Local Essay

The College of Western Idaho

Racial Transfiguration

Brandy Garza Padilla

Student Id 302393

2010 FA-ENGL-102-024W

Lelsie Jewkes

12 October, 2010

Abstract: This essay argues that racial pressure no longer centers on the relationship between black and white Americans, yet involves many ethnic groups with in the U.S. Finding a solution starts by identifying new targets of racial pressure and evaluating how to make a difference.

Racial Transfiguration

Despite the progress in eradicating racial prejudices between black and white Americans, racism is still a stumbling block in the United States. Racism has manifested into something that is not easily recognized, since earlier education about racism has focused primarily on the relationship between white and black Americans. However, the US population has seen a surge of multi culture migration.  The Department of Homeland Security reports 1,130,818 Legal Permanent Residences in 2009, an increase of 2.1 percent from 2008. An individual who believes that racial segregation towards black Americans is wrong, may however, have a racially negative judgment of Arab Americans post 9/11, and not recognize this as racism. Current events such as the attempted Times Square bombing and the immigration debate have caused Americans to be suspicious of other cultures within the US. Even though America needs to protect its borders, racial intolerance towards ethnic minorities should be recognized as destructive racism.  Although racial judgments mutate, the strategy to combat racism through education and awareness ought to remain key.

The definition of racism is controversial among scholars. The text book definition of racism according to Webster-Merriam dictionary is “1: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. 2: racial prejudice or discrimination”. To have a better understanding of the concept of racism, Darrell Simms describes practical racism as when people gather at a church service with others that worship with the same beliefs. While a church service is a place of worship and usually does not contain negative racial tones, Simms notes “we simply forget that other races and ethnicities exist” (153). Although Simm’s example of practical racism was not blatantly adverse, there are countless modern day examples of destructive racism. Defining who we are by what church group we belong to, what political group we support or what hobby groups we are active in does not generally reap destructive behavior. Sandra Parks believes that “We have shifted from concerns about segregation to issues of equity” (16). For example, Terry Jones a pastor on a small fundamental Christian church in Gainesville Florida drew numerous supporters and critics when he threatened to burn the Quran, as a demonstration against Islam. Although he did not carry out the demonstration, he exemplifies the idea that “Racism involves a prejudice and the motivation to act against an individual or a group believed to be inferior” (Davis 45).

American history repeatedly displays racial prejudices. Scholar Fred Jerome claims that the hard work and determination of civil rights fighters have dissolved the laws that accepts blatant bigotry; however: “America’s long river of racism is not so much dammed up as it is diverted” (1). The changes in racial attitudes in the last 50 years are visible. The election of an African American as President of the United States of America illustrates the progress in racial acceptance. Conversely, teacher Rita Verma points out hate crimes towards ethnic groups have increased since the 9/11 attack. She also claims that “there is a significant failure to disrupt emerging stereotypes” (13). News channel WTVR recently reported Spenser’s Gift shop sold t-shirts that were racially degrading towards undocumented migrants. The t-shirts created such outrage that they removed the t-shirts from the shelves (Crenshaw 1). While the outrage shows positive signs towards racist intolerance, the fact that the t-shirts were manufactured and then sold shows bias. The target of racial discrimination in America has been diverted to ethnic groups creating news headlines.

Two main headlines in America today are the effects and consequences of the 9/11 attacks, and the debate over immigration reform. Not all American migrants have experienced racial prejudices, although it is on the rise (Tinoko 1). Professor Steven Salaita contends that the social implications of 9/11 have affected Arab Americans more than any other ethnic groups. He claims that after 9/11 “Arab Americans evolved from invisible to glaringly suspicious” (149). Additionally, Jamie Winders points out that “After 9/11 . . .  lawmakers and administration officials scrambled to present undocumented migration as a possible national security threat” (qtd. in Winders 6).  The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program reported that most all of the hate crimes reported in 2001 were motivated by bias against race due to the attack on 9/11 (see table one). William Rubebstien examines the hate crime statistics:

The instances of hate crime doubled from pre 9/11 and post 9/11. Before September 11, 2001, three groups—gay people, Jewish people, and African-Americans—reported by far the greatest number of hate crimes. The post-September 11 surge of hate crimes against Muslims and Arabs is staggering, suggesting high reporting rates by Muslims and record level reporting rates by Arabs (1239).

