Oppression is the unjust and i nhumane use of power mostly concealed under authoritarian positions such as government or disgraceful cultural conduct. Oppression may occur in numerous forms depending on how it is executed. It could be above board or, at times, secretive. Oppression and discrimination go hand in hand as it is a form of discrimination that targets a set group of people instead of a whole community. With numerous definitions for the sociological concept, there is no universally acclaimed meaning for the term. Various scholars categorize oppression into different types that include institutional, social, and economic abuse. These are just some of the many categories oppression could be broken down into. With many perceptions of the concept, the unanimous belief is that it is a despicable act that should be condemned by all means. Different societies fall victim to this rogue act, with the United States being no exception to this. Various articles address different types of oppression in the United States and how they impact society.
Asian American Discrimination Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic
This article is an essay writing by the Asian American Actor John Cho who expresses his sentiments on how Asian Americans stand to face unfair treatment during this coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, and the fallacy is that the virus could have infected all Asians. Many Americans have carried this notion and are powerfully using it to discriminate against Asian Americans in the country. Despite the hard work of many Asian Americans to fit into the American culture, the wake of coronavirus pandemic gives them the realization that they are outsiders who are not worthy of honorable treatment like the native Americans.
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This story relates to oppression due to the unfair physical and verbal abuse that Asian Americans are currently experiencing in the U.S. The oppressed are the Asian Americans, whereas the oppressors are the native Americans. This type of oppression is cultural oppression with a group of arguably higher power regarding the other inferior based on a set of their own created norms. Americans are creating Facebook pages purposefully intended to spread abuse against Asian Americans. This oppression displays a divisive society where people of different races are ready to turn against each other at the slightest opportunity. I believe in a unified community that should be shaped by equality. This discrimination decries that, and I, therefore, perceive it as a despicable act. I have learned how discordant people can be, and absolute unity could be a wild goose chase. The media reaction is appalling as through social platforms, the underlying message is propulsion of hatred towards Asian Americans who are believed to harbor the disease. The source of this article is a website where a brief analysis of the essay was made. Reference : https://pagesix.com/2020/04/23/john-cho-pens-essay-about-discrimination-amid-covid-19/
White Customer Demands to be Served by a Non-Black Waitress at Olive Garden
This article is a publication in the New York Post explaining an occurrence which represents the deep-rooted racial discrimination against blacks in 2020. A white customer refused to be served by a black waitress and demanded a waitress of a different race to help her. Amira Donahue, the waitress at the Italian restaurant, explained how the customer made adverse comments about her that wholly undermined her moral esteem. Surprisingly, the customer’s request was met by the manager who was later on fired by Olive Garden.
This event is a case of racial discrimination with the oppressor being the white customer, and the oppressed is Amira Donahue. It is a repressive state as the white woman undermines the black waitress and even tells her that she is supposed to work in a strip club. This discrimination is a form of individual oppression; it expresses contempt towards a social group: the black community. Racial discrimination is a retrogressive act towards any kind of national development as it deprives individuals of genuine ability an opportunity to express their prowess. It is also the basis of numerous conflicts and internal wars, and I, therefore, see it as a detrimental tool towards national growth. How Evansville handled the situation by firing the manager gave me the lesson of the punitive treatment any discriminative racial act deserves. The media was instrumental in conveying the information as the BBC News was at the helm of every detail. Reference: https://nypost.com/2020/03/05/white-olive-garden-customer-demanded-waitress-who-wasnt-black-witnesses-say/
Diddy: ‘Black Music has Never Been Respected by the Grammys’
The source of this writing is an article in the New York Post that explains a speech made by Sean “Diddy” Combs during the pre-Grammy party earlier this year. Diddy lamented how blacks had been ignored by numerous industries with the music industry assuming a seat in this bandwagon. He mentioned that commendable albums by blacks had been ignored, and everyone downplaying black Music.
This deed is an oppressive act that is propelled by the music industry towards musicians of a specific race. The oppressor, in this case, is Grammys, whereas the oppressed are black musicians. The musicians have been oppressed by being denied an opportunity in the grand stage. It is another form of institutional oppression with the Grammy’s being the chief perpetrators of prejudice towards an inferior social group of black musicians. It is a retrograde move that denies room for development from my point of view. I, therefore, actively support Diddy in his quest for equality. The media portrayal of this scene was commendable with immense support. Reference: https://pagesix.com/2020/01/26/diddy-black-music-has-never-been-respected-by-the-grammys/
Bloomberg Accused of Running Media Empire with Toxic Work Culture
This article is a publication in the New York Post detailing the numerous lawsuits that follow the multibillionaire, Michael Bloomberg. One accusation that makes the center stage of this article is how Bloomberg has enabled a work environment where male workers freely take advantage of their female counterparts. Female workers have complained of male harassment and discrimination with one Margaret Doe stating how her boss raped her twice by drugging her. He even warned of firing her if she refused to continue sleeping with him.
