Racism Essay Research Paper Institutional Racism in

Racism Essay, Research Paper

Institutional Racism in American

Society

“Racist” and “racism” are provocative words

in American society. To some, these words

have reached the level of curse words in

their offensiveness. Yet, “racist” and “racism”

are descriptive words of a reality that

cannot be denied. African Americans,

Hispanic Americans, Native Americans and

Asian Americans (people-of-color) live daily

with the effects of both institutional and

individual racism.

Race issues are so fundamental in American

society that they seem almost an integral

component. Some Americans believe that

race is the primary determinant of human

abilities and capacities. Some Americans

behave as if racial differences produce

inherent superiority in European Americans

(whites). In fact, such individuals respond to

people-of-color and whites differently

merely because of race (or ethnicity). As a

consequence, people of color are injured by

judgments or actions that are directly or

indirectly racist.

Much of the attention of the last 20 years has

focused on individual racist behavior.

However, just as individuals can act in racist

ways, so can institutions.

Institutions can behave in ways that are

overtly racist (i.e., specifically excluding

people-of-color from services) or inherently

racist (i.e., adopting policies that while not

specifically directed at excluding

people-of-color, nevertheless result in their

exclusion).

Therefore, institutions can respond to

people-of-color and whites differently.

Institutional behavior can injure

people-of-color; and, when it does, it is

nonetheless racist in outcome if not in

intent.

Racism….A word that means a lot of things to many people. To some, that word is the description of

a way of life, to others, it is a repulsive term that represents closed-mindedness. In my own eyes,

there are no Blacks, no Asians, no Hispanics; there is only one race, and that race is HUMAN. No

matter what our color or physical features may be, it all boils down to the fact that we are all

HUMAN. This is yet another concept that we must seek to fully understand before we can consider

ourselves ready to attain true peace.

Conclusion

As you can see racial discrimination is, quite simply, the result of ignorance. Historically, people

automatically assumed that their race was superior. Not bothering to learn more about the races they

despised, they began to harbor grudges against them, inventing reasons why other races were