Race & Community

Introduction

In analysis of diversity in my community, the race relations are moderate and tolerable in my
neighborhood with exceptions. In recent years diversity has expanded to increase the importance and
acceptability in non-controlled environments that allows personal growth in race relations within
communities. The fundamentals of exposing oneself to the particulars of race challenges provide an
interesting investigation to how current experiences are now different than ten years ago. The review of
my neighborhood proves the notion on how promising diversity has changed the local community.

Perspectives in Race in the Community

Currently living in the suburbs, the neighborhood has a 2 to 1 ratio, in which, the majority is the minority
race in the community. In my immediate neighborhood, the experience with my fellow neighbors are a
welcoming aspect due to the flexibility of tolerance. The diversified demographics within my community
are races from different ethnicity not just black and white but Latinos, Mexicans, Jamaicans, and
Japanese. The perspective in my community provides an understanding how diversity enriches the
awareness of other cultural lifestyles within the context of interaction with different ethnic groups.

Do members of your community look like you? In what ways do they look the same or different?

The members in my community are welcoming and thoughtful by projecting respectfulness in sharing
the same amenities in the neighborhood without conflict. For instance, the local community has a vast
array of diversified backgrounds that do not intrude on privacy or make stereotype assumptions of
neighbors, instead, the interactions are cordially with each other. The children are diversified and plays
well with each other by learning each other unique personality and culture. The children provides an
opportunity for the parents to learn the value of race in the community by free spirit of acceptance
demonstrated by children. The interactions of the children presents an interesting learning experiences
of different culture that encourages promising dialog amongst the parents.

Therefore, the differences in my neighborhood community there is the way one particular race dresses
compared to another that signifies cultural differences. The language is another aspect that presents
adapting to differences amongst other races that are within your immediate surroundings. The method
of patience is the key to understanding the cultural barriers that prevents acceptance. For instance, the
majority language communicated is English, therefore, one way that my neighbor does to interact
amongst a diversified community is learning English by the assistance of a family member. The measure
made by my neighbor influenced myself to broaden my adaptability to racial differences and being more
willing to go out of my way to adapt to cultural barriers, such as language, for a solidify interaction.

How do leaders within your community treat people who are like you? How do they treat people who
are different?

The leaders in my community are dominantly fair with law enforcement mostly black and white than
another ethnic race that presents a balancing of any bias confrontations. The community leaders for
district representatives are black Americans and present an approachable interaction amongst each
other races that is encouraging for the local community. After several years, there was never a reported
racial charged incident until just recently that was at the nearby gas station between an officier and a
store owner. The racial dispute was diffused when it was reported that one of the officers was black
with two white officers and presented a refocus in the initial accusation. According to Police Officer
Jones (2008) The trial and error when dealing with other races is finding the middle ground in any
particular situation to drawing the right conclusion without preconceived stereotypes present.

How do other members of your community treat people who are like you? How do they treat people
who are different?

My observation of members in the local community is that they treat each other with respect and
tolerance that can be challenging to demonstrate during difficult times. However, the mixture of
diversified people in the immediate neighborhood community provides a platform for adapting to race
differences for approaching the matter in a positive mindset. Therefore, the interactions with people
like myself and people that are different encourages the mannerisms and acceptance that is forwarding
thinking and promising. In my community, the mixture of races at public gatherings for instance
restaurants, parks, bars, or local concerts that showcases tolerance in race relations.

Do your texts or work manuals contains information by or about people like you?

There was information in the related text and/or work manuals about people like me that provided
imperative measures on how to deal with prejudice. In recent history, the determination of good race
relations is the defining aspect of you within the context of expectations. The term prejudice was often
described by people as an attitude towards someone or something, however, the related text outlined
that it can also be considered by scape-goating and authoritarian personality. Therefore, the culture
awareness provides the insight of identity and ceased prejudice against all people no matter the outer
physical differences present.

Moreover, the gathered information provides the needed aspects to successfully draw sufficient data, in
order to render a correct perspective. The data gathered provides the needed balance being
implenmented within my local community that is promising. The fundamental basis is outlining the
overall characteristics that provides the true understanding of myself and others like me by actually
partaking activities in the community that are limited as preconceived stereotypes towards other races.

Do the local media represent people like you? If so, in what ways?

The local media represent people like me mainly due to the major national stations that are rooted here
with international exposure. The local media have a variety of anchors and field reporters that has
similar physical characteristics like myself. In addition, the content and the usage of words in the
reporting are culture aware to relate to the concerns of the community. The programs on the local
media stations are more diversified than a previous residence and state I lived in that provides people
like myself to express culturally (Shermerhorn, 2008).

What are some similarities and differences between you and the people who are in leadership positions
in your community? Do you feel minority group interests are represented within your community?

Actually, the similarly of leadership in my community is the physical characteristics and culture with
limited differences related to income levels. However, the racial identity is similar in the law
enforcement, county representative, and other leadership roles. For instance, the judges are more
controlled by the majority race, however, their immediate assistants are minorities that does represent
interests in my community.

According to County Tax Authority Representative, Tina Williams (2008), Although, I am a minority and
not the tax commissioner of the county, I know that my input to the commissioner matters on fair
practices regarding people in my community. I strongly feel that the reasoning for my assessment is
due to the diversity if not in all the leadership roles but in respectful subordinate roles that does create a
positive tolerance for race relations.

If you could resolve any inequities within your community, what would you change? How and why?

I would recommend more minority races in the ownership of businesses and higher leadership roles in
my community. Therefore, the focuses of positive race relations can achieve the balance for equality in
my community. I am pleased by a self-assessment that my community is not negatively racially charged,
rather, a commitment to keeping the peace. I do suggest that to keeping inequities within my
community that major businesses that are a largely influential in the communities are lead by minorities.
These measures will demonstrate a continued commitment to foster diversity.

I believe that the current status of race relations in my community is that subordinate roles held by
minorities are an exceptional step in the right direction. Now, my community needs to expand these
roles to show more diversity in the top level roles to limit any inequities or potential inequity. According
to Jim Benson, an assistant manager of a prestigious restaurant (2008), The ability to advance in a
senior role within any industry in a local community just reinforces the concept of acceptability of race
differences. Therefore, a more directed approach to place diverse leaders in all areas of businesses and
community leadership roles assist in uniting the community (Williams, 2002).

Which main concepts from the text relate to race? Apply some of these concepts to your project.

Some of the main concepts of text related to race are the Understanding Race and Ethnicity (2006)
that provides the needed understanding for all races to live and interact with each other. The ability to
identify the physical characteristics of people by culture aspects, in which, the differences in race clearly
separates any preconceptions of stereotypes. The main concepts from the text related to race is the key
to understanding the cultural differences as well as their formulated stereotypes render a position
interaction and tolerance. Once, the preconceptions are made clearer and successful attempts to accept
culture traits, preferences, and lifestyles are achieved the road to better relations increases. The
technique for sharing space in a non-controlled environment presents an opportunity to effectively use
patience to better interact with different races in ones community.

Conclusion

In the review of my community, I learned that race relations have improved compared to my parents
that was fueled by an ethnocentrism mentality. However, I have discovered in the related texts that race
relations can and should improve by implementing diversity more in communities to bridge ethnic
groups together. The key concept for a community is to identify the culture differences that are at the
basis for removing negative race relations to a more positive environment for families (Schaefer, 2006).
The benefit for a more focus effort on the similarities rather than differences will allow the synergy of
the humanity of races to solidify a more desired local community that works together.