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How minorities are affected by society
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When I was a toddler, I had blonde hair, blue eyes and white skin, and still presently do. My parents are Guatemalan, however they fit the stereotype of a Guatemalan, small, a bit chunky, and tan. My siblings also carry the same genes as my parents, but yet I stand out like the moon in a night sky. But just like the moon, the public looks at me different. Growing up in a hispanic community and having a Latino family I gained numerous titles for my abnormality. “Canche” is the George Clooney of my nicknames, it means white boy. From my appearance, people generally presume my nationality is some sort of Caucasian origin and once I tell them I’m Guatemalan, their face fills with a shock. Individuals always questions me after my response, asking if I'm really am. I find it insulting people automatically think i'm white or even argue with me saying I'm not Latino. Do I have to look a certain way to be Guatemalan? Does my looks identify what my ethnicity is? Because my ethnicity is an American citizen, raised by Hispanic parents, born and raised in Rhode island. I go Classical High School and the majority of the population is white, there are other nationalities, but it safe to say white dominates the other Nationalities. I understand as well why my school peers think i'm white. Not just because I blend in with the Whites, my style of clothing is not …show more content…
Although I find it insulting being called titles for my looks, I still have that culture as well. Viewed as White male and having a Hispanic atmosphere is me. Throughout my life I had learned to love my inner ethic child and my broad white appearance. I can't fulfill all stereotypes in my culture because I am not fully Latino nor 100% American. My ethnicity isn't a title that the public gives me, just like my looks are not my labels. Likewise just like the moon, I am different, but I am still bright,astonishing, and still a
I am an African, black female who grew up in a predominantly white environment around my living space, and attended a predominantly white private school. In relation to class, I have been fortunate and privileged enough to be placed in a living environment that allowed me to receive the best education,
Modern culture, especially that perpetuated on MTV, has given many suburban white kids the idea that they are oppressed by some business-like aristocracy. That may be true in a way, but in another, it is puzzling that the reaction has been for many middle-class Caucasian youth to adopt black culture as their own. And as far as media perception of black people, I really don't fit that mold. I am very in touch with my culture, heritage and race. And I take a great deal of pride in it. But because I don't fit the stereotype that even white kids are now trying to emulate, it sometimes puts me at odds with my own perception of my race.
This cognizance really ensued when I first started work as an educational therapist in a residential placement for severely emotionally disturbed teenage girls. Being in such a arbitrary position of power was difficult enough with people who have issues with control and lack of respect from elders but I also happened to be the only male ever in this position at the facility and a "white guy" to boot. Ninety percent of my clients happened to be Latina or African American. This ethnic flash point did not initially bother me because of my lack of awareness of its existence and my naive determination that it was not important for my therapeutic and educational goals. However, of course I had not really considered at that time what being 'white' really entails in this society. Consideration of one's identity is obviously key to successful educational and therapeutic interventions but it took the actual experience of being what I call "white-washed" to make me realize that skin color may actually have something important to do with one's perceived identity.
Imagine being at risk of being pulled over at any given time, the only reason? The color of your skin. “2010, the state of Arizona passed a law authorizing local police to check the immigration status of anyone they reasonably suspect of being in the United States illegally.” (11 Facts...). The ability to pull people over for the sole reason of looking illegal. This seems aimed at Latinos because they are the ones that are easily recognizable, and often stereotyped as not being legal residents of the United States. For example, if two people were lined up and one had a light complexion and light features, and one had tan skin and darker skin, when asked who looked like an immigrant, a large majority would choose the individual with the tan
Living in a world where African Americans are judged because of their skin color, while whites are passed by with no other thought is confusing. What do people think when they see me? I am biracial, and because of this, I’ve faced the struggle of having to explain my races to those who can’t tell, or just make an incorrect assumption. It’s not a bad thing, having two races and two cultures, because I’ve been open to multiple traditions my entire life, but sometimes it’s hard not being considered a whole person because I’m not considered one race or the other. Being biracial has shaped my life experience and the way I see the world in countless ways.
This country has a total of 1730 sq km of water located all over the land. Guatemala is a fairly large country.The land is very comfortable for the people that live there.
