Racism
Racism is a bad disease in society, but its cure can only come from the same society. A pervasive notion concerning racism is that it happens through generations, where old racists inflict their behavior into young people. Age is more likely to express individuals’ response to racism than education or geographical position. I have been a victim of racism since my childhood, but this has not killed my hopes and aspirations. I have led many books in history on how the Cold War in the U.S. developed into racism and how racial coding of concepts has tactically influenced political perspectives with the country. Although I still see my neighbors as brothers and sisters who can be saviors in time of need, racism is still deep-rooted in our neighborhoods.
We used to live in a white dominated neighborhood, but my family’s income was not adequate to allow us continue enjoying some amenities in that neighborhood. Paying a mortgage was a problem for my family. My parents could not afford to meet our daily needs and still manage to pay the mortgage. We opted to vacate to another neighborhood, where housing and other basic needs are affordable. Racism has continued to diminish economic outcomes for minority communities, as racists strive to take advantage of the minorities in their neighborhoods. There exists a deep cultural belief that white people are superior to other people based on their levels of income.
I was happy that we had found a place where were valued and recognized, although there are some white families who have detached themselves from the rest of the community. As a young kid, I had persevered insults from white families’ children. I remember one day when my brother and I were playing outside our compound and some white children passed by, with their pet dogs. They looked at us as if we were aliens. They screamed at us, claiming that we should not be playing on their playground. I was already warned by my parents of controlling my anger once I was confronted by such children. I kept my cool, although I was burning inside. Sometimes I would ask myself why I was born in a family of a minority group, but I never allowed such thoughts to surpass my life dreams. Despite this, I had a few friends from the whites’ families, who did not care about my color.
When people talk about racial problems in the U.S., they normally personify the forces involved. This is not far from the truth, as I can describe the actions and opinions of some groups, who have made the practice look like a well-calculated thought. For instance, in my previous neighborhood, the act of racism was well planned to portray social class differences than racism. There were secured residents for the whites, and scattered residents for other races. To live in a gated community where residential houses are surrounded by a perimeter wall, one has to pay an exorbitant fee, which is unaffordable to low-income earners.
Our neighborhood is normally built in layers. The first layer depicts a generation that is separated through housing while the second layer became visible through selfish commercial gains. My father narrated to me how most people of color were compelled to sell their houses at a throwaway price because they occupied areas that were perceived as white-dominated. The fear of racial discrimination made them part with their residential houses to settle in other areas where minorities are dominant. The third layer emerged when the affluent whites managed to carve themselves into a single community with their own security details and other amenities within their area. This has a blessing in disguise, as it has enabled us to move around our residential area freely without the fear of being scolded.
Racism is still rampant in colleges, where students are expected to be more intelligent and wiser to make their own decisions. For minority students, prospering academically amid multiple confrontations with racism necessitates a different kind of resolve than just balancing school with work. As a minority community student, I encountered racism in my college, as I opted to join a predominantly white college where I thought I would get the best education to fit my career choice. Whenever I went to consult my lecturers for something, they never allowed me to take more than ten minutes while other students would take more than thirty minutes for the same. This behavior has made students of color to protest due to unequal treatment. Receiving e-mail messages from unknown people, calling names that are associated with people of color is a common thing in our college.
Sometimes I would like racists to place themselves in the shoes of the people they discriminate and experience how dreadful it is when someone refers to you as an inferior. I am yet to join employment, but I still believe that life will be better without racism. Our Constitution has offered protection to every person, regardless of his/her origin, race, ethnic group, or gender. The recent shootings that have been encountered in several colleges in the U.S. have been triggered by racism. We can eradicate racism in our neighborhoods if we agree to be equal and support each other without minding about our colors.