Latinxs, like other minorities, have been at the receiving end of oppression and discrimination over the years. One of the most famous forms of despair for early Latinx immigrants was that of targeted violence from the groups of people they found wherever they settled. The problem became so pronounced that the population had to form gangs that were purely Latinx with the aim of protecting themselves from undue violence from the populations with which they co-existed. Apart from the aggression from other neighboring races, Latinxs also endured unfair targeting by the police. Due to racial profiling, law enforcement officers would unfairly arrest most Latinx individuals without probable cause. The unfair targeting created the notion of criminality among Latinxs which has repeatedly been used to discriminate them and label them as criminals ever since. In trying to justify their behavior, people who have engaged in racial discrimination against the Latinxs have come up with claims that they have persistently used despite the fact that they have been debunked. Historically, the most common of these claims is that Latinxs do not assimilate (Lopez et al., 2020) That is, they maintain all aspects of their culture including their language even when amongst people in whose area they have settled.
In an article published by NBC news, it was noted that the real issue is racism and not Latinxs` lack of assimilation as claimed by those who perpetuate their discrimination (Gamboa, 2019). As an adaptation to the above experiences of discrimination, Latinxs adopted in their culture a strong sense of family and unity in their population. The racial attacks they have suffered have shaped the views held by the Latinx population, especially in politics. They have become more mindful of how the plans and policies of aspiring politicians affect them on an individual level. They attached a great deal of importance to such issues because they have the power to free them from the oppression and discrimination they have faced as a population (Gamboa, 2019). The discrimination against the population still exists as evidenced by their underrepresentation in films, the federal workforce, and the presence of hate crimes. In 2018, it was recorded that, on average, one in every four Latinxs have been told to speak English by a stranger in public (Lopez et al., 2020). Moreover, the same studies showed that at the same rate, Latinxs have experienced being told to go home even when they were born in the areas they lived (Lopez et al., 2020). This is indicative of the reality that discrimination and oppression of the population are still present.
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However, it should be noted that the level of discrimination has reduced as seen in the fact that there are more Latinxs in governmental posts and that incidences of violent hate crimes against them have diminished (Gamboa, 2019). The extent to which discrimination against the population has decreased can be termed as encouraging. This is indicated by the presence of some of them in presidential races in the United States as well as their occupation of prominent positions in the senate and congress (Gamboa, 2019). Since such attainment requires support from a wider mass of people than just their fellow Latinxs, one can surmise that the support they get from non-Latinxs counts as massive improvement in the general attitudes towards the population.
Currently, the only laws that protect the Latinxs are those that are designed to protect the minorities in general. Such laws prohibit the discrimination of any individual based on their race or ethnicity, covering Latinxs in their provisions. However, there are no policies put in place to specifically protect Latinxs from discrimination. There should however be such laws since there are burning issues that are specific to Latinxs. One such law can be the establishment of a clear path to gaining legal status. The law will go a long way in reducing some of the remaining problems that the population faces. As a result of a lack of legal status, Latinxs have been unable to apply for some jobs or even travel to some places (Lopez et al., 2020). If such policies cannot be implemented on a national level with the urgency required, they can be done locally, especially in states with a huge number of Latinx settlers. More importantly, such laws will give more Latinxs the right to vote and participate in the democratic process of choosing the leaders they prefer.
In conclusion, the Latinx population has suffered discrimination and injustice since they migrated from other countries, mostly South America. However, discrimination against the population has significantly reduced as seen from their increased level of participation in the political process.
References
Gamboa, S. (2019, February 26). Racism, not a lack of assimilation, is the real problem facing
Latinxs in America . NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/Latinx/racism-not-lack-assimilation-real-problem-facing-Latinxs-america-n974021
Lopez, M. H., Gonzalez-Barrera, A., & Krogstad, J. M. (2020, May 30). Latinxs' experiences
with discrimination . Pew Research Center's Hispanic Trends Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2018/10/25/Latinxs-and-discrimination/
Lopez, M. H., Gonzalez-Barrera, A., & Krogstad, J. M. (2020, May 30). Latinx views of
immigration policies in the U.S . Pew Research Center's Hispanic Trends Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2018/10/25/views-of-immigration-policy/
