Cultural diversity in the US is considered a blessing. This is seen where different cultures present diverse talents and inputs that are beneficial. However, there have been issues surrounding cultural diversity, ethnicity, race, and intergroup hostility that have led to unprecedented rifts. For example, the exchange of words between the white majority and black minority as the latter complain of unfair allocation of resources and treatment by the government has gone on to create an air of hostility (Bowser, 2015). In the end, significant strategies have to be introduced to encourage intercultural and diversity notions that will help encourage harmonious living in the society. That said, inequality in the society stands to be a major issue facing America,and if this is curbed on a global perspective, significant social and economic developments will be realized.
Racial, Ethnic, and Related Statistics Giving the US a Diverse Identity
Diversity in the US, ranging from ethnic affiliations, cultural variations, and social statuses, among other features has served a vital role in defining socio-economic issues. Of the different ethnicities, Non-Hispanic whites form the most significant percentage (61.72%). The other minority groups include Hispanics (43.65%), African Americans (12.38%) and Asians (5.28%). Statista (2018) also notes other ethnic groups of two or more races at 2.05%, American Indians and Alaskan Natives (0.73%) and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders at 0.17%.
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Discrimination is another crucial issue with evidence showing its occurrence against key races and defined ethnic minority groups relating to employment, arrests on crime, prosecution, and housing. In a study by Boutwell et al. (2017), 23.53% reported experiencing discrimination at one point in time, while African Americans who said they experienced were 31.88%. Hispanics reported 27.15%, American Indians at 27.02% and Asians at 18.72%. Some key issues being discriminated against include race/skin, gender, religion, education, income, etc. Prejudice rates are also varied across groups, with heightened levels among blacks and whites. As noted by the Pew Research Center (2018), significantly, 70% of None-Hispanic whites cite individual prejudice as a critical problem, compared to institutional racism at 19%. On the other hand, 48% of African Americans agreeing on individualized prejudice as a critical problem, when compared to 40% saying discrimination as the significant issue facing their community.
Intergroup hostility is also evident as one of the diversified issues facing the US community. One key reason for the intergroup tension lies in the increased economic competition between the various ethnic groups. Due to extensive immigration, Native Americans feel threatened by the high numbers, which will affect their socio-economic well-being. In addition, the fears of the threat from other races are much higher in African Americans when compared to Caucasians (Morris & Gimpel, 2007). There is also intergroup hostility between African-Americans, and groups of Latinos relating to issues like social status, political power, and education and income levels. Finally, with more Hispanic immigrants settling in areas that in proximity to African-Americans, there is the increased level of intergroup conflict.
Morris and Gimpel (2007) also explain statistics on intergroup conflicts especially with the rise in political power. Notably, there is a trend of the increase of Latino political power, influenced by the continuous astounding growth in Latino through both legal as well as illegal immigration, with an average growth rate of 23%, i.e., 2000-2004 was 23 percent. This value is much higher compared to rates in African Americans at 9% (Morris & Gimpel, 2007). In addition, among the 11 largest populous US states, populations of Latinos grew at a rate four times faster, compared to African-American, creating a platform for better representation by Congress. The inherent shifts have resulted in an increased intergroup competition for power and positions, leading to intergroup hostility.
Issues Surrounding Race, Ethnicity, Majority/Minority Groups, Intergroup Hostility, Immigration, Prejudice, and Discrimination
If anything, issues surrounding diverse groups in the US have been subject to debate for centuries. One of the issues facing race is the current killings by the police that seem to be targeted towards those of the black race (Jonson, 2017). On the other hand, ethnicity is playing a major role in the equal treatment of people in the US. For instance, studies had revealed that some of the Native American experienced trauma when they were sent to “Indian schools” (Jonson, 2017). In this regard, they have not been able to blend into the current societies well as a result of their stolen identity.
