How The United States Deals With Minorities

Dear American Public,

I write to you today to tell you about the current state of affairs in this nation and how America is not the greatest country in the world. Throughout American history, anti-racism and segregation ideologies and institutions have always targeted the minorities in the country. In the 1960s, through the hard work of many leaders such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. the Civil Rights Movements were supposed to break social barriers and norms by allowing African Americans to gain equality.

As noted in the book, “A Different Mirror,” by Ronald Takaki, the Civil Rights Movement failed to create true equality for African Americans by being “unable to overcome the structural economic foundations of racial inequality for African Americans (Takaki, 328). After centuries of oppression and racism, Africans Americans united and demanded equal rights. Laws and regulations were placed to prevent racism and discrimination. The problem with the Civil Rights Movement is that people now ignore discrimination and they choose to believe that racism is solved with equality.

Yet, with the newly found “equality” African Americans unemployment rate in the few decades would be twice as high as whites (Desilver). In 2003, the No Child Left Behind Act was placed in order to raise academic standards and regularly test children on how they perform. The new test force children to meet certain standards in order for schools to receive fundings. Those who were unable to meet the standards were at risk of being expelled from schools. The Bush Administration purposely created the No Child Left Behind Act in such a way that only African American children will be affected. With the No Child Left Behind Act, African Americans were blamed for not having enough funds for schools. This policy creates bigger educational gap between African Americans and Americans. The Bush Administration’s, No Child Left Behind Act created more racist ideologies towards African Americans because after the establishments of the act, segregationists used No Child Left Behind Act to justify their beliefs, “Black children were incapable of closing the achievement gap (Kendi, 293).”

The act targets the minority in the country and completely undermines the progress of equality African Americans fought to obtain. Not only are African Americans targeted at schools, prisons systems are rigged against African Americans. The stereotypical “dangerous black neighborhood” (Kendi, 267) created by racial ideologies has lead to African Americans being targeted by police officers and incriminated at higher rates than other races. African Americans are more likely to be convicted and sent to prison than other ethnicities because of their darker skin complexity. During the 1980’s and 1990’s, 66% of people that consumed drugs are Americans or Hispanic; however, 85% of people incarcerated for drug related cases are African Americans (Kendi, 267). Throughout American history, Americans have always oppressed minorities by building a society that targets and cripples minorities using racial and segregational ideologies.

In times of dire emergencies, Americans use their fortunate living situation as a way to undermine refugees seeking shelter by targeting minorities with racial and segregation ideologies. During World War ll, Vietnamese refugees were driven out of their country and sought safe haven which landed them towards the United States. Many Vietnamese people did not have the choice to flee, but due to terrible events, such as Vietnam’s capital being filled with gunfire and bombings, people were scared and in panic and just fled (340 Takaki). Vietnamese refugees fled the war zone to the United States on two different occasions. The first group of Vietnamese people were educated and knew English, half of them were Christian and were placed in processing camps in California (Takaki, 341). The Second group of Vietnamese refugees were a variety of Vietnamese from different professions who were not proficient in English (Takaki, 342).

These refugees were supposed to be welcomed into the United States, however, polls showed that 37% of Americans were supportive of their arrival, while 49% of Americans were against it, and 14% of Americans were uncertain of their arrival (Ha). Vietnamese refugees did not feel as welcomed and often “felt the stings of racial slurs and were sometimes called names like ‘Chinks’ and told to ‘go back to China’.” (Takaki, 342). President Carter decided to double the amount of refugees in general that would be accepted into the United States in which 62% of Americans disapproved (Ha). The United States Government drafted an agreement with the Vietnamese Government regarding the basic necessity of life, ways to pay for the expenses, and even how to deal with problems (agreement, 08-43).

After 40 years after the Vietnam war, some of the Vietnamese refugees that have fled to the United States, are now faced with the chance of being deported back to Vietnam by our current president, President Trump (Dooling). The place where Vietnamese refugees fled to, are now in a position where they might not be able to continue their new lives there and will be taken back to the place where they ran from. The agreement between the U.S Government and the Vietnam Government was that the U.S Government is allowed to deport Vietnamese people who have migrated to the United States after 1995, excluding Vietnamese people who came to the U.S before 1995, which has been the agreement since 2008 (Dooling). President Trump is now trying to expand that agreement made in 2008, in order to deport 7,000 Vietnamese immigrants/refugees due to old criminal convictions that have been vacated (Dooling). Now, the U.S, who had taken in Vietnamese people, are now trying to kick them out.

