Discrimination in the United States
Encyclopedia
Discrimination, according to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, is the process by which two stimuli differing in some aspect are responded to differently. This term is used to highlight the difference of treatment between members of different groups when one group is intentionally singled out and treated worse, or not given the same opportunities. As attitudes towards minorities started to change the term discrimination came to be used to talk about the issue. Over the years many forms of discrimination have come to be recognized including racial, gender
, and sexual orientation
.
In the 1800s the slaves were freed by President Lincoln. After this starting in about the 1870s Jim Crow laws were introduced. These laws promoted the idea separate but equal
, meaning that the races although having to be in different areas and not allowed to intermingle were equal. The mixing of races was illegal in most places public schools, public transportation and eating establishments. These laws increased discrimination, while the idea was separate but equal the black schools were not as advanced and didn’t have good supplies. Overall the areas where African Americans were designated to do daily activities were always of poorer quality than that of their white counterparts. Discrimination was blatantly done one example of this is in the case of Rosa Parks
. In her area of the country it was customary to move to the back of the bus or give up your seat for a white person. Laws like these existed all over America
. The court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka made people realize that there was no such thing as separate but equal. By separating races and saying that it was wrong for them to interact showed that they thought something was wrong with one of the races. The Supreme Court
decided that separate but equal
was no longer necessary in 1954. Racial discrimination was not only used by adults but children as well thought that races should not interact with one another. An example of this is the experiences Ruby Bridges
had when she was one of the first black children to be "integrated" into an all white school. While discrimination in America
has come a long way , today we still face the problem just in directed at different people.
, and Rosa Parks
are just a few to fight back against the race based discrimination of their era. Rosa Parks took a minor stand it seemed like at the time. She decided not to get up and move to the back of the bus when a white person asked her for her seat. This one incident sparked a huge movement called the Montgomery Bus Boycott
. This one act against discrimination eventually leads to the laws on discrimination buses to be changed. Martin Luther King Jr. A peaceful activist lead many protests such as these, proving to the white society that was discriminating against them that they were a valuable part of society as well. King organized many protests that not only blacks but whites also attended. Eventually as was seen with the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka the courts decided that it was a time to end racial discrimination. While King organized peaceful protests Malcolm X
went a different route. He and his main supporters The Nation of Islam wanted nothing to do with white people. They can be considered examples of reverse discrimination in this case because they discriminated against whites, the same way whites discriminated against blacks. Even though Malcolm X
’s actions were radical he is still considered one of the pioneers in fighting back against racial discrimination.Ruby Bridges
is an example of a child who dealt with discrimination. She dealt with parents as well as students constantly verbally abusing her. Most parents took their child out of the class because they didn't want their children near her. But rather than switching back to her old school she persevered and stayed. Eventually the parents sent their children back, accepting the fact that she wasn't leaving. Ruby Bridges
showed that people will not accept inequality and they will actively fight back against discrimination no matter what age. These examples show that with determination discrimination can be fought. If the discrimination being faced today was actively fought against the way race based discrimination was, the government would take notice and pass laws to stop the discrimination.
Gender discrimination is another form of discrimination. Despite the Women’s rights movement women are still held back in the work place. An example of this is the glass ceiling
, this is where women and often minorities are held down in the work place never advancing past a certain point. Women are often seen as an expense to their employers because they take days off for children, need time off for maternity leave and are stereotyped as “more emotional”. The theory that goes hand in hand with this is known as the Glass Escalator while women are being held down in male dominated professions, men often rise quickly to positions of authority in fields with mostly women professionals. Men are pushed forward into management positions, even surpassing women who have been at the job longer and with more experience in the field. Not only in work settings but we see examples of this in our government as well. There has never been a female president
and many did not vote for her because she seemed to cold, but when she did show emotion people thought she wouldn’t be able to handle the job. Double standards are consistently applied so that women are held down by discrimination.
, while some states say it’s okay others have laws against it. There has been a rise in violence against homosexual people proving that they are being discriminated against. Recently laws have gone into place to protect them and avoid violent protests, as well as hate crimes against them. Discriminating someone because of their sexual orientation is not only wrong but keeps us as a country from moving forward.
People who migrate to this country are affected by a totally separate type of discrimination. Some people feel as though the large amounts of people being allowed into the country are cause for alarm, therefore discriminate against them. Looking for someone to blame for an increase in violence
immigrants are constantly targeted as bringing crime to America. Arizona
recently passed a law that forces people to carry documents with them at all times to prove their citizenship. This is only one controversy over immigrants in America
, another is that immigrants are stealing “true Americans” jobs. Discrimination against immigrants like discrimination against sexual orientation is a problem. Violent hate crimes have increased drastically.
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
, and sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
.
Racial Discrimination
Separate but equal
Separate but equal was a legal doctrine in United States constitutional law that justified systems of segregation. Under this doctrine, services, facilities and public accommodations were allowed to be separated by race, on the condition that the quality of each group's public facilities was to...
, meaning that the races although having to be in different areas and not allowed to intermingle were equal. The mixing of races was illegal in most places public schools, public transportation and eating establishments. These laws increased discrimination, while the idea was separate but equal the black schools were not as advanced and didn’t have good supplies. Overall the areas where African Americans were designated to do daily activities were always of poorer quality than that of their white counterparts. Discrimination was blatantly done one example of this is in the case of Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
. In her area of the country it was customary to move to the back of the bus or give up your seat for a white person. Laws like these existed all over America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka made people realize that there was no such thing as separate but equal. By separating races and saying that it was wrong for them to interact showed that they thought something was wrong with one of the races. The Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
decided that separate but equal
Separate but equal
Separate but equal was a legal doctrine in United States constitutional law that justified systems of segregation. Under this doctrine, services, facilities and public accommodations were allowed to be separated by race, on the condition that the quality of each group's public facilities was to...
was no longer necessary in 1954. Racial discrimination was not only used by adults but children as well thought that races should not interact with one another. An example of this is the experiences Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges
Ruby Nell Bridges Hall moved with her parents to New Orleans, Louisiana at the age of 4. In 1960, when she was 6 years old, her parents responded to a call from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and volunteered her to participate in the integration of the New Orleans...
had when she was one of the first black children to be "integrated" into an all white school. While discrimination in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has come a long way , today we still face the problem just in directed at different people.
