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ROUGH DRAFT3 anisa

Page history last edited by perrinatisha 12 years, 4 months ago

Have you ever been in a room full of people and still felt very alone? The issue isn’t the number, rather acceptance. Racism itself is and has always been a big issue in our country. Although over the years laws have been passed to ensure equal rights for all citizens, one can’t help but wonder if acts of racism still occur. Moreover, acts of discrimination still affect minorities in real life.   In order not to get confused, I will briefly define the meaning of both racism and discrimination so one has a better idea of how to differentiate the two.  According to Mariam Webster dictionary discrimination is the process by which two stimuli differing in some aspect are responded to differently, and Racism is a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial difference produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.  Every source that I have found is distinctive and focuses on a different aspect of discriminatory behavior. With this essay, I hope to make people aware of this issue.  These hateful thoughts on discrimination and racism can eventually turn into hateful and dangerous acts.

Coming to America at such a young age, I have been the target to be discriminated against. From not knowing the language to the way I was dressed and the way I acted. People have that instinct to judge at first sight. As communication was a barrier I always felt like I did not fit in. For example one day at the lunch table in high school one of the girls I was sitting with asked me a question. She asked if America was a “better” place than Albania, and I responded with “Albania”. Another girl sitting not too far way said “Well, go back to where you came from” , to this day I still hear comments like that. that moment right there made me realize that teenagers are now more than ever prone to discriminate just because one is from a different country. Although my perception to that question has changed and I will never move back, I will always follow the path of my countries traditional ways. People need to realize that we are alike within, there is no need to judge, nor does anybody have that power to judge someone else’s life. Although many do not make direct comments you can see it in their face.  Even though I am not ashamed of my ethnicity and want to follow my country’s traditional ways, I still feel the need to fit in, because there is a high amount of pressure from my peers.  Our cultural traditions are very different; for example the dating and partying scene in America differs from my country because they like to get involved in relationships at such a young, they like to go out on a Friday night and in my country we do not. We date only once and get married, we don’t feel the need that we need to drink to be happy or fell the need that is a must to go out on a Friday night.  Speaking from experience because I did not have a boyfriend and did not party in High school I was always discriminated against, because I was different and because my values and beliefs are different. All the comments and looks I have gotten from fellow classmates I have indeed experienced that discrimination is visibly shown and it still occurs.

 

The main reason that I chose to do research on discrimination as well as racism was to attract a bigger audience. By incorporating racism in my research paper I am able to reach out to more than one group of people. By focusing solely on discrimination I believe that would have narrowed my focus exclusively on issues regarding “discrimination upon foreigners”.      

 

Through my research I have discovered that since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, minority groups were finally given the equal rights that they deserve. Still, even with the law in place acts of racism and discrimination still continue to occur. After all these years there are still people who continue to treat minority groups as being less of a person. Racism and discrimination is still prevalent in today’s society. I do in fact believe that in the work force minorities are discriminated against because they will do the “dirty work” that Americans won’t do.  For example by researching the issue of racism in the workplace we are able to open up a topic that most people would rather not talk about. However, with the struggling economy people are more prone than before to contribute to racist behavior.

            Overall, by researching whether racism still exists in the workplace, we are able to find ways to eliminate the technique all together. Even though we like to deny the fact that one is racist or is discriminating it is in fact true. I speak from experience when I say I have been discriminated against but I also see it and experience it at a work place and in other different situation when one is discriminating or is being racist because they fall in the category as minority group or African Americans.  For example, African Americans are looked upon as lazy, or do not want to work, or loud. Such discriminatory slurs and other racism comments are thrown at them every day.  As I previously mentioned I am an immigrant and I did get discriminated against for many things, one of them being the language.  Even after 10 years in America my parents still do not speak English. The workforce is diverse now more than ever, and being employed in a retail store I have come in contact with many different people, from African Americans to Asians to Indians and people from my country. In many occasions I have found myself being a translator. Being able to translate for someone that does not speak English gives me a sense of confidence because I know how hard it is to learn and speak English. One discriminatory that recently happened was when I was trying to talk to my uncle at his place of employment a lady interrupts me to only say “if you speak English to him, then maybe we can understand what he is saying and we can ask him questions too”. Yes, it is understandable that if you cannot understand the person you get frustrated but out of respect and kindness one should not be so prone to be so rude.

 

Perrin Atisha Peer Review

 

1. The definition is clear: “According to Mariam Webster dictionary discrimination is the process by which two stimuli differing in some aspect are responded to differently, and Racism is a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial difference produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.”

 

 2. You define your argument as something that is close to your heart because you have been discriminated against because of your own cultural background. This is a great area to look at because I believe that personal experience is the most interesting for readers. But more stats about discrimination should be addressed maybe even about the problems in the Middle East, people being discriminated and killed for their religion. Discrimination can also be looked at through a person’s sex whether someone is male or female. You can talk about how women weren’t allowed to vote and even how women in many cultures are called to stay home, cook, and clean. Because I know in my own culture a women who receives an education used to be looked down upon 10 years ago and now finally it has become “normal”. There’s a lot you can do with discrimination also with weight and age. In short put in more examples about how people may be discriminated by race, religion, weight, sex, or age.

 

 

3. I know that the paper isn’t done yet but it seems like you have centered discrimination and have just focused on race, which is fine if that is what you want to do. But discrimination is more then just race and that is something you can explain as I said above. I cannot think of any counterargument to this paper.

 

4. I think the strongest element of this paper is the fact that you tell us your experiences of facing discrimination because people think that discrimination isn’t around anymore but you come out and say yes it does and it has happened to me and is still happening to me today. I like your personal examples about school and your uncle.

 

5. Most improvement is needed in structuring your paper. So make sure it doesn’t jump around. Maybe give a statistical fact about discrimination, explain it, and then give your own experience. For example, your paper right now looks like this: Definition, Experience, Audience, Civil Rights Act, Experience. So maybe you can break that up. You talk about not being that party type or going out on Friday nights. You culture seems like mine, Chaldeans except our girls go out but in my parents time marriage was arranged and dating was not allowed and women were made to stay home and take care of the family. This in a way is discriminatory to women because if men are allowed to go out and make money then why cant women? This is something that would be cool if you touched upon

 

6. The paper is well written it just needs to be proof read

 

7. I believe that you do provide us with clear exigence! You take this topic of discrimination and show that it is serious and it is still happening and clearly something needs to be done about it rather than just sitting back and feeling bad for the people who can’t speak English. Trust me I know what you’re going through! My grandma has been here for 30 years and doesn’t know any English and she is in a nursing home and the way the nurses treat her because she is Middle Eastern bothers me. So you do give a clear argument and you have great examples to prove why it is wrong.

 

8. I would give this paper a B-. It just needs more facts about discrimination other than that great job!

 

 

 

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