That said, the rift between the majority and minority groups in the country has been a pertinent issue. It is apparent that in most cases, the majority have their way while the minority have to work harder to achieve their goals. An example being the current criticisms of the government whichseem to ignore the welfare of the minority living in low-income neighborhoods (Bowser, 2017). In the same way, hostility between the white majority and black minorities is unprecedented. The two exchange harsh comments even on social media, which has penetrated most if not all sectors of the country: This has been considered a dangerous path since, in the age of online propaganda, intergroup hostility is even more enhanced (Jonson, 2017). Recent hostility against immigrants, especially from Central America, has sparked interest as to whether the US should continue to allow foreigners to seek employment in their country (Reilly, 2018). This is in the wake of recent revelations where child immigrants were separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border, and placed in shelters for months or years before being connected to their relatives (Reilly, 2018). In the end, both prejudice and discrimination have been on the airwaves, and while the US has been trying its best to reduce such vices, there is more to be done.
Global Implications of Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity
Race, ethnicity, and diversity have managed to penetrate the global aspects. The implication of race is seen in the context of the spread of income in the global perspective. Finn & Aayeshah (2016) argues that the spread of wealth in the world is in most cases associated with race. If anything, white countries such as Europe and the US have lower rates of poverty than other races such as Blacks and Hispanics (Finn & Aayeshah, 2016). That said, race has grown to constitute not only the spread of wealth in the American society but also the world’s.
Admittedly, ethnicity is the tendency to belong to specific group that has the same characteristics such as religion, culture or race (Fin & Aayeshah, 2016). Ethnicity has developed to stratify itself in the world. For instance, religions such as Christianity and Islam that were localized in Europe and Arabian countries have spread wings around the world. The result is that ethnicity has seen wider variations in the globe as nationalities have also come to be divided into Americas, Asians, and Africans (Riley, 2016). Noticeably, this has led to enhanced unity in the world considering there is bound to be shared characteristics when one moves or visits another country. Diversity comes in where people with different values, beliefs, and uniqueness come together to interact as a community. The emergence of technology and social media has seen the development of the global village (Finn & Aayeshah, 2016). The enhanced global interactions because of diversity have made it easier to do business and build the concept of a global personality.
Europe, specifically Sweden has admitted more immigrants on annual basis than any other Western countries in the recent times. Papademetriou, Alba, Foner, and Banulescu-Bogdan (2016) noted that acceptance of more refugees led to heightened criminal activities and other challenges in that nation. This situation is the basis of the United States having laws that are more stringent not to accept more immigrants, particularly from the Middle East. Since 2006, Europe has admitted very many asylum seekers from Iraqis, Somalis, Afghanis, and currently, the recent wave is from Syria (Finn & Aayeshah, 2016). The foreign-born immigrants from the Middle East do three times as many crimes averagely as native-born ones. The riots and criminal activities they are involved are majorly connected to drugs and gangs, not terrorism.
Parents are complaining about the diversity problem in schools such as not being able to call the holiday season Christmas, but also being more mindful of the new large Muslim population. The board of management of a school in Germany claimed that both the names of the Muslim and Christian holidays were to be removed from the school calendar ( Papademetriou et al., 2016) . For instance, the Christmas was to be called the winter concerts, and institutions were to be closed on those days. This problem was because Europe is presently among the most religiously diverse regions globally. Therefore, the Muslim community, particularly the ones who migrated from the Middle East, wants an equal fit in as the Christians and the Jews in the region.
The entrance of new refugees in Europe has not just increased the rates of criminal activities, violence, and rape, but also cultural diversity prompts many challenges. Muslim migrations have been linked severally to crime, even though police services and statistical agencies are unwilling to assess this state because of the fear of increasing tensions in the society. Diverse societal norms, customs, and beliefs have been brought to Europe, which has faced resistance from the natives who do not support social cohesion ( Papademetriou et al., 2016) . Many languages spoken by both the natives and immigrants influence coordination negatively sometimes resulting in irreconcilable detachments .
