EXPLORING
DISPARITIES
WHY DO INEQUITIES CONTINUE?
People have many
ideas about why inequities exist. We may agree with each other on some points
and disagree with each other on other points. Each view stated below is in the
voice of a person who thinks it is a very important idea. It is critical to
identify people’s perspective of the cause of the problem before trying to
think of solutions.
Please read through
each viewpoint. Consider these questions:
1.
Which views come closest to
your own way of thinking?
2. Which views seem most important?
3. Is there a viewpoint that’s missing?
4. Is there anything that you don’t agree with?
Share
your thoughts and responses to the above questions and include comments on your
classmate’s thoughts and responses as well.
VIEWPOINT 1
Pop culture
and the media show negative stereotypes of different groups.
On TV or in the
movies, we see Arab Americans as terrorists. We see Latinos as maids, gang
members, or drug lords. African American males often play “gangsta” rappers or
thugs. This is damaging. It makes people think these groups are problems. It
feeds people’s prejudice and makes us feel hopeless.
VIEWPOINT 2
The effects of our history are still with us today.
Racism has always
been part of American life. When our country began, European settlers kept
slaves. They took land that belonged to Native peoples. Our government made
laws and policies against people of color. Even after slavery was ended,
government favored whites. For example, after WW II, few homes were owned by
nonwhites. Government housing loans were not given to people of color. Native
peoples and African Americans have suffered most. They live with the effects of
hundreds of years of racism.
VIEWPOINT
3
Policies based
on race are the problem.
We must stop
hiring and promoting people based on their race. We need to move to a
color‐blind society. We need policies based on merit and not on ethnic
background. This is what’s wrong with
affirmative
action. Some resent it when people of color get special treatment. People of
color wonder if their success is tied to ability or to some hiring goal. This
is bad for everyone.
VIEWPOINT
4
Institutions
have racist policies and practices.
Many public and private
institutions still exclude people of color. And privileges associated with
“whiteness” are built into the cultures of our institutions. For example,
people rarely think about the needs of different ethnic groups when they decide
where to locate their businesses. Schools in poor
neighborhoods
lack resources. Banks make it hard for people of color to get loans. And racial
profiling is
a big problem in
law enforcement. Even though we have new laws, the system really hasn’t
changed.
VIEWPOINT 5
People of color lack economic opportunity.
Without good
jobs, people of color can’t move up in society. When big business cuts jobs, it
affects people of color more than whites. This is mostly true in our cities,
where many people of color live. Cities and neighborhoods with more poor people
have a smaller tax base. This means less money for schools and other human
services. It is hard to succeed without a good education, housing, and other
basic services. Without skills and jobs, there is little to support a family.
VIEWPOINT 6
The government
often fails to enforce laws against discrimination.
We have some good
laws against discrimination. When they are not enforced, people suffer. For
example, it is against the law to refuse to sell or rent
a house because of skin color. But many people of
color still have trouble when they try to rent or buy housing. The government
should make everyone obey the law.
VIEWPOINT 7
People don’t
make the most of the chances they have.
There are many programs
that aim to level the playing field for everyone. For example, lots of schools
and colleges use special admissions tests. They offer scholarships to students
of color. Government and business have goals to recruit a diverse workforce.
But they often have a hard time finding people to fill the jobs. Some people
don’t value these chances to succeed. On top of that, there are some people who
think of themselves as “victims.” They feel defeated by their race before they
even try to succeed. The chances are there. People just don’t take advantage of
them.
VIEWPOINT 8
White people have privileges just because of the color of their
skin.
White people
don’t face what people of color face every day. For example, people don’t see
whites as inferior or dangerous because of the color of their skin. They can
shop in stores without being followed by salespeople. And they rarely fear that
government might harass them, rather than help them. The culture and policies
of many public and private institutions favor European Americans. Our system
gives preference to “whiteness” and makes it harder for people of color.