One of the biggest problem minorities encounter in America is racism. Racism is when one group of people thinks they are more superior than another group of people. Especially in America, the White believes that they are more superior than the color groups because America is not the native land of the color folks. No matter where you came from, we all experience some form of racism in our lives growing up in America. As a minority, we are all being judged and looked down upon due to our skin color.
After watching the video “Conversation with Asian American”, “Conversation About Growing Up Black” And after reading a research article “Experiences Of Discrimination Among African American, Asian American, And Latino Adolescents In An Urban High School” by Susan Rakosi and Rosenbloom N. way, We can conclude that these two-ethnic group of people have many similarities in their experience of growing up as being the minority in America. Each ethnic group experience level of judgment, stereotype, and discrimination in their lives because they are the people of color. Being Asian American does not typically make an individual “American.” You’re still Asian whether you were born in America or Immigrated into America.
Life in America can be a struggle. Not only you’re speaking a whole different language but it’s also a culture shocking as well. Many asked, exactly what is American? In the video “A Conversation with Asian-American on race,” the Asian people said that when a person said “Americans” it’s atomically being viewed as a white person. No one thinks of the different type of Americans out there. Asian Americans were just Asians. They’re not Americans. “Real American are White Americans.” (Gandbhir Geeta and Stephenson Michele). Due to the differences in identifying different ethnic groups, this identity separation created racism the minority are facing in their daily lives. This identification especially focuses on Skin color. Skin color plays a big role in picking who’s American and who’s not. In the video, one of the guy said, “When I was six-years-old, I felled in love with this girl name Janis then I went up to her at the sandbox and I said ‘Janis, I Love you!’ and she was like ‘You’re the color of poop!” (Gandbhir Geeta and Stephenson Michele). This was the first racist experience the guy encountered at a very young age. Even though at that time, he did not exactly know that the girl was being racist, but he feels the awkwardness and painful feeling of being judged or being different because he has a different color skin than her. Another Asian person experiences somewhat a similar situation. In her case, she clearly remembered when her father owned a business, the white customers would come in and tell him to go back to his county. Although he did not have a full grasp of the English language, he would grip his fist into a ball underneath the counter but smile and told the customers to have a great day. Her father did not fully understand English, but he understands that he was being discriminated by his white customers.
According to Rakosi and Way research, “Chinese American students in the sample described tensions that related directly to being more Americanized or assimilated than more recently immigrated Chinese American peers. Lena, a recent Chinese immigrant, described the differences between her and mainstream Chinese American students in school.” This shows that Asian Americans feel that America is their home. It’s not right to be told to go back to your country when you feel the country you live in is your home. America is known as the land of Freedom. However, African American feels like they’re being hunted down everyday. African Americans are highly being negatively judged not because of who they are or what kind of person an individual is but mostly because of the color of their skin.
On “A Conversation About Growing Up Black,” one of the speaker said while he was walking to class with all his other White classmates, he was the only one being stopped by Police officer. He was just on his way trying to get an education but because he was black, he got pulled over. This shows that in America, even the law is injustice toward the minority group of people. Even when Polices are the people everyone’s supposed to feel safe toward, end up being the people minorities fear the most. There is no freedom for the color folks when the law is racist against other culture groups. Many of the African American said they do not know what freedom is. This is very concerning because racism takes away the right, opportunity, and freedom of the African American group.
Furthermore, Black people are stereotypically being judged as horrible being. According to Rakosi and Way research, "African American students described their teachers’ low academic expectations and stereotypes about “bad kids” or kids who “start trouble.” They felt that no matter what their actual behavior was in the classroom, they were typically stereotyped by their teachers as bad kids." This ignorant treatment not only abused the lives of the African Americans, but it leaves a deep wound in the heart. African American were discriminated their entire lives which causes long-term emotional damage. Due to racism, the black children do not get to experience what it really meant to have freedom. Everyone lives in fear due to the Judgement and Stereotypes. In “A conversation about growing up black,” Malik said, “My father did not want me to live in fear, but he wants me to be a wear.”
While the law and the people discriminate African Americans, the people of color will not give up going about their days and to achieve their dreams. Not every Americans understand that not every Black person is harmful. Sadly, Maddox wants people to know that he is perfectly fine, and he will do not any harm to anybody or do anything bad. It’s heartbreaking that this is coming from a African American child. The feeling of not belonging or accepted as a minority in the land one called home is very crucial. Although, African American and Asians American do not experience the exact same type of racism, both group experience what it’s like to feel different or unfit in America. Both group experience Judgement, Stereotypes, discriminations, and injustice. They feel that the law does not stand by those who have color. Both group experience culture shaming and name calling.
In “A conversation with Asian American on race,” one of the girl said a person with lighter skin gets treated better than a person with a darker skin tone. This proves that although Asians are experiencing racism, the way they’re being treated is less crucial than the African Americans. These people could be the most innocent and generous type of person, but because of false stereotypes and differences in looks, they are being treated with less values. One of the largest disrespect minorities receives from the majorities is name calling. Name calling is disrespectful and emotionally abusive. According to Rakosi and Way research, "Asian American students were observed and reported being pushed, punched, teased, and mocked by their non-Asian American peers. The racial slur “chino” or “geek” was often heard as Asian American students passed by."
Similarly, Malik from “A Conversation about growing up black” said, “sometime I’ll be the only black kid in class and we would be reading a book like Huckfin, and there’s that uncomfortable moment where the magic word (N-word) come up and people would atomically look at me.” Also, one of the lady from “A conversation with Asian American on race” said, “These children around me already had the racial epithets to use against me. It’s the first time in my life that I heard ‘Chink’ and ‘Jap’ and ‘gook’.” Asian Americans and African Americans are having to get up every day and live in an unsafe environment no matter where they go. Racism happened to many individuals of minority at School, down the street, and pretty much everywhere outside of their home.
Racism should no longer be a thing in today society because of high diversity in America. However, people are still being picked on because of their differences in Skin color and stereotypes. Ignorant Judgement from those who believed their race is most superior in America lead to a toxic environment for the minorities. This shows that the American society quickly discriminates the color folks base on skin color. False Judgements, stereotypes, and separation of the minorities and majorities lead to injustice experiences to the people that are not being considered “American”.