Comparison of Historical and Contemporary Experiences of Minority Groups in the US
Perhaps the US stands out as one of the most diverse countries although in the same case, there are various minority groups that may feel unheard. The minority groups in the US include the Hispanics, Native Americans, and African Americans (Logan, Darrah & Oh, 2012). The Hispanics in the US consist of people originating from areas of Spanish decent such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, South or Central America, and Mexico. The Hispanic are traced to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries when they migrated into the US in search of employment in the industries (Logan, Darrah & Oh, 2012). On the other hand, the Native Americans were the original occupants in the US. However, their lands were stolen,and identities ripped off through the dreaded Indian schools after Europeans migrated to on the continent after the discovery by Christopher Columbus (Grossman, 2012). Noticeably, the African Americans first got into the US through the slave trade as they were captured from Africa. Their stay in the country has been marred with racial discrimination although demonstrations and significant amendments have helped improve the situation.
Admittedly, the previous minority groups still exist in America, and it is up to the society to ensure that their wellness is enhanced. Regarding the African Americans who are the largest minority group in the US, significant progress such as the establishment of the Equality Act have seen racial discrimination of African Americans reduce by 8% over the past fifty years (Grossman, 2012). However, young Hispanics living in low-income neighborhoods continue to be susceptible to poor education and gang-related crimes. The Native Americans, on another hand, have attempted to blend into the society. However, interest groups have complained against what is seen as the unfair treatment of Native Americans by medical practitioners who prejudge that they may be mad (Grossman, 2012). In the end, it is not hard to notice that the historical and contemporary comparisons of minority groups in the US reveal a minimal change in their equal treatment.
Anti-defamation league has been seen being aggressive to counter hate against the American Jews. American Jews are undergoing more hate crimes than any other minority groups. It may seem like Muslims is the most targeted group nationwide experiencing most hate crimes, but in the real sense, it is the Jews. Crimes against the Jews have much risen than their Muslim and Catholic colleagues (Okihiro, 2014). The ADL reinforce hate crime laws in the United States against anti-Semitism and hate so that the minority groups do not feel isolated or targeted.
More than 150 years ago, the Italians and Irish sought refuge in America since they were impoverished and disease-ridden. They threatened the Americans and they could possibly take away jobs from them and cause many burdens in their welfare budgets. They demonstrated a strange religion and brought crime to the land. In 1845, about 2 million refugees from Ireland entered the United States through the Atlantic Ocean because of a great drought in their land (Okihiro, 2014).
A political system governed by London and an economic sector ruled by British absentee proprietors became co-conspirators against the Italians and Irish people. For many centuries, the laws Americans instituted disadvantaged Ireland’s Catholics so that they could not worship, vote, talk in their language or possess land or horses. With the famine continuing so harshly, the Irish were deprived of food. Under fortified protectors, food fleets maintained their export of wheat, oats, and barley to England whereas Ireland was dying of starvation. By the time the potato blight and drought subsided, Ireland’s population was about halved. 2 million of this population had left the land and exiled to the United States (Grossman, 2012). Most of them were swept on the shores of the United States because the Americans were harsher than the miseries that pushed them from Ireland.
Impact of Laws and Public Policies in the US on Dominant Group/Subordinate Group Relations
When the fourteenth amendment was introduced, its main aim was to increase equality in the US. The equality that was presented related to protecting the citizen’s rights as well as their citizenship. The law has had far-reaching effects and crucial cases related to dominant /subordinate group relations have been argued using the same law. Two of these cases are Elk vs. Wilkins (1884) and Brown vs. Board of Education (1954). Regarding the former, it allowed children born to Native American parents to be granted citizenship of the United States (Cornell, n.d). In Brown vs. Board of Education (1954), the lasting effect was seen where the requirement to put white and black students in different schools was abolished: The ruling has seen racial discrimination in education reduce as students are allowed to attend similar schools irrespective of their race (Cornell, n.d).