Minorities have also become more diverse in socio-economic terms. Since 1980, for example, the amount of ethnic minorities with the highest incomes it's increase doubled, but ethnic minorities still make up the proportion of people living in poverty is too high. More and more ethnic minorities politicians are being elected to intendant, but ethnic minorities are there's a higher probability of being incarcerated be executed compared to non-Hispanic and whites. A growing number of minorities have graduate and professional degrees, but disproportionately at no period complete high school.

The increase of African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Indians is in-depth changing the race and ethnic minorities make-up of America's schools, working space, and communities, and set up a new multinational and Multi-cultural heritage in the US. A large amount of companies targets different products to specific ethnic minorities because they recognize that ethnic minorities can also be a growing market. American society is assimilating all ways of Hispanic, Black, Native American, and Asian culture, including music, food, art, and clothing style.

Americans have been divided on the persistent effects of increasing multiformity. A number of people have argued that the rapid increase of ethnic minorities is the main reason for America's revival and one legitimate continuation of the 'Great Melting Pot' traditional ideas. Others argue that the rapid increase of minorities is an unwelcome element of American tradition. Because the growth of ethnic minorities populations is a close connection to other important policy implications such as the immigration, the spread of equal rights, access to welfare, and education reform, the discussion of this issue often becomes energized. A lot of Americans believe that racism does not hinder minority progression. However, numerous studies have documented persistent discriminate race and ethnic minorities in housing, obtain employment, criminal cases and persons prosecuted, as well as in most other sectors of society.

Initially, capitalism advocated freedom of trade and equality under the law, which means that most citizens, no matter rich or poor, are formally bound by the same legal rules (Hodgson, 2016). However, in real-world markets, capitalism benefits those who reaped wealth or inherited wealth well and then those privileged classes make rules of the market which are more beneficial to themselves. For example, capitalists have an influence on ethnic minorities salary and prices of products. Ethnic minorities are difficult to separate themselves from the work. However, the capitalists are free to trade and seek various chances because their fortune could create money or get other rewards, which place the ethnic minorities at a disadvantage. The inequality will be further as the capitalism transfer to be more knowledge-based. Ethnic minorities who are not well-educated or have lower skills may not have the time and money to invest in them.

In this case, it is very difficult for ethnic minorities to receive rewards that they deserve. As a consequence, the growth rate of wealth inequality will not only grow further, but will also jeopardize the future of capitalism. But if America can avoid all kinds of cultural violence, the country can advantage from its increasing diversity. By connecting with different cultures around the world, America's minorities can better help American businesses understand the common needs and personal preferences of people in other countries. Let them see how racial and ethnic minorities compare differently in the United States when the population is large. As Americans rediscover their ideas about their country and the future, they are bound to express conflicting concerns and agree on many different attitudes to group policy. It will be much easier to resolve these differences when Americans are aware of the different demographics of today's minority populations.

Throughout American history, we witness how America deals with minorities. Minorities in America have experienced the worst humanity has to offer. They are constantly targeted and taken advantage of. Minorities were forced to be slaves, work dangerous jobs, and constantly live in fear. In the eyes of the government, minorities are disposable. Minorities were forced to receive unfair and low wages, and with no benefits given to them. The superiors, the wealthy, the ones in power, were the ones who benefited from what they did not want to do, but had others do. As minorities, they do as they are told because there are always consequences for people who can easily be locked up, beaten, or threatened and have no money to have their problems solved.

Minorities work multiple jobs to keep food on the table and to live with a roof over their heads with a constant worry that maybe they won’t be able to keep up with all these bills tossed their way. We deal with the other by staying in our bubble. Following the rules, staying in line, working to provide. While the ones in power deal with minorities by putting them to work non stop. If people treated one another equally, then the world would be a bit more peaceful, but history has shaped the way people are today. Sadly, it would take a long while before change comes into action. Change will happen, and until that day, things will continue the way they do.