These acts display sexual discrimination, where male chauvinism is evident. Senior male workers are the oppressors to female workers who are arguably less superior. They picture females as having trivial importance and only consider them as sex objects. Further discrimination is through raping, which is a deprivation of an individual’s free will. This abuse, therefore, falls under individual oppression where males use devious domineering ways to take advantage of the inferior females. This oppression entirely undermines the female gender, which deserves equal treatment like males. For this reason, I detest this act that appraises women as people of lesser value. The movement towards justice teaches me to value women in my society. Reference: https://nypost.com/2019/11/27/bloomberg-accused-of-running-media-empire-with-toxic-work-culture/
Discrimination Against LGBTQ People in the United States
In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration is expected to issue a rule where doctors can only treat patients based on their perception of their gender identities. The Obama era termed this treatment as one that was discriminative to the trans people. However, the Trump administration is fully armed towards admonishing this notion and terming LGBTQ people as those not deserving of equal treatment.
The oppressors, in this case, will be health personnel, whereas the oppressed will be the trans people. The actualization of this law will mean trans people might end up being denied healthcare, which categorizes this as a case of oppression. These trans people undergo discrimination in medical settings and, at times, even denied medical access. The Trump administration is pushing for a law where people will be allowed treatment based on their birth-assigned sex. It is institutional oppression that attacks the trans people and puts their rights on hold. This act diminishes life by putting it at the mercy of an individual’s discretion and is, therefore, fatal, to a country’s populace. It shows how our society is callous. I strongly condemn this act as I believe life is the most important thing, and nothing comes before it. This movement portrays the indifference in human beings. The source is an article from the Vox website. Reference : https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/4/24/21234532/trump-administration-health-care-discriminate-lgbtq
Students Stage Sit-in Outside University of Oklahoma Offices
This article from the New York Post talks about a group of university students who staged a sit-in outside the O.U. Offices. This movement was organized by the Black Emergency Response Team, who believed one history professor perpetrated racial discrimination during lectures. The professor regularly used the N-word during a lesson.
According to BERT, this is a case of oppression that is administered by the faculty to the students. The N-world is considered an extremely harmful term towards African Americans and is mostly regarded as an ethnic slur. This word is oppressive, as many blacks perceive it as harmful and traumatizing to their dignity. It is a form of institutional oppression that seeks to harm the dignity of the black community. In support of the BERT sentiments, this word contributes to racial discrimination, and I, therefore, condemn its usage no matter the context or intended purpose. This drive teaches me to treat racism scornfully in all regards. Reference: https://nypost.com/2020/02/28/students-stage-sit-in-outside-university-of-oklahoma-offices/
Teen who was Told to Cut Dreadlocks Before Attending Graduation
This article is extracted from the New York Post that talks of a kid, Deandre Arnolds, who was barred from attending graduation because he had dreadlocks. The kid was brought to the Oscars red carpet by Matthew A. Cherry, the director of the film “Hair Love.” This incident pushed the Texas Legislative Caucus to formulate a bill that prohibits any discrimination against hairstyles that is targets specific races.
The oppressors are the school managers who denied the kid to attend the function, whereas the oppressed individual is this Deandre Arnolds. It is a right for any student to attend their graduation, and any hamper to this prerogative is discriminative. This act is a form of organizational oppression that uses a set of norms to discriminate against people who go against those norms. It deprives individuals of fundamental rights based on the judgment of other people. This act also displays bigotry in society and how people judge others based on their principles. Different people live by different rules and beliefs, and I, therefore, find it harsh for people to deprive others of the fundamental rights of their beliefs. Cherry also noted that Arnolds was a good kid, and it was not okay for people to policy our hair. The move by Cherry teaches me to avoid judging people by my philosophies. Reference: https://nypost.com/2020/02/09/hair-love-director-brings-deandre-arnold-teen-told-to-cut-dreadlocks-to-oscars/
Male who was Denied Access to Boy’s Bathroom in Cleveland County Schools
This article is a publication on the webpage of a television station, WCNC, in North Carolina that explains the tribulations of transgender people and their quest for justice. The lawsuit filed references a student, John Doe, at Kings Mountain High School, who was denied the right to use a bathroom as other boys. The article argues that a law was passed to allow citizens of North Carolina to access washrooms that matched their gender identities.
