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Racism in America Against:
Racism can be defined in a variety of ways relating to both individual actions and societal institutions. Merriam-Webster defines racism as “a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race, and the behaviors and attitudes that foster this belief.”
However, these definitions refer to racism as a racial attitude. Racism can also be defined in a systemic sense.
Two such examples are the excerpts following which define systemic racism as “the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another” and “a political or social system founded on racism and designed to execute its principles.”
As seen, the term racism does not simply fall under one definition or one circumstance. Instead, it is a multifaceted term to describe the vast experiences of minority groups facing inequality due to their racial identity.
History of Racism in America
Racism has been present in society from the start, and it is still deeply rooted in our society today. In 1607, white British colonizers came over to America, quickly dominated, and took over the land. From that moment, rhetoric claiming white individuals as the “superior” race spread and was used to tragically oppress others. Here are examples of the roots of racist attitudes towards minority groups, where they stem from, and how they became widespread:
Indigenous Tribes
Before the British colonized the Americas, Indigenous tribes lived peacefully on the land in harmony with their tribes and nature. Their sacred customs and beliefs were practiced and displayed. However, white colonizers saw strong Indigenous cultural identity as a threat to their own power and success and responded with violence. Colonizers stole their lands and forced Indigenous people into smaller and smaller reservation areas that were insufficient for survival and hindered the continuance of their tribal practices.
Over time, they continued to whittle down the land belonging to Indigenous groups leaving them with even less land and resources. As Europeans continued to take over new land and gain power, they resorted to genocide to tragically kill an estimated 8 million Indigenous people. Many of these deaths occurred through the spread of European disease to which the Indigenous people had no immunity.
Asian Americans
Throughout America’s history, Asian Americans have faced racism, especially in terms of immigration. In the 19th century, the United States promoted a “white-only” immigration policy. Asian Americans were seen as dirty and uncivilized to white Americans. Along with the promulgation of these xenophobic notions came the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited the immigration of Chinese individuals. This was the first race-based act of immigration legislation to exist in the Americas.
During World War II, those of Japanese descent faced mass incarceration into internment camps under Franklin Roosevelt's executive order due to unsupported suspicions of espionage for the enemy following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Racism against Asian Americans was once again highlighted in 2020 with the Covid-19 outbreak. Many faced discrimination and prejudice due to the virus having origins in China, despite the fact that AAPI individuals do not have any responsibility for the tragic illness.
Black Americans
The history of racism towards Black individuals in America began in 1619 with the start of the slave trade. Nearly 7 million Africans were enslaved and sent to America. White colonizers took advantage of African Americans and used them as a source of free labor. They would work the slaves in horrible conditions and provide severe consequences if they stepped out of line. Like what was done to the Indigenous people, slave owners also stripped African slaves of their culture and heritage by prohibiting communication and the use of their native languages. They also kept them in captivity by prohibiting slaves from learning to read or write which made escaping nearly impossible. This serves as one of the first examples of systemic discrimination that kept oppressed groups in a subordinate position through unequal accessibility.
Following the American Revolution, Black Americans still faced great discrimination and segregation as the White majority did not accept them as members of their society. Every resource, from schools to water fountains, was segregated, reinforcing the American idea that White Americans were superior to Black Americans. It was during this time the discriminatory dictum “separate but equal” was coined. Despite the inclusion of the word “equal”, resources Black individuals received were nowhere near equal to those of White individuals. For example, they received used schoolbooks and had no funding.
Fast forward to present-day America and we still see racism against the Black population through police brutality and systemic oppression. Black individuals are nearly three times more likely to be killed by a police officer than white people. This is due to systematic prejudice within the police force, as well as society, that still views Black individuals as being inherently more violent without any evidence.
Hispanic Americans
Hispanic Americans, though not often at the forefront of conversations surrounding racism, still faced discrimination in the U.S. due to their roots. Anti-Hispanic attitudes began to take hold in the mid-to-late 1800s. Scholars often point the beginnings of these oppressive beliefs to the Mexican-American war that provided the U.S. 55% of the Mexican territory. This was a tumultuous time for many Mexican individuals whose identity was suddenly thrown into uncertainty as they were no longer considered citizens of Mexico and instead were citizens of the U.S.
As time passed and political contention increased in Mexican politics, many Mexican citizens found themselves emigrating to the U.S., where attitudes regarded Mexican Americans as “lazy, stupid, and undeserving”. It’s because of these attitudes that many Americans began to have deep-rooted anti-Hispanic beliefs, and some even turned to mob violence. This outbreak of mob violence became widespread in the late 1800s and early 1900s targeting Mexican Americans from all gender and age groups.
The great depression became a time of extreme anti-Hispanic beliefs. As unemployment rates increased, the belief that those of Hispanic backgrounds were “stealing jobs” became prominent. States began to pass immigration legislation targeting Hispanic individuals. One such example is Colorado, which forced anyone who spoke Spanish or even “looked” Hispanic to leave.
Fighting Racism
Fighting against racism is a difficult uphill battle as it is deeply rooted in our society. However, we have seen a general increase in tolerability and equality, especially with younger generations fighting for social change. Here are some important steps individuals can take to reshape how our society views other races:
Education. Learning about other races and cultures and the history of their fight against racism can promote acceptance. Acceptance can also be promoted by studying and conversing about how discriminatory notions took hold and became widespread.
Recognizing and accepting one's privilege and utilizing that privilege to promote the voices and ideas of oppressed populations. This doesn’t only apply to White people. Colorism is also a problem in race relations, and it’s imperative we come to understand our conceptions of skin tone and the effect they have on perceptions.
Find your own implicit biases. While we may not initially realize some of the prejudices we hold, by acknowledging them rather than denying them, we can actively work to reduce them.
Being antiracist through actions. Many of us are likely to come across racist statements at some point, and it’s important to not ignore these statements but to speak about them. Talk about the negative effects they have and how they proliferate into acts of extreme xenophobia. Racist statements are breeding grounds for extremism, so we must stop the problem at the root.
Fighting against racism may be a new and uncomfortable topic that many are just now facing, but it is important to remember that some people have been directly facing the consequences of racism for centuries, and it will take not only personal but also great systemic changes in order to overcome racism in America.
References
Blakemore, E. (2017, September 27). The long history of anti‑Latino Discrimination in America. History. https://www.history.com/news/the-brutal-history-of-anti-latino-discrimination-in-america
Christina Marie Noel. (2020, June 3). 4 Steps That I and Other White People Can Take to Fight Racism. Medium; B The Change. https://bthechange.com/4-steps-we-can-take-as-white-people-to-fight-racism-a582e826eb92
History.com Editors. (2018, November 16). Black History Milestones: Timeline. HISTORY; HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-milestones
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2019). Merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism
PBS NewsHour. (2020, April 9). The long history of racism against Asian Americans in the U.S. PBS NewsHour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/the-long-history-of-racism-against-asian-americans-in-the-u-s
The Legacy of Injustices Against Native Americans - NETWORK Advocates. (2019, March 29). NETWORK Advocates. https://networkadvocates.org/recommittoracialjustice/legacy/