Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay As a Caucasian American, I did not miss wondering how I became the person who I am or how I even got here. Of course, there is history to tell us the whole tale of battles and cries. But only a few can truly admit that tracing their past became their passion. Today, history is retold and reshaped, depending on the many historic discoveries. One of the many concerns evolved in these escapades is finding the root of discrimination when man is still man despite his many colors. With that, I read along articles and observed many things to find where my white skin came from, and why this seemingly superior color gets to be discriminated against as well. History declares white people to be colonizers from Europe. In search for their spices, land, and money, they came to rest on American soil that was truly promising. There were red-skinned natives at that time when the foreigners began building their forts. They imposed their culture and nature to the simple lives of the natives. From their point of view, they were superior and the Indians were savages. On the other hand, from the perspective of the natives, these foreigners should not act as if they own the world. Simply saying, they also had thoughts against the migrants. They were simply bending to the changes, as long as they were fair. It seems that the white people were not forced to be segregated from the natives, but they were still treated differently, as they were. There was also racism. Little did the natives know how the white people think, and simply based this on their actions. One could say that the entire dilemma rooted from little misunderstanding that went out of hand. A lot of people then were closed minded against everything else that was not like their own. As a white individual in this multinational environment, I could say and believe that people of my color likewise experience a combination of all three forms of discrimination despite all arguments. Caucasian people have also experienced Affirmative Action, Reverse Discrimination and Double Jeopardy. Affirmative Action is, according to Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2005), a set of positive procedures in assisting minorities in fields of education, employment, and business. One might wonder how we, as Caucasians, can be inflicted upon by this positive reinforcement. The answer is rather simple. Since the minorities, which includes women and other ethnic groups, are given priority in the different fields, there are white people who are not given the just treatment that is due them. For example, in schools, minorities and ethnic groups are given priorities as given to them by law. However, categorizes as such does not mean they are more qualified. They are just given more attention. This may inevitably end by having qualified white individuals denied of education. Such is also the case in the workplace. Since minorities will be given priority by law, despite their qualifications they will have more chances of employment. With that, one could say that there is imminent Reverse Discrimination. An online dictionary defined the case as the exclusion of an individual who belongs to a majority class in compensation for the idea of traditional discrimination. Although early history might paint the white man to be violent and inhumane, it does not mean that the time today declares to have tables turned. White people today should not be punished for what their ancestors have done and failed to understand. In this age of knowledge, technology, and globalization people are expected to be more understanding. Unfortunately, there are people who took advantage of these changing times into their accounts and tried to rise above the other people, including the whites. It is sad that there are still individuals who fail to realize that it is better to rise with other people. There is also the form of Double Jeopardy. According to Lectric Law Library, this simply states being tried more than once for the same offense. In line to discrimination, this offense means being a white individual in the community. Being a white individual does not only call being approached differently, but likewise have the same treatment again and again. It is not a person’s fault on having that color of skin. However, they are still seen color first before the inner being. White Man is construed with different stereotypes. There are also other cases in line to Double Jeopardy. Jennifer Berdhal and Celia Moore (2006) mentioned that Double Jeopardy also exists in the work place. On behalf of the women in the workplace, they are being tried for being women, and for being women of minority groups. Simultaneously, white men are being discriminated against because they are white men. Likewise, they are being discriminated against because they are white men in the work place. They are assumed to have a common personality and perspective across their people. This hinders other people from realizing that in every race, there will also be a bad apple. In conclusion, Caucasian people might be considered as a majority ethnic group in the United States, but in their very own country, they are also being discriminated against. Seemingly superior, there are also cases wherein they are victims of Affirmative Action, Reverse Discrimination and Double Jeopardy. Despite these times of positive change and reinforcement of globalization, it is often still a sad reality that there are more things that change too slowly. Although literature, politics, and other events in the lives of human race, the battle cry to have all men equal and strong is still a whisper. It is not heard, much less practiced, regardless of what a lot of people have long been campaigning. There will always be a striking difference across different races. But the question relies on where the similarities would overpower their differences and finally live harmoniously. References Fullinwider, R. (2005 March 4). Affirmative action.Retrieved January 15, 2009 from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/affirmative-action/. (2008). Reverse discrimination. Retrieved January 15, 2009 from http://www. yourdictionary. com/reverse-discrimination. (n. d. ). Double jeopardy. Retrieved January 15, 2009 from http://www. lectlaw. com/def/d075. htm. Berdahl, J. Moore, C. (2006). Workplace harassment: Double jeopardy for minority women. Retrieved January 15, 2009 from http://www. rotman. utoronto. ca/facBios/file/Berdahl%20%20Moore%202006. pdf.