the illusive race question & class: a bacteria that constantly mutates
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The Illusive Race Question & Class:A Bacteria That
Constantly Mutates
Rebbekah Sforza
According to Acuna, race in American’s history
is seen in black and white. - A person with African or Indian decent was automatically seen as
black and therefore did not get the privileges the whites did. -For example slaves that were brought over from the Philippines were
called African so that it was legal to have them as slaves. A new race category was not opened.
Politicians today are not seen as raciest when they elect people of other races into office.
- Politics hurt the poor the most and in American the poor are mostly people of color. This is where you see racism in American being ignored.
What Race is in America
Racism can be compared to a bacteria. Racism, like bacteria takes on many different
sizes and shapes. Bacteria can withstand antibiotics. Just when
you think a remedy killed a bacteria, you find out that some of it still remained.
The remaining racism in America is this bacteria this has remained. It has just taken a new form.
Racism as a Bacteria
Acuna argues that the literature on the “Black
Experience” is better represented in American history then the Latino experience
-He states that, “…the black experience has included more than 200 years of civil rights struggle” (Acuna, 2). By not defining the Latino experience, it creates confusion for defining race in America.
It is said that the experience of race in Mexico has been ignored in history because there was not a large black population there.
Black Experience in History versus the Latino Experience
In our history there has always been a
privilege of having light skinned - Lighter skinned African Americans had to participate in less hard
labor during the time of colonization. During Colonial Mexico, Indians who looked white did not have to participate in hard labor either.
These nonwhite groups have fought to be white so they can keep their privileges
Privilege of Being Light Skinned
Brazil holds a lot of research
and literature on race. Socially black and white people
are said to get along better in Brazil then in American
-There is still racism in Brazil. It is shown in class differences. The poorest people in Brazil are those of the darkest skin.
- There has not been laws to separate blacks from whites in Brazil, but social class has separated them. This is a different type of racism, but it is still racism.
Race in Brazil
There is less literature on race in Mexico
because there was not a larger African population in Mexico.
- “The Black Civil Rights experiences has been more dramatic and better documented” (Acuna, 6).
Mexico has a history of their being racism towards Indians and Mestizos.
-Till this day those who speak an indigenous language live separately from the Mexican population in Mexico.
Race in Mexico
Throughout American’s history, who was
considered white on the U.S. Bureau of the Census has continuously changed.
-In 1948 Mexican’s identified as White. In 1950 Mexican could only identify as white if their ancestors were not Indian. In 2000 Latinos were still not considered a race, but an ethnic group.
Those who are not white and are identifying themselves as white, is the “Illusive Race” brought up in the title.
Being Classified as “White”
“In January 2005, the University of California Los Angeles released the results of a survey among freshmen nationwide that showed a record high percentage of college freshmen believing discrimination was no longer a major problem in the United States” (Acuna, 10).
Acuna believes these students were influenced by media and famous Latinos on television.
The truth is the majority of Latino students in a 4 year college come from a middle class family of from private or magnet schools.
Is Race a Factor in Schools
The question of whether or not racism is in our
school system can relate to Steele’s book Whistling Vivaldi.
Steele introduces the concept Stereotype Threat. This is a threat that a minority feels when trying to succeed in a subject area that they are “known” to perform badly in.
College freshmen today may not see the racism that still exists the same way the majority does not see the stereotype threat the minority has to encounter.
Stereotype Threat
Where a Latino lives in the United States has
effected what they call themselves. - Latinos that live amongst other Latinos tend
to identify themselves by where they are from. (ex: Cuban, Mexican)
- Those who live amongst predominately white people will resort to saying they are Latino/Hispanic.
Location effects Identification
Felipe Esparza is a Mexican American who won the popular American game show “Last Comic Standing”
In an interview on The Nonprofit Network, Felipe talks about what others identify him as.
Since Felipe has found success in a predominantly white profession, he has been labeled as the “Latino Comedian Felipe.”
Felipe Esparza’s Location
There is still a clear segregation in America’s
school system today. In Los Angles, California there are schools that are 96% Latino. The schools with the highest Latino population also have the highest population of people that are poor.
These schools are not getting all the same services and are showing a proven higher drop out rate.
Segregation in Schools
Acuna wants his reader to see the racism still
exists, but in a different from. By ignoring Latino’s history we are creating
confusion for the Latino’ identity. It is effecting our school system and social
classes. This new from of racism is the bacteria that
will not leave.
Conclusion
Acuna, Rodolfo. (2005). The illusive race
question & class: A bacteria that constantly mutates. Latino Studies Series, 59. 1-20.
Steele, C. M. (2011). Whistling Vivaldi: how stereotypes affect us and what we can do. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company
http://www.thenonprofitnetwork.org/videopage.php?id=19
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