One’s cultural identity consists of their race, gender, socioeconomic status, age, religion, and so on. Being aware of your own cultural identity is just as important as being aware of other’s. People’s cultural identity defines who they are, the privilege (or lack of privilege) they receive, and how society views them. It is important to understand that White individuals have more privileges than individuals of color. White individuals do not experience detriment and difficulties due specifically to their skin color and instead receive advantages. White privilege is defined as benefits that white individuals have that people of color do not (Kendall, 2012). The following walks through my personal cultural background, how it was shaped, defined, and developed, and limitations to my personal competencies.
I classify my race, ethnicity, and culture as a white, Irish-Italian- American, woman. My mother was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and my paternal grandparents are from Sicily, Italy. I imagine being first generation Irish and second generation Italian helps me relate with my ethnicity.
As a child, my family never really talked about race to me as much as what I would assume other families did with their children. The main way that I first learned about race was when I watched television or went to preschool. Once I started feeling the urge to ask questions about why other people look different compared to (me physically) was when they started to talk about it a little more. They told me that there are different kinds of people in the world and that everyone looks different, yet some people that look different belong to the same group of people. They gave me a few examples of what these categories were and I eventually saw more examples as I started moving up through grade sch...
For decades now, popular culture has been tainted by the perpetual use of racial stereotypes that come to us through music, television, and film. These reactionary stereotypes are often unaddressed and often permeate the minds of those too young to understand what a stereotype is. Therefore the effects of these conventionalized ideas continue to prevail throughout our society as they are repeatedly swept under the rug. However, although seemingly less common, there are also forms of media with goals of bringing attention to toxic stereotypes while still entertaining their audiences. African-Americans, Arabs, and Latin@’s are three of the most prevalent minority groups represented in the media and by analyzing the films Aladdin, Django Unchained, and the television show Devious Maids, one can become much more aware of the racial stereotypes that they are calling attention to.
Racial divisions are evident in societies across the globe, and have been for centuries. While there are distinct differences between these relationships of class and race, many similarities are clear. History has shown a long list of tactics to exploit, terrorize, and manipulate racial minorities and lower class citizens. For the indigenous people of Guatemala and the American Indians, the inception of racial and class discrimination occurred during colonialization and continues to show its impact today.
This country was founded by immigrants and is known for its population from a wide array of cultural backgrounds. Living in a westernized society that is so diverse, we are forced to choose an identity for ourselves at one point or another in our lives. Some choose to identify by their outer qualities, while others may identify by their inner qualities. One may identify by their looks, gender, sexuality, political views, or their beliefs. Some may have an identity that is dynamic and ever changing depending on the events faced in life, or some my identify by a single aspect throughout their whole life. Some may even struggle finding an identity due to the countless influence both conscious and unconscious. “In the Borderlands of Chicano Identity,” Saenz shares why it is necessary to find an identity and also presents various difficulties due to our surrounding culture and politics.
Though later they were viewed as white, they still had to fight to have privilege. Europeans and Asians wanted everyone to be equal no matter what race they were. To sum up, whiteness in today's society is still present, but its more invisible and unconscious. In today society, media has become a very big factor in everyone’s lives. We communicate with media, with memes, videos, images and animated gifs to create meaning.
In many cultures finding your identity is hard. It is even harder to not be labeled for what you look like in society. Currently, people have changed the way that they judge each other and are judging everyone based on the idea of their ethnicity. As I grew up, who I was as a person did not matter because everyone did not bully me based on the color of my skin. I assumed I was just like everyone else. Although when I became a teen things changed. After 9/11, my race and ethnicity mattered more and people treated me differently because I was labeled as a Muslim.
My skin is white, my eyes are brown, and my hair is dark brown. I am confused with Europeans, such as Italians, Portuguese, or Spanish. As early as the sixth grade, I experienced prejudice indirectly. I grew up in a predominately white neighborhood where I consistently heard racist thoughts about Latinos. Throughout the hallways of my school or outside in the playground, I would hear that Latinos are drug addicts; they don't work; they depend on welfare. I also heard comments, such as Latinos are gang members, Latin mothers are slaves to their husbands, and the only job Latin women can have is working as a maid. Growing up, there were few Latinos in television and Hollywood. Even then, Latin characters were portrayed negatively. They were criminals, maids, gang members, drug addicts, or drug dealers. Presently, a dramatic change has occurred with more Latinos in the media along with different characters. Since Latinos were portrayed negatively in the media, many people internalize this belief bringing forth racism.