The oppressor is the management of Kings Mountain High School, whereas the oppressed is the transgender boy, John Doe. The school denied the transgender boy access to access washrooms used by other boys contrary to the North Carolina Constitution guidelines. This act denies transgender people their basic rights, which makes it discriminative. The act can be categorized as institutional oppression that seeks to discriminate against the transgender community. It shows how humans are inconsiderate and how people of the same flesh and skin can be treated like animals. The course of denying transgender people their legal rights is one I strongly loath. The lesson is that no human is limited, and we should allow people to exercise their legal free will and not judge them for it. Reference: https://www.wcnc.com/article/life/lawsuit-claims-discrimination-against-transgender-male-not-allowed-to-use-boys-bathroom-in-cleveland-county-schools/275-6a77b0f4-e087-47b9-adfd-faac3edf4867
Discriminatory Detention of Migrants and Asylum Seekers
This article is documented on the Amnesty International website, where the organization mentions the United States and several other countries as culprits to the unhealthy detention of migrants and asylum seekers. This move risks putting people in unhealthy environments and increasing the spread of the coronavirus.
The discrimination is one being perpetrated by the ICE on immigrants who have been allowed into the country’s borders. These immigrants are exposed to dangerous conditions in the detention facilities, which risk the lives of those with underlying conditions in the wake of the pandemic. This treatment is a form of structural oppression that only limits basic rights to the citizens of a country and exposes immigrants to unbearable conditions. It imprints the gross, inhumane nature of humans to treat those that are not of their own kind harshly. Ethics holds that we should treat visitors with hospitality to receive similar treatment in their home ground. This act is a shameful one that denies Americans any right to proper treatment when in foreign countries. The lesson is how numerous agencies in the country play foul to biased unjustness. Reference: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/americas-halt-dangerous-discriminatory-detention-migrants-asylum-seekers/
Workplace Age Discrimination Still Flourishes in America
Certain Acts and Ordinances in the United States seek to protect individuals aged over specific years from any form of employment discrimination. The article explains how age discrimination is prevalent in the United States to an extent to which people don’t recognize it as an illegal activity. It majorly addresses older people who stand to develop disabilities and die prematurely from the feeling of not being useful. This article is lifted from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) website.
The discriminators are employing bodies that deny older people, who are the discriminated, access to job opportunities due to their age. This discrimination is a form of institutional oppression that specifically targets older people. It shows how people in a society can be so foolish not to imagine that they will also get old at a time. This treatment is not only unfair but also misguided that I downplay by all means. The lesson is that we should accord older people similar opportunities to younger people as we all stand a chance to undergo similar treatment. Reference: https://www.aarp.org/work/working-at-50-plus/info-2019/age-discrimination-in-america.html
A Legacy of Economic Oppression
This article is extracted from the editorial section of The Bay State Banner that details the deep-rooted economic oppression in the United States that lingers on to date. Mike Bloomberg references the Greenwood Riot in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1921 in explaining the suppression in the development of the blacks in America. Unfortunately, this act has been received positively by many Americans.
Both the Elaine Arkansas Massacre and the Tulsa Massacres are instances of brutal force employed by white extremists to deter economic growths achieved by blacks. The oppressors are whites, whereas the oppressed are blacks. Many blacks were killed during those massacres, and their business burnt to the ground. The Elaine Arkansas Massacre was driven by an urge of white extremists to stay on top of the economic niche. These acts constitute economic oppression, where one group is desperate to maintain economic dominance over the other. It depicts how society is inundated with the greed for power in all aspects. The lesson learned is how economic greediness can overcome human life. Any act that despises human life is one I strongly discount. Reference: https://www.baystatebanner.com/2020/03/17/a-legacy-of-economic-oppression/
New Tennessee Law Deepens Discrimination Against LGBT People
Tennessee, amongst other states, is pushing for a law that would allow adoption agencies that are tax-payer funded to operate based on their moral ethics and beliefs. This law could discriminate single parents, religious minorities, and LGBT people from adopting children. Many adoption agencies would only give children to heterosexual parents.
The oppressors are the adoption and foster care agencies, whereas the oppressed are single parents, religious minorities, and LGBT people. The oppressed are denied their human right to adopt children, making it a social oppression case. This move still outlines the inappropriate disregard of LGBT people as human beings. This act also prevents children from getting parents and is one I strongly discount. LGBT people are fellow human beings and deserve to be treated with similar humanity. The article is a publication in the Human Rights Watch. Reference: https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/01/28/new-tennessee-law-deepens-discrimination-against-lgbt-people
Many Americans See Religious Discrimination in the U.S. – Especially Against Muslims
This article is a publication on the Pew Research Center detailing the levels of oppression experienced by different religious communities in the U.S. Muslims, in particular, face so much discrimination compared to any other religious sect. Jews and Evangelical Christians are also listed as the victims of this oppression. Muslims, however, present the prevalent religious oppression in the country.
