Race in America

Synthesis Writing (Race in America)

by Desri Fitriana

In this synthesis, I will do describe the historical origins and the development of racism and racism in the United States itself, in order to illustrate how racism happened in the world and why racism happened? Actually racism itself is a condition when one ethnic group who have big privilege and power (majorities), sometimes they try to eliminate one ethnic group who different with them (minorities) which do not have a power. Racism has happened in colonial era and slavery era, during the modern period (13^th and 14^th century). Beginning 17^th century laws passed in English North America forbidding marriage between whites and blacks people. Discriminate against the mixed offspring of informal liaison. So, racism has already happened in old era until now. Even in that century, the laws forbidden to marriage with another different skin color. I think that rule it was inhuman, because it belongs to humans’ right to decide their decision. In 18^th century, began to subdivide human beings into 3 to 5 races, usually considered as varieties of single human species. Early 19^th was an age of emancipation, nationalism and imperialism – all of which contributed to the growth and intensification of ideological racism in Europe and US, because of emancipation of blocks from slavery and Jews from the ghettoes helped by secular, so it made these reforms was to intensify rather than diminish racism.

            Climax of racism happened in 20^th century, racist regimes. The passage of racial segregation law and restrictions on black voting. A key point of the racist regime was a fear of sexual contamination through rape or intermarriage. The one racist regime that survived the Second World War and the Cold War was the South African in 1984. The laws passed banning all marriage and sexual relations between areas for people of mixed race (colored). Formal racial discrimination in the USA happened in mid-20^th century. Discrimination permeates all aspects of life in the USA and extends to all communities of color. Discrimination against African American, Latin American, Asian Americans and Muslim were widely acknowledged.

            Actually racism in America happened on black people who get unfair from whites people even from government. Black people have a low income rather than white people, black children also did not school in good quality. The biggest era that racism is slavery era. Most of slaveries ware black people. Black families could not amass any meaningful wealth to bequeath to future generations. To answer to the slavery question was already embedded with our constitution. Constitution that promised it is people liberty, justice and a union that could be and should be perfected overtime. Reverend Wright is one of person who talked about racism in our society. He made in his offending sermons about America, to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distort reality. He spoke America society was static, as if no progress has been made.

            Barack Obama has amazing thought about his country. He put his though on his desire to change America became The United States. "There is not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America - There is the United States of America" (Obama, 2006). I love his quote. Through his quote, he delivered the unity of country. I mean not only America who has a big dream like that, but other countries should have dream like that too. Obama’s quote simple but meaningful to prevent racism in America and to reach their big dream.

            Obama is a son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. Obama’s families scattered across three continents. Obama was born in the racial melting pot of Hawaii. So that is why, in his blood consist of mixed blood from other origins. I really agree with his though, his suggestion and his modernity to change America. Obama has a big potential to change the whole things, because she was born from multicolored family. So, Obama respect to all of color skin, even black people, because his and his wife also black people. Even for the first time, Obama as a candidate president of America, most of people humiliated him, underestimated him and mocked him. But, he still believes his self about racism in America.

            Actually the big impact about racism has felt by black people. Few minorities can isolate themselves entirely from white society, certainly not in the way that whites can successfully avoid contact with members of other races. But it is possible for minorities to pull down the shutters psychologically, to protect themselves by assuming the worst.

            In my opinion, the responsibility to close the gap in racism cannot come only from the government alone. Minorities, individually and collectively have responsibilities as well. People should have mindset that does not judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our characters. With that way, we can see crystal clear and more objective rather than only see by color of skin. Most white Americans figure that they have not engaged in discrimination themselves and have plenty of their own problems to worry about. So that is why, make white people has felt privilege in their country.

In conclusion, based on my opinion racism is cannot be lost easily in the world, because when we talk about that issue, we talk about other races too. It depends on humans’ mindset about racism itself. If they have negative mindset about racism, they tend to pro about racism, and vice versa. In myself, I very respect to the other races, faith, and different background with me. I do not care about what different between us, but I prefer to united with others, even we are different, because together we can make a different. I mean different about something good. In Indonesia I tend see some of people does not consider about different color of skin, because I never have felt about racism itself  J