Question

1)“Race has been a social construction that has allowed US to set apart racial minorities from European immigrants” (9). Explain how this adds to social construction. Give examples. Agree? Disagree?

Answer 1

America as we know today was very different with only the aboriginals and tribal people living in those land and it was pure in environment and rich in resources. At the same time, Europeans were desperate to find new lands as Europe was overcrowded and economically not prospering. So, both the governments and common men had something in common, finding a new place. Thus, the English, Portuguese, French, Spanish etc. went out looking for new lands. Once, they found new lands, especially, America, they started settling down and brought people from outside, especially from Africa.

White people always felt that color determines superiority and thus whoever is not White was not considered equal to the White and made as slaves. Over a period of time, this ignorance of racial discrimination took different shapes and forms and slavery was made official. Although slavery was abolished after the civil war, it took another 100 years for the White people to accept that fact. Even today, racial discrimination continues in the form of institutionalized racism by neglecting people of color from housing, employment, politics etc. It would take another 25 years for the entire society to get back to normal as racism is a disease.