Public policy is a process through which a government attends to its citizen’s needs as prescribed by the rules of the land. In this respect, public policy puts the law into action. One such public policy is the Affordable Care Act (ACA). ACA sought to ensure that equal access to healthcare and notably, the introduction of various structures such as Medicare and Medicaid have seen many people who could not access quality healthcare before to benefit (Grossman, 2012). For instance, low-income individuals can access quality healthcare,and ACA was meant to ensure that such subordinate groups who in most cases were those who lived in low socioeconomic backgrounds managed to access healthcare (Grossman, 2012). By the end of 2017, ACA had gone on to register 11.4 million people and contributed a lot to equal access to quality healthcare (Grossman, 2012). In any case, it is important to note that laws and public policies created by dominant groups and subordinate groups have far-reaching effects.
Strategies to Promote Intercultural Awareness and Respect for Diversity
Intercultural awareness, as well as respect for diversity, is necessary if one is to lead a proper life in the current global world. Admittedly, one of the strategies that can be used to promote intercultural awareness and respect for diversity is by including the concepts in the education curriculum (Whitley, 2009). It is said that the best way to educate a generation is by educating a generation. This implies that if the current generation is to be aware of intercultural factors as well as diversity, they should be taught about it at school while being allowed to practice the same. Another notable strategy stands to be conducting community campaigns. While adults may not have the chance to attend classes and be educated, introducing community awareness campaigns related to intercultural and diversity factors will benefit most if not everyone (Bowser, 2017). According to Bowser (2017), the main challenges related to intercultural and diversity awareness are rooted in the community. Therefore, the community campaigns would go on to raise the issues and ensure that everyone understands how they can lead a proper life.
The issue of creating awareness cannot be addressed effectively without considering the input of technology. While technology is becoming a major platform for advertising and spreading message, especially social media, it poses a great chance for spreading the message of intercultural awareness and diversity (Bowser, 2017). This can be done through advertisements and targeted online campaigns that would help to reach as many people as possible. If anything, everyone should also be encouraged to appreciate other cultures and the diverse perspective that is presented in the online platforms. That said, promoting diversity and intercultural awareness is key to ensuring harmonious living in the society.
Arguments on Controversial Issues Relating to Minority Groups
The minority groups are susceptible to inferior treatment because of their fewer numbers. This factor leads to various issues as minority groups strive to be treated equally to their majority counterparts. A pertinent argument came with the rise of terrorism and there developed resentment for the Muslim minority who lived in the US: After the September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, the Muslim minorities experienced discrimination that holds to date (Jonson, 2017). It is common to hear of genuine and innocent Muslims being nicknamed Al-Qaeda (Jonson, 2017). This is a pertinent issue as it labels all Muslims to be terrorists although it might not be the case.
Another argument faces the Native Americans. Noticeably, the Native Americans have been evaluated to be the most impoverished ethnic group in the US (Riley, 2016). This controversial issue has sparked numerous debates as to how the situation can be improved. If anything, the impoverished state of Native Americans is attributed to a bad system that saw the disintegration of families and consequent poor treatment (Riley, 2016). According to Riley (2016), the result is that Native Americans have become traumatized and their access to proper education and equal job opportunities are limited.
In the same way, the Hispanic have had a continued issue of immigration into the US. As a minority group, Hispanics in the US have had to deal with discrimination in their respective communities. With more Hispanic immigrants getting into the country both legally and illegally, the majority who regard them as outsiders subjects them to unfair treatments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the issue of fairness and equal treatment in the American society started with the discovery of the continent. Unfortunately, these issues have gone on to gain prominence even in the 21st century despite various constitutional amendments and diversity changes. Take the case of the recent discovery that child immigrants were separated from their parents and placed in unworthy shelters for months or years as the government looked for their relatives. This indicates the unfair treatment of immigrants that is by far inhumane. However, the establishments of laws and public policies such as Brown vs. Board of Education and Affordable Care Act have had lasting effects that have helped to enhance racial equity in education institutions and equal access to healthcare respectively. Noticeably, appropriate strategies such as conducting community campaigns related to intercultural awareness and diversity can help to enhance the treatment of minority/subordinate groups in the US.
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