Acts of discrimination

What happens when you all talk to people of color about these acts of discrimination, Class?

Respond to these post in a 100 words each

Discussion 1

Scapegoating is a theory of prejudice and discrimination. Society looks at the weakest group, and places blame on that group for all ills. That group then becomes the bottom level of society. We’ve seen this over the past 18 months. Illegal immigrants have been blamed for many issues, in particular crime and unemployment rates. Yet, I know few in my own area who will do the jobs these folks do every day. As for crime, please see the link below for a journal article that addresses this issue. Most crimes committed by immigrants without papers are misdemeanors.

What are your  thoughts?

 

Bernat, Frances. “Immigration and Crime”. 4/2017. Oxford Research Encyclopedia. http://criminology.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264079-e-93 , Accessed 1/13/2018.

 

“Scapegoat Theory”. Changing Minds. nd.  http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/scapegoat_theory.htm , Accessed 1/13/2018.

Discussion 2

I’ve included a reference here from a journal considered to be somewhat conservative, The U.S. News and World Report. There are several articles here that detail some research done by their staff with regard to the continued presence of racism. Now, we have cell phones and can certainly film and publish what we see so incidents get much bigger coverage than what happened in the past, of course.

When I talk to people of color, though, all agree that incidents have happened to them in the last 8 months. In April, I went away for a girls’ trip with my elementary and middle school friends (we also graduated from high school together). This group is all EuroAmerican. While down South, we saw less segregation than we often see in the North. I was asked by my friends about this, and if prejudice was the same there, or different. It made for some interesting talks on our long car rides.

 

What happens when you all talk to people of color about these acts of discrimination, Class?

Dicussion 3

 

For many years in America, it was expected one would marry within one’s own group. This included people of the same religion, same ethnic group, and same “race”. In homogeneous cultures, this is not a concern at all – everyone is within the group.  However, in heterogeneous cultures, that is certainly not the case.

 

In America, some places in the country certainly do have people who may “have something to say”, regarding interracial marriages (which were against the law in some states until 1967). My husband is African American and I am Euro-American. We have also experienced some issues over the past years (married 37 years, together since we were 16), as have our children. Our immediate families, however, have been our rocks, our safe places.

 

Class, this brings to mind our notions of “racial category”. I know my children are not conflicted about this. They write in “human” when asked to state their “race”, as do myself and my husband. I’ve been questioned a few times upon review of a form I filled out, and stood my ground (outside the box, of course!). What are your thoughts about these categories?

Discussion 4

 

While it is so important for us to teach our children what is right, we often meet people who don’t believe in the same norms and values we hold dear. Looking at others with judgment is something I see people do everyday, and that I fight against within myself.

 

There are 2 women in our town that are in wheelchairs and are very visible. One stays within an outside shopping area on our Main Street, the other is at Walmart all day long, sometimes inside the store, sometimes on the sidewalk outside. One woman comes right up to people and tells them she needs money and “you should give me some”. Many times, the police have been called about her as she appears threatening and people get upset because she doesn’t say thank you when they do give her a dollar or two.

 

The other woman never asks anyone for anything, however people have become used to just giving her a few dollars when they go by her, for which she expresses her thanks.

 

If you don’t know the story behind these 2 people, you may be likely to judge them. If you do that and you are with children, how will the kids react? Thoughts, Class?