Discrimination Against Minority Groups, Races, and Ethnic Groups

Discrimination in the United States

Humans have different features and cultures which improve their relations and socialization. However, the differences have led to conflicts among the people. Globalization has taken place in the world due to employment and other economic challenges, whereby people move from their country to another country. Immigration of the people results from many factors, such as the search for employment and education. A feeling of superiority leads to the discrimination of races, ethnic groups, and minorities in the United States for an extended period (Findling et al. 1410). There has been a challenge in accepting diversity in races and ethnic groups and the socialization of minority and majority groups. The feeling of the white race as superior to other races leads to discrimination in educational institutions, health sectors, and even employment.

Discrimination serves the interest of the dominant group, and the aim is to ensure they reduce competition from the minority groups. Racial discrimination is rampant and leads to low self-esteem and hostility, especially from the discriminated race, and causes hatred among the races (Findling et al. 1412). The issues of discrimination have been addressed by activists in the United States, especially in the 20th and 21st centuries. There is the adoption of intergroup relations in the United States, where people from different races and social groups intermarry. The African Americans, for example, have intermarried with the white reducing the issue of discrimination. The employment of people in the United States of America has witnessed discrimination, with few minority groups such as Indians surviving the effects because of the economic standards. Human rights activists have highlighted the dangers of a society not based on human abilities but defined by other factors beyond human control, such as conflicts and hatred. The leaders in the United States have put effort into ensuring that the society lives harmoniously and people are not denied services due to their race, social classes, or ethnic group.

Definition of Terms

1. Assimilation is when groups or individuals whose ethnic heritage differs from dominant groups get absorbed into society’s dominant culture. The people take the traits of the dominant group and behave in a manner that makes it hard to distinguish them from the dominant group.
2. Discrimination – is prejudicial, unfair treatment, or denial of equal rights based on social classes, groups, races, or ethnic groups.
3. An ethnic group – is a population or community of people who share a common descent or culture. The group has the same culture, language, and ancestry.
4. Ethnocentrism – refers to the belief that one’s own culture or ethnic group is superior to other groups. The feeling that other peoples’ cultures are inferior to own culture.
5. Genocide – is a systematic and deliberate destruction of a people because of their religion, nationality, race, or ethnicity.
6. The glass ceiling – is an unacknowledged barrier targeting a group of people either because of gender or minority from advancing professionally, especially in institutions to managerial or executive positions.
7. Institutional discrimination – refers to denying people or groups rights or opportunities in society. The denial may be intentional or unintentional, especially in the employment process.
8. A minority group refers to a racially, ethnically, or culturally distinct group that coexists with a group that seems dominant and makes the group subordinate.
9. Prejudice – is an unfair feeling that leads to disliking a group of people based on their gender, religion, or race—the state of having a negative attitude towards a group of people mainly caused by ethnocentrism.
10. Racial profiling – involves targeting a group or suspecting them of a crime based on their religion, race, or ethnicity.
11. Racism is – the belief that humans are divided into exclusive biological entities that are separate and involve the people’s color to place them in the groups.
12. Segregation – involves separating or isolating a class, race, or ethnic group using social laws and pressures or physical dividers.
13. The stereotype is a generalized belief that all people in a particular group are the same and expect them to behave in specific ways.

Work Cited

Findling, Mary G., et al. “Discrimination in the United States: Experiences of Latinos.” Health Services Research, vol. 54, 2019, pp. 1409-1418.