Race is a very complex human designed social structure that was originally classified by color. In many places around the world, including the United States, race is still primarily defined by color, and it is easy to determine somebody’s race very quickly. However, this is not the case around the world. In certain places within Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, race is not so easily defined. Having a deep history of racial diversity and assimilation through the colonization of these countries, there are many different races, and many different people identify with races that one would not immediately think they would fall under.
The main concept behind these explications is that different races are faced with their own unique types of strains. These types of strains are economic, family related, educational, communal, and discriminatory. All of these strains have some level of interconnectivity with one another that can lead to people committing criminal acts. The reading mainly focuses on the African American and White racial groups. Even though all of these strains have an influence on the racial differences in crime, I believe that the community contributes a lot to these differences.
“Biological race” is a term that is used when a common biological basis is assumed. This is typically involves phenotype, particularly skin color, hair texture and other physical features. This notion is so pervasive in our society that “race” is commonly found on forms and includes such categories as “Caucasian, Asian, Native, African-American,” etc. And yet, race has cannot be defined biologically. “Social race” or “ethnicity” refers to a shared cultural background, including such things as language, religion, holidays, or style of dress.
A Question of Identity We, no doubt are aware that America is a melting pot of ethnic, persuasion and diversion. Americans often classify people by these measures. However, in certain circumstances these traditional measures do not apply. For example, how would one measure a Puerto Rican of Latino origin who possesses a “black as carbon skin”? (128) In America there exist a parody between skin color and ethnicity: race and ethnicity are often confused and creates questions of identity of the people subjected there under.
Social class can sometimes be an uncomfortable situation to talk about amongst people, and sometimes conflicts arise from this matter. Although it if often unnoticed by the media, and by large portions of society, the numbers of African Americans who can be labeled middle class based on their income or education has risen to more than 50%. This is due to the fact that they are torn between their aspirations and the reality that Americans still judge you based on the color of your skin. There were many stories that were discussed in the documentary, but there was an important focus on the “Jack and Jill club”. This club is an organization created by the “Upper class” black community.
The country has faced and still facing many racial issues from the Civil Right Movement till today. Racism has always been the most discussed topics when it comes to any society problems. The term Racism includes both the belief in racial differences, as well as associated discrimination. Although the term racism usually denotes race-based prejudice[->0], violence[->1], dislike[->2], discrimination[->3], or oppression[->4], the term can also have varying and contested definitions. Racialism[->5] is a related term, sometimes intended to avoid these negative meanings.
The population that is in the United States is made up of many different people from many different backgrounds of life. The key differences of the mass population, is ones race and ethnicity. There is such a huge range of races and ethnical backgrounds. The difference between race and ethnic are different words with different meanings, but they often get mixed up and or combined together. The common term race depicts a persons’ nationality.
Although socioeconomic status is also an important variable in the location of these sites, race is the most significant even after controlling for urban and regional differences. Over 15 million African-American, over 8 million Hispanics, and about 50 percent of Asian/Pacific Islanders and Native Americans are living in communities with one or more abandoned or uncontrolled toxic waste sites. Booth (1990) points out that "many of the at-risk communities are victims of land-use decision making that mirrors the power arrangements of the dominant society. Historically, exclusionary zoning has been a subtle form of using government authority and power to foster and perpetuate discriminatory practices." A study by the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that socioeconomic conditions and race are the major factors determining environmental discrimination.
Examples of Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism is a major reason for divisions amongst members of different ethnicities, races, and religious groups in society. Ethnocentrism is the belief of superiority is one's personal ethnic group, but it can also develop from racial or religious differences. Ethnocentric individuals believe that they are better than other individuals for reasons based solely on their heritage. Clearly, this practice is related to problems of both racism and prejudice. While many people may recognize the problems, they may not realize that ethnocentrism occurs everywhere and everyday at both the local and political levels.
The world contains many cultures, and within the world there are many ethnicities. culture can be defined as the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social or ethnic group and the attitudes, feelings, values, and behaviors that characterize and inform society as a whole or any social group within it, whereas ethnicity can be defined as the classification of mankind into groups, on the basis of racial characteristics. Culture is often mistaken for ethnicity and vice versa. The main difference between the two is Your born with your ethnicity but you inherit a culture. There are many cultures in the world, I just so happen to be a part of the Hispanic culture, being that I am Puerto Rican.