Race in a Polarized USA
One of the big political sticking points of the 2016 US presidential campaign was immigration. Many on the Left viewed Trumps campaign promise to build a wall to keep out illegal immigrants coming across the Mexico-US border as discriminatory, xenophobic, hateful, and bigoted. Those on the Right viewed it as a common sense approach to addressing a legitimate issue of concern. Race and ethnicity colored the topic exceedingly, even though for those on the Right the issue was framed as one of security; those on the Left viewed it through the lens of race and inequality. With the rise of political correctness in the US, since the 1990s, race, ethnicity and inequality have been totems that have seemingly sacred significance for some and that repulse others. This has led to a polarized US, with those on the Right rejecting (in its latest expression) topics like Critical Race Theory, and those on the Left fully embracing and promoting it. The corporate world has embraced the Left-leaning perspective: Coca-Cola was recently accused of promoting an employee training seminar in which white workers were told to try to be less white (Del Rio). Nike hired activist ex-NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick to be the face of its brand to promote social justice (Popkin, Atkinson). In reaction to both events, people...
And with Trump having identified Critical Race Theory as a problem in todays schools and corporations, people on the Right are calling for its ban. The George Floyd death, Chauvin trial, BLM/Antifa protests and riots, and calls for defunding the police have only exacerbated the situation. The country is now polarized and divided down the middle, with races more suspicious of one another than ever as leaders on both sides (whether Trump on the Right or Maxine Waters on the Left) and the mainstream media continuing to stoke the flames of polarization.Polarization is problematic not only because it is divisive but because it leads to tribalism and the entrenching of beliefs that perpetuate bias and ill will. A polarized nation is one that stops looking for a way to get along with people who hold differing views. It is a nation that wants only to fight itself and spread antagonism. Families and communities come under severe stress in such an environment.
Over the past decade, racial dynamics have intensified, contributing to political polarization by pushing those who see the race card as disingenuous to embrace the platform of the Right, and those who see racial inequality and systemic racism (especially in the justice system) as a problem to embrace the platform of the Left. As people join sides and take up the mantle of their respective camp, political polarization in turn shapes racial and ethnic…
Works Cited
Bostock, Bill. “People are Destroying Their Nike Shoes and Socks to Protest Nike's ColinKaepernick Ad Campaign.” Business Insider, 2018. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/nike-advert-with-colin-kaepernick-has-people-burning-products-2018-9Del Rio, Mairem. “Coca-Cola Asks Its Workers to Be 'Less White' to Fight Racism.”Entrepreneur, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/366132Popkin, Ben and Claire Atkinson. “Nike Takes Heat for New Kaepernick Ad — But isSocial Activism Just the New Ad Hook?” NBCNews, 2018. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/nike-takes-heat-new-kaepernick-ad-n906311" rel="NOFOLLOW" target="_blank">https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/nike-takes-heat-new-kaepernick-ad-n906311
Race and U.S. Imperialism When analyzing European imperialism (particularly that which occurred within the United States) it is crucial to note the role that race played in it. There is evidence that indicates that at one point, race itself became more of a factor in the justification of imperialism and the institutions which facilitated it and engendered its success than even religion did. Race was principally used to account for a
Race and Community Anderson, South Carolina: Race and Community A soft southern twang of the local server at the local cafe and the warmness of the air that envelopes me even into the fall months, the beauty of Anderson, South Carolina is something that I enjoy constantly. It is the environment of Anderson that I enjoy so much that also fosters the community and the human interactions that make it up. Human
Race and poverty are closely connected in the U.S. And this is primarily owed to the fact that racism is still strong in the civilized world. Racism in this country goes back during the late eighteenth century when the 1790 Naturalization Act provided any European immigrant with the right to become a U.S. citizen while other nations were prevented from becoming citizens and ended up having to work in low
3. According to Yosso, "Vincent Tinto's Stages of Passage" model argues that students engage in three processes early on in college: separation, transition and incorporation. However, in the Esmeralda section of Yosso's book, where Esmeralda narrates the story, one discovers that this is really just a specific formulation of stages geared to focus on the experiences of white students and doesn't at all encapsulate the very unique and very distinct experience
Race and Media Larson, Stephanie Greco. (2006). Media & Minorities: The Politics of Race in News and Entertainment. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Print. The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States guarantees, among other rights, that Americans will have the right to free speech. It is based on the premise of this right that there is also a free press in the U.S., and solidifies the fact
Race and Recreation Memo FROM: Kristopher G. Arason, Principal of Red River High School Red River High students who chose to wear Ku Klux Klan (KKK) uniforms to the school hockey team's State tournament Semifinal game, it is my responsibility to personally address this unfortunate situation. While it goes without saying that the actions of these three students is a disappointment to all of us, as the history of racial discrimination epitomized
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now