The institutions of race and identity have played a significant role in building my identity within the social setting. It is, however, critical to note that the formation of identity can be a difficult and complex process since it is accompanied by a plethora of social changes and the uncertainties that come with the new identities. The institution of race primarily categorizes people based on visible differences such as skin and eye color or the hair type. As a result, it leads to a diverse group of people classified as white, black, or Asian. Social scientists have however argued that race is a social construct and as such, it should not play a significant role in causing stereotypes and prejudice against a certain group of people. Ethnicity, on the contrary, describes individuals sharing the same language and cultural institutions. Since I was born, I have been shaped to follow a narrow path whose confines are built around the social tenets of culture, race, and ethnicity.
Growing up as a child, it did not take me long to understand that race is a major social issue in the society. As a white individual, I grew up in a neighborhood that was primarily filled with members of this racial group. Straight from the start, I had difficulties interacting with people who I felt were different from my family members. Such a scenario overemphasized the high level of segregation within the social setting. It is also important to note that at this time, I received much misinformation about "others" more so those who did not conform to our racial, religious, or socioeconomic status. As a young person, it was significantly challenging to develop a liberal mind and challenge certain assumptions and prejudices about others. As a young preschooler, I wouldn't have described myself as racists, but instead a victim of social and familial circumstances that had taught me the value of interacting with the people that resembled me.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Part of the assumptions and prejudices I held at this particular time were as a result of the popular culture and mass media. The portrayal of the white people vis-à-vis the blacks, Latinos, or Native America has always been different. I remember seeing magazine covers that had that featured male black bodybuilders almost naked depicting their muscles. On the other hand, advertisements that featured white people were mainly the corporate or business related. I did not understand this disparity until one day when I asked my high school teacher to explain to me. According to my teacher, this was part of the larger manifestation of racial connotations in our society. In the American culture, male blacks were glorified for their masculinity a factor that played a significant role in their over-sexualization. On the contrary, due to the perceived superiority, white was used in business-related commercials to illustrate a sense of class.
As I developed into the advanced stages of my primary education, I came to learn that omissions, stereotypes, and distortions played a significant role in the development of prejudice. Prejudice can simply be viewed as a preconceived opinion or judgment that comes as a result of limited information (Tatum, 2017).I accept that I have been a victim of prejudice, not because I wanted, but due to miscommunication from others. For instance, the concept of slavery has played a significant part in shaping how people view members of the black race. However, I also discovered that this is one of the areas that have suffered widespread distortion and miscommunication. I remember in a history class when my teacher had a lesson with us regarding slavery and how it affected the landscape of America’s social, economic, and political framework. The general depiction from the teaching was that these African men and women were taken as workers to go and work in farms. In essence, there is a deliberate aim to downplay the severity that accompanied slavery by referring to the blacks as “workers.”
As a result, I have always viewed African Americans as people who tended to exaggerate the impact of slavery instead of appreciating what America did in improving their economic situations at that particular time. Therefore, I deduced that the whites have historically offered assistance to the blacks and as a result, the former must always remain indebted to the latter. It is for this reason that I developed a conviction that the whites had a justified rationale to claim superiority. Little did I know that I was a victim of distorted history and misinformation by a biased education system. Also, educators have always made it appear as if slavery was a thing of the past and that it no longer exists. It is a widespread assumption that slavery came to a close following the Emancipation Proclamation. However, the reality is that many African Americans continued to suffer the effects of forced labor and brutality especially in the south (Slavery by Another Name).
However, my perceptions and beliefs continued to change as I approached high school significantly. Although I continued to view myself as ethnically and racially unique, I developed a rationale and liberal approach where I would critique everything before fully embracing it. My cultural uniqueness was borne out of my parent's desire to follow a path that has historically been taken by the white people. For instance, whites have primarily shown affiliation towards the protestant religious denomination. It is for this reason that i have also followed into these steps thereby shaping my religious worldview. Other than the religion, I also hold the opinion that my physical characteristics have had a significant impact in defining my racial identity. The fact that the society is used to refer to people as "black," "white," or "red," is an indication that physical characteristics have a significant role to play in defining an individual. Although we are always asked to put the color age behind us, so long as people continue to refer to each other using such terms, racism and ethnicity will continue to be a significant mainstay.
Several experiences have helped me in shaping my awareness in the wake of racial and ethnic uniqueness exhibited in the nation. Although our skin colors and cultural differences might speak volumes about diversity, I have come to appreciate that we are more similar than different. Many of these discrepancies are human-made and are meant to destroy the harmony that would otherwise have existed. For instance, racism and ethnicity have encroached the education system in ways that could never have been imagined before. There is growing attention that the mode of discipline in school is significantly affected by race and ethnicity. I not only regard this as true but also as something that I have experienced before. In my entire education, I have learned in schools that were predominantly white. However, there was also a significant number of minorities such as the blacks and Latinos. It was increasingly evident that severe punishments such as suspensions and expulsions were inflicted on the minority races in comparison to the whites (Anyon et al. 2018). Awareness of such scenarios provides individuals with an impetus to shun negative ethnicity and racism and embraced diversity.
I believe that the fact that we use a similar language in communication is a factor that has continued to shape my sense of awareness. Blacks, whites, and Hispanics all speak English as their national language. As a result, there is a sense of unity in diversity as people coexist within their social cocoons. My awareness has further been strengthened by the constant mitigation of prejudice that has significantly resulted from misinformation. As I continue to read widely and understand history, I am in an increasingly pole position to appreciate the differences seen in people from different ethnic, cultural, and social backgrounds. Furthermore, understanding that race is a social construct has significantly helped me in debunking the long-held stereotypes and prejudices against people of color. Biologists have continued to remind us that there is no single genetic determinant for race and as such, these differences are largely superficial. It is my utmost duty to remain aware of my ethnic and cultural background because it can play a significant role in affecting my position as an educator. Objectivity and accuracy are two vital tenets that everyone in the education profession must depict. For my students to understand history and the unique position they occupy in the society, I must provide them with an unbiased assessment of major events in the country.
In conclusion, my racial and ethnic identities have remained mainly a function of my upbringing and the events that I have experienced as I grow. More fundamentally, the language, culture, religious affiliation and beliefs have also created a uniqueness that has helped me understand myself in relation to others. Prejudices have impacted my way of thinking including the way I perceive others. However, thanks to exposure and education, I have reshaped my mentality to that of a more liberal individual who appreciates uniqueness and diversity in equal measure. I have learned to be proud of my background but at the same time respectful other's.
References
Anyon, Y., Lechuga, C., Ortega, D., Downing, B., Greer, E., & Simmons, J. (2018). An exploration of the relationships between student racial background and the school sub-contexts of office discipline referrals: a critical race theory analysis. Race Ethnicity and Education , 21 (3), 390-406.
Slavery by another Name. From: https://www.pbs.org/video/slavery-another-name-slavery-video/
Tatum, B. D. (2017). Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? And other conversations about race. Basic Books.