Fighting Back
During this hard time where race became a problem performing even minor daily tasks several people took it upon themselves to fix the system that was holding them down. Figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm XMalcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
, and Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
are just a few to fight back against the race based discrimination of their era. Rosa Parks took a minor stand it seemed like at the time. She decided not to get up and move to the back of the bus when a white person asked her for her seat. This one incident sparked a huge movement called the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest campaign that started in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, intended to oppose the city's policy of racial segregation on its public transit system. Many important figures in the civil rights movement were involved in the boycott,...
. This one act against discrimination eventually leads to the laws on discrimination buses to be changed. Martin Luther King Jr. A peaceful activist lead many protests such as these, proving to the white society that was discriminating against them that they were a valuable part of society as well. King organized many protests that not only blacks but whites also attended. Eventually as was seen with the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka the courts decided that it was a time to end racial discrimination. While King organized peaceful protests Malcolm X
Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
went a different route. He and his main supporters The Nation of Islam wanted nothing to do with white people. They can be considered examples of reverse discrimination in this case because they discriminated against whites, the same way whites discriminated against blacks. Even though Malcolm X
Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
’s actions were radical he is still considered one of the pioneers in fighting back against racial discrimination.Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges
Ruby Nell Bridges Hall moved with her parents to New Orleans, Louisiana at the age of 4. In 1960, when she was 6 years old, her parents responded to a call from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and volunteered her to participate in the integration of the New Orleans...
is an example of a child who dealt with discrimination. She dealt with parents as well as students constantly verbally abusing her. Most parents took their child out of the class because they didn't want their children near her. But rather than switching back to her old school she persevered and stayed. Eventually the parents sent their children back, accepting the fact that she wasn't leaving. Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges
Ruby Nell Bridges Hall moved with her parents to New Orleans, Louisiana at the age of 4. In 1960, when she was 6 years old, her parents responded to a call from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and volunteered her to participate in the integration of the New Orleans...
showed that people will not accept inequality and they will actively fight back against discrimination no matter what age. These examples show that with determination discrimination can be fought. If the discrimination being faced today was actively fought against the way race based discrimination was, the government would take notice and pass laws to stop the discrimination.
Gender Discrimination
Glass ceiling
In economics, the term glass ceiling refers to "the unseen, yet unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements." Initially, the metaphor applied to barriers in the careers of women but...
, this is where women and often minorities are held down in the work place never advancing past a certain point. Women are often seen as an expense to their employers because they take days off for children, need time off for maternity leave and are stereotyped as “more emotional”. The theory that goes hand in hand with this is known as the Glass Escalator while women are being held down in male dominated professions, men often rise quickly to positions of authority in fields with mostly women professionals. Men are pushed forward into management positions, even surpassing women who have been at the job longer and with more experience in the field. Not only in work settings but we see examples of this in our government as well. There has never been a female president
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
and many did not vote for her because she seemed to cold, but when she did show emotion people thought she wouldn’t be able to handle the job. Double standards are consistently applied so that women are held down by discrimination.
Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation
Another type of discrimination is against homosexuals. For personal reasons employers think it is okay to not hire these people. Homosexual people have been attacked and protested against. One topic of controversy related to homosexuals is marriageCivil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
, while some states say it’s okay others have laws against it. There has been a rise in violence against homosexual people proving that they are being discriminated against. Recently laws have gone into place to protect them and avoid violent protests, as well as hate crimes against them. Discriminating someone because of their sexual orientation is not only wrong but keeps us as a country from moving forward.
Discrimination against Immigrants
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
immigrants are constantly targeted as bringing crime to America. Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
recently passed a law that forces people to carry documents with them at all times to prove their citizenship. This is only one controversy over immigrants in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, another is that immigrants are stealing “true Americans” jobs. Discrimination against immigrants like discrimination against sexual orientation is a problem. Violent hate crimes have increased drastically.
See also
- Black flightBlack flightBlack flight is a term applied to the out-migration of African Americans from predominantly black or mixed inner-city areas in the United States to suburbs and outlying edge cities of newer home construction...
- Civil RightsCivil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
- Civil UnionCivil unionA civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
- GenderGenderGender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
- Housing SegregationHousing SegregationHousing Segregation is the practice of denying African American or other minority groups equal access to housing through the process of misinformation, denial of realty and financing services, and racial steering. Misinformation can take the form of realtors or landlords not giving African American...
- Illegal AliensIllegal AliensIllegal Aliens is a 2007 film starring Anna Nicole Smith and Joanie Laurer. This comedy/science-fiction film is made in the mold of classic 1980s B-movies. Hitting stores on May 1, 2007, the release of the movie was pushed back following the death of Smith in February 2007 and it is her final film...
- Mortgage DiscriminationMortgage discriminationMortgage discrimination or mortgage lending discrimination is the practice of banks, governments or other lending institutions denying loans to one or more groups of people primarily on the basis of race, ethnic origin, sex or religion...
- Racial steeringRacial steeringRacial steering refers to the practice in which real estate brokers guide prospective home buyers towards or away from certain neighborhoods based on their race...
- RacismRacismRacism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
- White FlightWhite flightWhite flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...