Osorio 1 Osorio Brenda Professor Vana English 114a November 19, 2013 Equality for Mankind Enrolling in English

114a with Professor Vana Derohanessian, has been of much academic enrichment, not only has my writing ability improved but my reading comprehension has definitely gotten better. Critical thinking of the surroundings and of my environment has been of much help to comprehend societys attitude over the years. This semester has got me close to many subjects that are of great knowledge and has been interesting and educating. Racism, in particular, caught my attention to the realities and the great impact it has among society, because is quite interesting how human beings interact with one another and also how they avoid others. Racism is present when one ethnic group or individual believes in the idea that his or her ethnicity is better than others; preventing with hatred and evilness the equality between distinct races. Degrading the natural rights that human gain when born is cruel and immoral thing to do to any person. Judging based upon the color of skin, ethnic backgrounds and ideologies have limits the opportunities of African-American and Latino immigrants. For those who believe that racism is a thing of past years and that people arent faced with discrimination anymore. In the story Social Labeling by William T. Monroe, Jr. of New Voices, he uses a personal story to reflect that young people still undergo racism and still deal with the consequences. He talks about how society labels each ethnic group based on their background, physical appearance and judging on color. The stereotypes he talks about are how African Americans are portrayed as violent, vulgar, and angry. William T. Monroe uses himself as an example, saying I have noticed that a lot of people avoid walking next to me in small areas at late hours and sometimes take a different route or cross the street when they see me. pg.

Osorio 2 75 . He was perceived as a thief because he is an African American that was walking late at night and it might be seen as an robber or may be seen as a treat to any person who is walking close to him. People make assumptions and generalize one person to another just because of their racial background as if they were the same person. The labels that society points out to people could lower the self-esteem and limit the opportunities to a person when seeking for a job. People often label and discriminate an ethnic group and person suggesting the place where a person should belong and how theyre supposed to act; denying the opportunity to know the person and how he or she is as individuals. Although, I was born in the U.S., I spent most of my childhood in my parents country, Colombia. When I first arrived years later to complete my high school education, I encountered myself in a humiliating, and yet awkward situation when I was attacked by racism. My English wasnt fluent and I barely could complete sentences without making a grammatical error. I once was dinning in a Studio City restaurant with my sister-in-law and her friend. We arrived and entered the restaurant, after us an all-white American family came. I right away felt the privileged over them than us, even though we were; the waitress seemed to leave us aside and placed them firs to a table. Once we were in our table, my sister-in-law realized than in back of us were two white women of middle-age, and they were looking at us as if we shouldnt be there as if we werent allowed in the restaurant. I felt uncomfortable because I had never been in such situation, although we were discriminated, we decided to order and dine. I was impressed of the disrespect from the white women and contempt of the service toward customers. Thus far racism has been present throughout the history of the world and the United States. Since the early beginning with the arrival of African slaves, the difference in the color of skin has been an important factor for the way people are treated. During the early 1900s, African American faced severe discrimination in public spaces, they were required to be apart from

Osorio 3 white people. Whites had the ideology that whites were born superior with respect to intelligence, talents and rights; the hatred went far enough for whites to create laws, which separated both ethnic groups. The Jim Crow system of legal segregation of blacks and whites were methods applied by whites to keep blacks apart. In chapter 1, the Mississippi Black Code 1. Civil Rights of Freedmen in Mississippi, reflects how the whites were dominant and racist by creating laws, which maintain African Americans away from them sect. 3 All freedmen, free negroes, or mulattoes who do now and have here before lived and cohabited together as husband and wife shall be taken and held in law as legally married it shall not be lawful for any freedmen, free negro, or mulatto to intermarry with any white personit shall be deemed guilty of felony. Laws were passed to forbid the mixing of races, because whites believe it was not right or even moral for the great white person to mix with the monkey alike African American as they were called by the white racists. Blacks were suffering the tremendous discrimination and they demanded racial equality for them to have the opportunity to be able to vote, attend good schools for a better future for their race and for a chance to end once and for all slavery. The Civil Rights act was issued by the U.S. government to end and prevent; the unjust and inequality among the people is schools, work and public facilities. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the nation's benchmark civil rights legislation, and it continues to resonate in America. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Wikipedia. It took until 1964 for Americans and the government to realize that discrimination and humiliation with the African-American and other minority communities had to end. People are sometimes selfish and unconscious of others feelings and differences. This creates inequality among different ethnic groups and privileges the whites above all. Before the Civil Rights Act, African-Americans or another minority groups opportunities would be limited if not present, it would prevent them for excel and succeed in society.

Osorio 4 Overall, racism still plays a major role in todays society. People should have certain degree of respect for one another because no race is superior or inferior than the other. People from certain background, color skin and social status are treated differently than others, and therefore, their opportunities and future goals are stopped by the labels that others input in them. Judging and criticizing from ones own perspective without the opportunity to meet a different person limits the capacity and inflates societys ignorance; there is no biological difference between races. People shouldnt be generalized by others because it may affect their self-esteem and degrade their value as a human being. Consequently, people should permit themselves and others the opportunity to know and understand different opinions and ideologies without affecting the others lifestyle. Equality creates awareness than we all have a place in society, and we all arent valued as animals without human rights.

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Works Cited Monroe, William T., Jr. "Social Labeling." New Voices: A Collection of Student Essays. Ed. Pamela Bourgeois and Sandra Jackson. Northridge, CA: English Dept., California State University-- Northridge, 2013. N. pag 75 . Print. Unger, Irwin, and Robert Tomes. eds, R. "Ch. 1, Mississippi Black Code." American Issues Volume 2: Since 1865. 5th ed. Vol. 2. N.p.: Pearson., 2004. pag 10. Print.
"U.S. Senate."The Civil Rights Act of 1964. Ed. Committee Members. The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judicary, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013