The oppressors are citizens affiliated to different religious societies with the oppressed being Muslims, Jews, and Evangelical Christians. Muslims Americans talk about being frisked by airport security, being treated with suspicion, and being cussed with offensive names. It is a form of social oppression where one religious group turns on another religious group. Religious persecution hinders individual development in a country, and I, therefore, detest this act. The lesson is that religious persecution is a deterrent for one to get ahead and should, therefore, be discouraged. Reference: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/05/17/many-americans-see-religious-discrimination-in-u-s-especially-against-muslims/
City Employees File Suit for Alleged Racial Discrimination
This article is obtained from the A.P. News website of two city administrators who presented lawsuits in reporting alleged gender and racial discrimination. The discrimination occurred in a workplace, citing prejudiced salary increments and claims of racial abuse due to Jamaican endowment. They also reported harassment by senior employees for more than a year with no intervention by the New Jersey City.
The oppressors are organizational employees who attack other employees based on their diminishing perception of them. Oppression occurs through means such as racial abuse due to a Jamaican heritage, the two women claimed. Upper-level supervisors also harassed the women with the city acting unconcerned. They were also denied salary increment when other employees were accorded. These acts display institutional oppression in an organization. This discrimination still demonstrates the growing effects of racial differences and derails any significant national development through the skilled labor force. It shows how society would forego outright growth due to racial biasness. This act is beyond the pale, and I strongly hate it. A learned lesson is we should allow all people to express their labor prominence without judging them based on their origin. Reference: https://apnews.com/166a493c8aee4165a5dbbe563ed22759
Conclusion
All the mentioned experiences display different forms of oppression that are still deep-rooted in our society. These forms of oppression are repressive and act as a deterrent to both individual and national growth. A country that equally identifies all individuals and treats with similar respect is one destined for unlimited growth and development. The overall lesson is that everyone should disdain any form of discrimination and value every human being.
References
A legacy of economic oppression. (2020, March 25). Retrieved from https://www.baystatebanner.com/2020/03/17/a-legacy-of-economic-oppression/
Associated Press. (2020, February 10). 'Hair Love' director brings Deandre Arnold, teen told to cut dreadlocks, to Oscars. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2020/02/09/hair-love-director-brings-deandre-arnold-teen-told-to-cut-dreadlocks-to-oscars/
Associated Press. (2020, February 28). Students stage sit-in outside University of Oklahoma offices. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2020/02/28/students-stage-sit-in-outside-university-of-oklahoma-offices/
Bowden, E. (2019, November 28). Bloomberg accused of running media empire with toxic work culture. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2019/11/27/bloomberg-accused-of-running-media-empire-with-toxic-work-culture/
Burns, K. (2020, April 24). The Trump administration could soon allow doctors to discriminate against LGBTQ people. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/4/24/21234532/trump-administration-health-care-discriminate-lgbtq
City employees file suit for alleged racial discrimination. (2019, November 7). Retrieved from https://apnews.com/166a493c8aee4165a5dbbe563ed22759
Governments in the Americas must end detention of migrants and asylum seekers. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/americas-halt-dangerous-discriminatory-detention-migrants-asylum-seekers/
Greer, C. (2020, January 26). Diddy: 'Black music has never been respected by the Grammys'. Retrieved from https://pagesix.com/2020/01/26/diddy-black-music-has-never-been-respected-by-the-grammys/
Kita, J. (2019, December 30). Age Discrimination Still Thrives in America. Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/work/working-at-50-plus/info-2019/age-discrimination-in-america.html
Lawsuit claims discrimination against transgender male not allowed to use boys bathroom in Cleveland County Schools. (2020, January 30). Retrieved from https://www.wcnc.com/article/life/lawsuit-claims-discrimination-against-transgender-male-not-allowed-to-use-boys-bathroom-in-cleveland-county-schools/275-6a77b0f4-e087-47b9-adfd-faac3edf4867
Masci, D. (2019, May 17). Many Americans see religious discrimination in U.S. – especially against Muslims. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/05/17/many-americans-see-religious-discrimination-in-u-s-especially-against-muslims/
Miller, J. R. (2020, March 5). White Olive Garden customer demanded waitress who wasn't black, witnesses say. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2020/03/05/white-olive-garden-customer-demanded-waitress-who-wasnt-black-witnesses-say/
Reslen, E. (2020, April 23). John Cho pens essay about Asian American discrimination amid coronavirus. Retrieved from https://pagesix.com/2020/04/23/john-cho-pens-essay-about-discrimination-amid-covid-19/
Thoreson, R. (2020, January 28). New Tennessee Law Deepens Discrimination Against LGBT People. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/01/28/new-tennessee-law-deepens-discrimination-against-lgbt-people