Table 1 Annual Anti-Islamic and Anti-Arabic Hate Crimes Reports

Year	Anti-Islamic Hate Crimes	Anti-Arabic  Hate Crimes
1998	21	54
1999	32	73
2000	28	71
2001	481	1,231

Source: The Real Story of U.S. Hate Crimes Statistics: An Empirical Analysis. Rubenstein, William. The Real Story of U.S. Hate Crimes Statistics: An Empirical Analysis. Williams Institute: UCLA School of Law.

We cannot deny that a cloud of racial pressures have become the center of our conversations (Hacker 4). The problem is real and the consequences are real. Furthermore when everyone is not given the opportunity to be as resourceful as they can be, “America is cheated of potential resources” (Simms 153). Education is the key to fighting the racial intolerance that cheats America. “Racism thrives on denial” and therefore healing starts with recognizing the disease (Parks 14). Two ways of combating racism are to empathize with each other and spend more time with racially diverse groups of people (Simms 164). By living new experiences with diverse cultures, we can relearn destructive tendencies that may have been taught at an early age. ”We also need to make time to make people of all backgrounds feel like they are a part of the community so they will invest in the community, and have a voice” writes Lori Manzanares ( 1). All the while, learning to accept the oneness of each individual can lead to empathy and understanding.  The hope of eliminating racism begins with the acknowledgment of oneness (Davis 45).

It is imperative to take the time to recognize the diverse world around us. We should ask ourselves to identify the racial tone around us. Are they negative or positive? Are we contributing to the problem inadvertently or blatantly? Every individual has something to offer the community; taking steps to encourage diverse contributions will only strengthen the community. If racism thrives on denial, then let’s start the conversation about racism and bring it to light. It has been demonstrated that racism has altered appearances, and must be re-evaluated. America has seen racial milestones passed due to increased education and awareness. Racial injustice no longer concentrates on only the connection between black and white Americans, it encompasses new ethnicities. Therefore, reasons were given that to be successful in fighting racism today; the past should be analyzed and denial must cease.

Works Cited

Crenshaw, Emlyn. "T- Shirt No Laughing Matter for Immigrants." News.

wtvr.com. WTVR, 14 Sept. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2010.

<http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-controversial-tshirt,0,7966944.story>.

Davis, Sharon E. "The Oneness of Humankind: Healing Racism Today." Reclaiming Children & Youth 18.4 (2010): 44-47. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 17 Sept. 2010.

Hacker, Andrew. Two Nations: black and white, separate, hostile, unequal.

New York: Macmilliam, 1992. Print.

Jerome, Fred. "Einstein and Racism in America." Physics Today 58.9 (2005): 54-55. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 14 Sept. 2010

Manzanares, Lori. E-Mail interview. 20 Sept. 2010.

Parks, Sandra. "Reducing the Effects of Racism in Schools." Educational Leadership 56.7 (1999): 14. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 17 Sept. 2010.

"Racism." Def. 1,2. Merriam Webster Dictionary. 2010. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2010. Web. 19 Sept. 2010.

Rubenstein, William. The Real Story of U.S. Hate Crimes Statistics:An Empirical Analysis. Williams Institute: UCLA School of Law.

Salaita, Steven. "Ethnic Identity and Imperative Patriotism: Arab Americans Before and After 9/11." College Literature 32.2 (2005): 146-168. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept. 2010.

Simms, Darrell. May I Help You Understand? ; information to improve racial and cultural relations between white and black americans. Beaverton: Management Aspects, 1999. Print.

Tinoco, Arteno. Personal Interview. 16 Sept. 2010.

Uniform Crime Reports. "Hate Crime Statistics 2001." Document. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Federal Bureau of Investigation, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2010.

Verma, Rita. "Dialogues about 9/11, the Media and Race." Radical Teacher 74 (2005): 12-16. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept. 2010.

Winders, Jamie. "Bringing Back the (B)order: Post-9/11 Politics of

Immigration, Borders, and Belonging in the Contemporary US South." Antipode 39.5 (2007): 920-942. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept.2010.