Fair Game?
America: the so-called land of opportunity. Equality and freedom for all. Or is it?” Many people from all nations of the world choose to immigrate to America for a better life. All though this is the case it’s not as easy as it seems to become successful in America. As a person of color, you will have many hurdles to overcome to even be on equal footing to non-colored Americans when it comes to being successful. People of Color in America do not have the same opportunities as white Americans due to discriminatory practices such as police brutality, low-income rates, and poor education.
Firstly, Colored people, especially African Americans, get discriminated against by police much more than non-colored Americans. In the article ¨Blacks, Latinos More Likely to Be Killed by Police Because They’re More Likely to Be Stopped, Study Says¨ by Melissa Healy states,¨When African-Americans or Latinos are stopped and questioned by police, the new research found that police arrested them in 82 percent to 85 percent of cases.¨ As a result of this people of color will have more incidents on their record leading to fewer opportunities especially when applying for jobs or searcher for higher education. It also shows that colored Americans are prime subjects for false reports. If a non-person of color were to make a false report on colored Americans they will most likely be arrested for crimes that they did not commit. This obviously would ruin their lives in every aspect. Also according to the article, ¨Issues in Society: Do Police Abuse Their Powers?¨ by Dudley, William states, ¨According to their analysis, from 2010 to 2012 white males ages 15 to 19 were killed at a rate of 1.47 per million individuals. From 2010 to 2012 black males ages 15 to 19 were killed at a rate of 31.17 per million — a rate 21 times higher than for whites.¨ This connects to the other piece of reasoning because it shows that colored people are treated much more harshly when compared to non-colored people. Furthermore, it indicates that colored people are not able to be as safe from threats like robbery or violence as non-colored people because most police are clearly being biased. This also connects to my claim because it shows that due to police brutality colored people are unable to accomplish the same things that non-people of color can.
Secondly, People of Color in America do not receive anywhere near the amount of income compared to white Americans. According to the newspaper, ¨Viewpoint: Privilege Comes From Systematic Racism¨ by University Wire states, ¨Resumes with white-sounding names had a higher callback rate — 50% higher — than identical resumes with a stronger black-sounding name.¨ This connects to my claim because it shows that Colored Americans suffer from racism in fields of work denying them an equal life when compared to white Americans. Also as a result of this workplaces would become dominated by a roster of almost all caucasian people meaning low representation in fields such as medicine, A.I., and law enforcement. In addition, the article, ¨Racial Discrimination¨ by Wilma Mankiller says, ¨median income for whites is far greater than for nonwhites, while some of the widest income gaps are between white men and women of color.¨ This connects to my claim because it shows that colored Americans will have a much more difficult life in America because they might be unable to afford much-needed necessities like healthcare or expensive housing. As a result of this colored people in America will have a much harder time living a good life in America when compared to non-colored people.
Thirdly, Colored Americans have harder times finding good education and in addition, have tough environments in which they learn. As University Wire also says,¨ For example, a study found that race-based stress can partly explain the disparities in academic performance between white students and black and Latino students. The study discovered that when students encountered racial discrimination — or even had the desire to overcome negative stereotypes — their bodies produced more stress hormones which can hinder their learning and motivation in school.¨ This shows that it is scientifically proven that stereotypical racism causes students to underperform further leading to unemployment due to racism and under-education. This also connects to my claim because it shows that people of color suffer from mental issues interrupting their lives just because of overwhelming racism. Another article by the name, ¨What Do American Teens Want? Less Racism¨ by Abagail Jones states, ¨But Brewer, surrounded by gangs and violence, was convinced an education would get him wherever he wanted to go in life. So each morning, he took two buses and an L train to Lindblom Technical High School, where he got A’s (and one B) and took honors courses. ¨ This shows that colored people are more exposed to criminal activity leading to the great importance of education in order to escape from this environment which can lead to an enormous amount of stress which can affect colored students in many negative ways. This relates to my other piece of evidence because it shows that colored students have a much tougher environment leading to a lower chance of them succeeding in life. As a result, it creates a cycle of injustice where it transfers from generation to generation causing colored people to be suppressed in America.
It is clear that America can be compared to a desert in terms of opportunities if you are a person of color. The many struggles of people of color in America are some of the worse issues that are going on in America to this day. This cycle of hate will cause America to be one of the most unfair and cruel places to be in as a person of color. Racism in America is a problem that we as a nation and even the world need to overcome and abolish.