Within the pages of history, the term racism has been a part of many cultures, creating conflicts between fellow countrymen and building a barrier that separates groups just because of their ethnic and racial backgrounds. The West had many stories in history regarding this discrimination between ethnic groups and races, signaling a mass oppression campaign against those of mix ancestry and differing physical features. In America, the minorities had fell victim to the discrimination by their fellow Americans just because of the preconceptions thought about them and their origins. Centuries of oppression for the minorities, especially for the African Americans, have been felt throughout the Americas as slavery and racial discrimination occurred because of the thoughts of superiority of the “purebloods” and the stereotypes placed upon minorities. The impact of racism in the US to minorities had created prejudice to ethnic/racial groups, stemming a divide of minorities being inferior to their more Western counterparts despite knowing the distinction between racism, slavery and prejudice.
Racism, or the term itself, began spreading out throughout America by the 1930s. However, before the term became prominent in the country, the “concept” of what racism meant had already spread to minorities, especially to free African Americans, even before the term was coined in the 1900s. Recounts from free black abolitionists as early as the 19th century, around the 1800s, had narrated instances wherein they are physically and mentally assaulted by other Americans, calling them “nigger” and other slanderous offenses despite being free. Known abolitionist Theodore Wright of the American Anti-Slavery Society had experienced such assault from Southerners (known to be pro-slavery supporters) upon visiting his alma mater due to his color, and once the idea of “racism” had been discussed and introduced, he stated that if fellow Americans had indeed understood racism, the difference of racism to slavery is still not clear to many. Wright had stated that racism:
“cuts us off from everything; it follows us up from childhood to manhood; it excludes us from all stations of profit, usefulness, and honor; takes away from us all motive for pressing forward in enterprises, useful and important to the world and to ourselves”.
His definition of racism, amongst many others that had tried to define the term, had continued to change throughout the years as historians themselves could not fully determine the definition of the term itself. Regardless, Wright’s definition and the black reformers had showed that they recognize and acknowledge that there is a humiliating prejudice already connected to minorities, which has transcended from slavery and evolved into a form of “racial contempt” and “racial opposition” throughout the US even in the early years . The idea of being a “race” in the US in the 17th century was more of a folk idea and understanding of human differences rather than being an ideology, however, as the years progressed, “race” was attributed into an ideology of human difference by the time of the early colonies in 1607. The establishment of Jamestown began the spread of Englishmen emulating a sense of superiority that Spaniards had shown throughout their conquest for fortune and greatness, enslaving natives in the process. Natives did not take this English desire too well as their numbers dwindled due to slavery, European diseases and exile. As hard labor began to transform as a necessity for the colonists, servants and slaves were bought and sold throughout the globe, mostly from poor nations and they were given poor housing and clothing. Slowly, they were punished cruelly and were tied to their masters until their contracts end in 4 to 7 years in the New World. Many had died as slavery became prominent and more had been subjected to long term enslavement upon the arrival of Africans in 1619.
Africans, upon their immediate arrival, were not treated as slaves and were given similar contracts as their European counterparts. They had property, human rights, and most importantly, freedom. Historians attributed that the reason for such treatment to Africans, and the intermarriages that happened soon afterwards, is due to the lack of stigma associated with blacks or to the other minorities. However, as the 17th century entered, having people to work on fields and homes of English and American families became prominent and slave trade became a trend. This eventually caused the leaders of colonies in the US to perceive that they can use the opening to divide their colonies based on physical characteristics and force those of different physical attributes, the minorities, to become slaves. Slavery then became a wildfire within the 1600s up to the 1700s as laws were passed to prevent Africans, African Americans, and even the minorities from taking part into social issues and concerns, even removing their basic rights to their identities.
Historians such as Anthony Parent added that it is also in this period that colonial leaders began to create “racist” identities and the concept of a “Race”. They began the method of grouping citizens into categories, such as “Whites” and “Blacks”, and created laws that would prohibit marriages between Europeans and White Americans to minorities like Negroes, Indians and “mulattoes” (mixed ancestry). Physical features became “social” indicators of one’s standing in society. The American minorities, especially the natives, and the African/African-Americans, had also been identified unjustly given the classification the colonies had given to them. Native Americans were seen as “savages”, those who do not even know the importance of a “civilization” . Africans and African-Americans became icons for “slavery”, prejudiced to have no educational capacity and social upbringing; which could be attributed to their restrictions. Colonies established inequality that transcended into the 19th and 20th century, exaggerating the human difference of being a member of “mixed ancestry” and different ethnic origin. By the end of the 18th century, African Americans and African minorities continued to feel “racial prejudice” and “stereotyping” from the Americans as the country became divided over continuing slavery or stopping it. Many pro-slavery groups then began to develop their notion that “negroes” are similar to apes. Thomas Jefferson himself had stated once that Negroes and their “origins” should be validated first by science, which eventually created a “stereotype” within American culture to see black minorities as “inferior”.
