The government also needs to avail good health care systems to the minorities. The minorities should be provided with a high quality health care system that does not discriminate against them. Adequate housing should be accessible to the minorities (UN, 2014). Hate speeches should be monitored, and perpetrators should be subjected to lawful punishments. Conflicts within the US can be reduced by solving the issues of the minorities.
References
Loughlin, S. & Powell, D. F. D. (2014). Large Group Takes to the Streets to Raise Awareness of Minority Issues. Retrieved from: http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_news/large-group-takes-to-streets-to-raise-awareness-of-minority/article_3d75e8b2-6dda-554b-ab06-6e01df28b695.html
UN, (2014). Multi-ethnic States and the Protection of Minority Rights. Retrieved from: http://www.un.org/WCAR/e-kit/minority.htm
Yarbrough, T. (2014). Protecting Minority Rights. Retrieved from: http://www.ait.org.tw/infousa/zhtw/DOCS/Demopaper/dmpaper11.html
APA, (2014). Ethnic and Racial Minorities & Socioeconomic Status. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/factsheet-erm.aspx
Cintas, (2014). Minority Classifications. Retrieved from: http://www.cintas.com/company/supplier_diversity_requirements.pdf
