Read Witt 13 and answer the following questions in your own words.

1. What is racial profiling? Provide examples of how law enforcement, government officials
and/or ordinary citizens use racial profiling in the aftermath of 9/11. (review Arizona case).
How might the contact hypothesis remedy profiling?

Racial profiling can be described as prejudiced judgement pertaining to race and ethnicity, in
contrast to the individuals particular behavior. The law enforcement frequently uses racial
profiling to identify their criminal. Often, the individuals captured are arrested based on race or
ethnicity, and not particularly criminal behavior. It is common to see racial profiling towards
Hispanics, African Americans and other minorities. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the
government and armed forces were constantly on the lookout for possible terrorists. For instance,
stricter screening and security checks were initiated at airports, and the security would use racial
profiling to check which airlines required more comprehensive searches than others. In the year
of 2010, the state of Arizona issued an order stating that the police were given permission to take
any individual into custody if he/she appeared to be illegal, or did not show proper citizenship
documentation. The contact hypothesis is the belief that direct contact between varied
ethnicities/races would enable individuals to bond and interact with one another. This in-turn
would enable individuals to identify one another, not as a group of divided races, but instead as
friends or even as one family of individuals. The promotion of contact hypothesis, nationwide
or even globally, would reduce the chances of racial profiling, and even discrimination.

2. Discuss various ethnocentric practices historically used by those in power that have
contributed to prejudicial attitudes towards racial and minority groups.

Ethnocentricity is referred to the belief that ones own culture or ethnicity is superior to another.
The Genocide, led by Adolf Hitler, killed many Jews during World War II. The prejudiced belief
that Jews were responsible for the many socioeconomic problems in Nazi Germany, is what led
to the maltreatment of Jews and their eventual execution. Discrimination was also quite a
prominent factor in American history, between Blacks and Whites. Blacks had to live in a system
of segregation, even after they were granted freedom from slavery. Despite most regions of the
U.S. no longer being ethnocentric, there are still many individuals who still show feelings of
prejudice towards minority groups. Additionally, Apartheid, a segregation system that was
introduced in South Africa, before the Presidency of Nelson Mandela, prevented Blacks from
moving, and settling in certain regions of the country. However, after President Nelson Mandela
came to chair, this racial separation was dismantled in Africa.

3. What is the social construction of race? Provide a symbolic interactionist perspective.

How can this concept (social construction of race) be applied to Americans from multiple
racial backgrounds?

The social construction of race can be described as an idealized perception or identification of a

particular race, based on skin color, hair color, etc., by other individuals. It is ideally evident that
most individuals build physical traits based on the region they were brought up in or even
perhaps based on the climates they were adapted to. For instances individual with dark skin color
are better able to live in hotter climates than those with pale skin. It can be stated that the
prejudiced opinions individuals make about these biological characteristics, are what lead to
discriminatory behavior. This concept can also be viewed in a symbolic interactionist
perspective, where each individuals behavior and physical persona (i.e. clothing worn, accents,
body language, etc) provide an indication as to his or her ethnic identity. These characteristics
form an integral part of everyday conversations, and thus enables individuals of the same
race/ethnicity to identify one another. Moreover, these individuals could also share
commonalities with one another, based on these characteristics.

4. Define the term model minority. Discuss which minority group is perceived as living up
to that image. Discuss advantages and disadvantages of being a model minority.
A model minority can be defined as a high achieving minority group, in a context that greatly
benefits the country, despite encountering discrimination along the way. Asian Americans, or
even Asians in general, can be seen as a group that are hard-working, diligent and quite often
academically successful. Some advantages these individuals receive includes the freedom of
opting for better paid jobs, which might otherwise be inaccessible to most minorities. However,
due to the increasing population of Asians in the U.S., there has become an increase in the
stereotypical belief that all Asians are capable of mastering in academia; however, this has led to
individuals facing discomfort if they do not fit into the model ideology. An additional
disadvantage would be the fact that other minorities may face discomposure due to the
stereotypical popularity gained by Asians, and may begin to discriminate them even more.