EmilyQuach

Alvarado
Soc001
31July2016

UnderstandingRace:WittCh.13

1.Whatisracialprofiling?Provideexamplesofhowlawenforcement,governmentofficials
and/orordinarycitizensuseracialprofilingintheaftermathof9/11.(reviewArizonacase).
Howmightthecontacthypothesisremedyprofiling?
Racialprofilingisaformofdiscriminationthatusesstereotypicalbasisorideaabouta
certainethnicityorracethatallowsgovernmentofficialstointerrogateorarrestpeoplebasedon
suspicions.Policeofficers,customsagents,andsecurityarefacedwithscrutinyforracial
profiling.After9/11,policeofficerswouldnoticepeoplewhowerewearingturbansorfitthe
generalstereotypeofterroristsandapproachthemharshlycomparedtootherraces.Inairports,
morepeoplewhofitthestereotypewerestopped,questioned,andevenfriskedduetonegative
stigma.Accordingtothetextbook,federalauthoritiesinterrogatedforeignstudentsarrivingfrom
ArabcountriesandimmigrantscomingfromArabcountriesorMuslimimmigrants.Many
peopleofArabdescentorMuslimreligionwerepersecutedandtargetedagainst.Ordinary
citizensintheUnitedStatesareplaguedwithpropagandabythenewsandreflectthenegative
stereotypespresentedtothemsotheyhaveapredispositionagainstMuslimsthattheymightnot
beawareof.Presently,authoritiesuseracialprofilingagainstcertaindemographic.However,it
isnotavalidliaisontocriminalbehavior.Contacthypothesiscanremedyracialprofiling
becauseitwillincreasetheinteractionbetweenvariouspeoplefromvariousbackgroundsand
creatingequalgroundbetweenthem.Forexample,ifmoreminoritiesenteredlawenforcement,
therewillbemoreequalrepresentationforthosegroupsthatareaffectedbyracialprofiling.

2.Discussvariousethnocentricpracticeshistoricallyusedbythoseinpowerthathave
contributedtoprejudicialattitudestowardsracialandminoritygroups.
TheGlassCeilingisanethnocentricpracticethathashistoricallybeenreferredto
minoritygroupssuchasAfricanAmericansandwomenasabarriertheycannotovercome.Ithas
beennotedthatvariousminoritiesgroupsfacedtheGlassCeilingtendencywhencompeting
forhigherpayingorhigherpowerpositions.TheGlassCeilingdoesnotallowthemtohavethe
equalopportunitytocompeteforhighertrainingandexperiencesnecessaryforthejobstheyare
competingforagainsttheirprivilegedcompetitors.Recently,DemocraticPresidentialNominee
HillaryClintonstatedthathernominationforpresidentbytheDemocraticPartyisthebiggest
crackintheglassceilingyet.
Anotherexampleissegregationthroughouthistorythathaspreventedracialandminority
groupsfromsucceedingorobtainingequalopportunities.WhitesandBlackswereseparateup
untilthe1950sand1960swiththeCivilRightsmovement.Beforethat,whitesandblackshad
separateschools,restaurants,waterfountains,etc.Thepeopleinpowerinstitutionalizedthese
stereotypestogiveblacksalowerpositionandtitleinsocietywhencomparedtotheirwhite

counterparts.AnotherexampleisChineseAmericansbeingdeterredfromimmigratingintothe
UnitedStates.In1882,CongresspassedtheChineseExclusionActtopreventChinese
immigration.ThesegroupswerefacedwithaprejudicialattitudefromtheUnitedStates
CongresstopreventthemfromenteringtheFreeUnitedStates.
Inaddition,duringperiodsofwar,certainminoritygroupswerediscriminatedagainst
duetofearofrebellionorspiesinAmerica.JapaneseAmericanswereplacedinconcentration
campsandspiedonafterthePearlHarborbombingfromJapaneseKamikazeairplanes.Many
familieslosttheirhomesandpossessionsfrombeingforcedintoconcentrationcamps.Ironically,
duringthesametime,theUnitedStateswasfightingagainstItalyandGermany,whowereallies,
andGermansandItaliansintheUSwererarelyplaceinconcentrationcampscomparedto
JapaneseAmericans.
3.Whatisthesocialconstructionofrace?Provideasymbolicinteractionistperspective.How
canthisconcept(socialconstructionofrace)beappliedtoAmericansfrommultipleracial
backgrounds?
Thesocialconstructionofraceishowsocietydefinesdifferentgroupsintoracial
categories.Americanswhohavemultipleracialbackgroundscanchoosewhichethnicitythey
wanttoembraceratherthantheotherbecauseitcouldbemoreacceptableintheculturetheyare
livingin.Thesymbolicinteractionistperspectiveillustratestheuseoftheseracialcategoriesto
influenceordinarycitizenstohaveanegativedispositionorstereotypetowardsanotherethnicity
orgroup.TherewasastoryofawomanwhowasAfricanAmericanandherhalfsisterwhowas
AfricanAmericanandCaucasian,butlookedCaucasian.Onedayatthegrocerystore,thehalf
sisterwasabletopayforhergrocerieswithacheckwithalightheartedconversationwiththe
cashierattendantandwaitedforhersister.Thehalfsisterwenttopayforhergrocerieswitha
checkandwasmetwithscrutinyfromthecashierattendantwhobroughtoutthebadcheck
bookandtriedtomatchthecheckwithoneofthebadchecks.Thehalfsisterdefendedhersister
bystatingthatwhyisshemistreatingherbasedonherrace.Sheusedherwhiteprivilegeto
defendhersisterandforthegreatergood.
4.Definethetermmodelminority.Discusswhichminoritygroupisperceivedaslivingupto
thatimage.Discussadvantagesanddisadvantagesofbeingamodelminority.
Themodelminorityisdefinedasgroupsthathavesucceededinlifesocially,
economically,andeducationallybasedonpreviousracism,discrimination,andracial
stereotypes.AsianAmericansaretheminoritygroupthatisperceivedaslivinguptothatimage.
BeingoneofthefastestgrowinggroupsoftheUSpopulation,theyhaveestablished
communities,educatedtheirchildren,andassimilatedintoUSculturequickly.Forexample,
accordingtothetextbook,variousAsianAmericangroupsspeakanotherlanguagebesides
EnglishathomeandhavealowerpercentileofspeakingEnglishwithdifficulty.Amongthe
completionofcollege,70percentofChineseAmericansareabletoobtainabachelordegree.
However,disadvantagesarebasedonthetypesofgroups.Comparedthe70percentofChinese,
only45percentofVietnamesecitizenscanobtainabachelordegree.Additionally,povertyrates
fluctuatewithdifferentgroupsofAsiandescents.Accordingtothetextbook,Filipinochildren

havea9percentpovertyratewhileVietnamesechildrenhavea15percentpovertyrate.
AlthoughAsianAmericanshavedefiedpersecutionandvariousracialobstacles,theAsian
Americandemographicisstillfacedwiththeglassceiling,suchasmanypowerfulpositionsare
notfilledbyAsianAmericans.