Upon the end of slavery in the 1860s, the concept of “race” as a social icon and distinction continued to remain within the American society as Americans were slowly discovering the nature of American politics and society. Racial ideology continued to be supported by groups that proclaimed the reasons as to why there are different groups created throughout the globe, differing in language, skin and body type, and intellectual capacity. African-Americans were identified to be the “inferior” race, while the American and European whites were at the top of the social hierarchy. While there are those who come from mixed ancestry and possess “White” attributes, their racial background still will not change as it could be inherited by birth. By the time of the 19th century up to the current century, racial difference was depicted in a different light as human differences were now tested by science and attributed different characteristics to identify human distinctions. Regardless, science, in the form of mass media, had retained the original perception of “racial” differences and superiorities, which hindered American minorities in improving their status within the country .
With history cementing the perceptions of many Americans at present on how they see “races”, “ethnic groups”, “minorities”, and even “half-Americans”, the impact it has over the American minorities is substantial as it affects how others see their groups, but also how they perceive themselves and interact. First and foremost, racism and racist perceptions hinders American minorities socially because the stigma or stereotype attached to their ethnic/racial group breaks their image immediately to the people they meet. African-Americans, for example, are perceived to be dimwitted or stupid, lazy, vulgar, irrational, and even superstitious given that some Africans came from tribes that believed in cult beliefs and traditions. Italian Americans were partly members of the Italian mafia, the source of syndicated crimes throughout the country. Jewish-Americans are seen as greedy people. This causes many Americans, and even foreigners to have reservations in meeting these minorities as the stereotype is supported by mass media and news reports depicting these minorities in a bad light. Others even are physically abused and beaten without justification because of their racial background .
In addition to the social stigma attached to minorities, racism also hinders American minorities to acquiring their basic human rights and opportunities as they are hindered by a few in entering fields that they are proficient with their backgrounds. Employers would sometimes base their decision on the image of the candidate and deny their applications due to their color or ethnic background. For those who gain a position, it would take those years before a promotion is given to them even if they deserve it and a few would not have the chance to hone their skills due to the restricted access given to them by their employers. Others would even take advantage with minorities in terms of exploiting them of their services in exchange of little salary and basic services. Women from American minorities are often seen negatively by many despite the growing women empowerment throughout the globe. Some are denied employment opportunities and laws are in place to prevent them from owning property and gaining access to basic services such as education, health benefits, and legal rights. Since society prevents American minorities to improve their situation within the country, many are left under the poverty line and only dream in improving their living conditions as society perceives them incapable of such capacity .
Finally, racism also hinders American minorities psychologically and prevents them from becoming active in society. A study in 2010 reported that minority children who are racially discriminated and oppressed by their classmates are more prone into acquiring psychological stress as compared to others. Minority children experiencing such racist treatment and discrimination showcase signs of low self-esteem, low educational and physical performance, and high chances of acquiring mental illnesses and entering into vices because of the treatment they receive in their community. The study had tested children from Latino origins, African Americans, West Indian, multiracial and from ethnic groups and each reported similar incidents of being treated negatively by their neighbors, classmates, and their community because of their racial background. The study also stated that if racism would not be stopped, a child’s well-being would be at stake as it would cause them to grow depressed and perform poorly in the future . With minorities having low esteem and are seen negatively by their fellow Americans, their overall image and performance is affected entirely. In this end, it hinders them in changing the preconceived notions regarding their actual capacity and not judge them based on the public image used to describe their capacity.
Racism continues to be a controversial topic in the United States as many still report instances of unjust treatment and prejudicial images that illustrates to people as to how American minorities or ethnic groups should be treated and seen by all. History depicted that while the term “racism” was used later on to justify the treatment of Americans to minorities of differing ancestry and background, racism was already prominent even before the American government was established. History had also played a role in establishing the preconceived beliefs and stereotypes regarding the American minorities, especially African Americans, at present; adding more barriers for minorities to improve their status and image within the American community. It is crucial to act against racism to the minorities because the more they are discriminated and treated unjustly because of their racial background and origin, the more they would remain weary and untrusting to people. They would also be affected psychologically and socially because of the reservations and stereotypes attached to their entire ethnic/racial group, alienating them to society entirely and affect everyone. Proper education and equal laws and treatment is crucial to ensure that American minorities can act well with others and remove the “ideology of racism” as it would remove stereotypes and prejudice against these minorities, and discover that they too can help improve the development of the country.
Works Cited
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Marger, Martin. Race and Ethnic Relations: American and Global Perspectives. Belmont: Cengage Learning, 2008. Print.
Oliver, Rochelle. "Minority Children Feel Psychological Stress of Racism." PsychCentral. 2 May 2010. Web. 29 June 2013. <http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/05/02/minority-children-feel-psycological-stress-of-racism/13416.html>.
Parent, Anthony. Foul Means: The Formation of Slave Society in Virginia, 1660-1740. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2003. Print.
Smedley, Audrey. Race in North America: Origin and Evolution of a World View. 3rd. Boulder: Westview Press, 2007. Print.
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