Understanding Race
1. What is racial profiling? Provide examples of how law enforcement, government officials and/or ordinary citizens use racial profiling in the aftermath of 9/11. (review Arizona case). How might the contact hypothesis remedy profiling?
Racial profiling refers to an act of police officer to detect particular individuals for suspicion of crime based on the religion, ethnicity, race, behavior, and nationality. It is relied on the characteristics that related to the crime. On 2011 September 11, United States had been attacked by terrorist. This attacks consisted of suicide by plane hijack that crashed into the World Trade Center. This caused many people died and started the War terror. After this terrorist attack, the security measures will be increased in United States, especially people from Arab countries. The three days after terrorist attack, four people were ticketed at Maryland state due to their car had broken the taillights. The police officer had questioned and proof of nationality. People got the excuse and denied to provide the proof. However, police officer stated they were lying. Finally, they were Arabs that involved in terrorism due to they carried dangerous tools. In 2010, state of Arizona has passed the law, Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Ace. Any government officers are allowed to use any authorities of law enforcement to ask question and ask to provide documentation of identity to people who seem illegal. This act is targeting on community of Hispanic. However, there are different types of race are living in United States and it may have stereotypes for certain race of people. In fact, contact hypothesis can be used to help to improve the relationship among group of people. It is an effective way of interpersonal contact, such as personal interaction or inter-group cooperation that reduce the prejudice within conflict. 2. Discuss various ethnocentric practices historically used by those in power that have contributed to prejudicial attitudes towards racial and minority groups. Ethnocentric is referred to a person is the center of everything within a group to against other groups. The groups have their own culture and power. However, the behavior is selfish and biased. Prejudice and discrimination always happened in human history. One of the example is genocide which killing the Jews from World War II. Because of the race and ethnicity, they had been mistreated and tortured for many years. They were also exterminated in concentration camps by the ideal of Nazi party. Another example is the segregation of color of people, white and black. Black are treated unfair that they cannot have equal rights and freedom. They have discriminated by cannot get the same education level and the same ability of work. 3. What is the social construction of race? Provide a symbolic interactionist perspective. How can this concept (social construction of race) be applied to Americans from multiple racial backgrounds? The social construction of race is referred to the society picture about the skin color of people. The way the society perspective in different region of entire world. The society does not recognize the race by biological. In modern society, the “white” people are the majority group compared to other people that have been identified by “black”. This is the racial categorization. According to the symbolic interactionism, people act based on the meaning of them, behavior, and social interaction and interpretation. Therefore, in this case most “white” people have better education and earn more money. In 19th century, identity of “black” people have been replaced as a “African American”. The society came to term due to multiple identities that they might hold, such as poor that they have been identified. Some of them have been identifies the term due to people are born in African and migrated to become U.S. citizen. 4. Define the term model minority. Discuss which minority group is perceived as living up to that image. Discuss advantages and disadvantages of being a model minority. Model minority is a small group that based on race, religion, ethnicity, physical characteristics, culture, and behaviors that are different in other society. They live differently and treat unfair. The term can also refer to discrimination. People are usually subordinate. Due to majority group have the most power in society, minority are lack of power and no rights. They have distinguished by the physical, culture, skin color, and language. However, in some case, minority has advantage that they can have well-educated, high rates of pursuing professional careers, and hard work, such as Asian. Indeed, they still get the prejudice, bias, and discriminated. They are impoverished. |