Reversed_Racism

Reverse Racism “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” (King 60). This quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. portrays my feelings towards race. A person should be judged not by appearance alone but by their ability and character. In the United States, the land of opportunity, anyone can do anything as long as they work hard enough to achieve it. White, black, green, orange, rich or poor in the United States people are all given an opportunity to be great. It is up to an individual to seize the opportunity to be successful. In this imperfect world there will be racism and prejudices everywhere. There are many programs and widely accepted morals with the intent to end racism. Being Caucasian was once an advantage in this country, times have changed for the better and equality was established. Hasn’t racism ended' I beg to differ; racism has been reversed. Many people have said, “history repeats itself.” Affirmative Action was created from Executive Order 10925, which was signed by President John F. Kennedy. This required employers to not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin and take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin. I believe that Affirmative Action was definitely a huge leap in the fight against racism here in the United States. This ensured all races equal treatment at school or in the workplace. That is the moral and just thing to do for any nation. So what happens now, when the tables are turned' I remember vividly talking to my father about applying for college. My father and I had a conversation about affirmative action. He explained to me that it was to my benefit to choose Hispanic in applications. I remember thinking, “Isn’t this racism' Why is it that one’s race is put at an advantage over another just because of their lineage”. The original purpose of Affirmative Action is skewed in modern times. How is it fair or just that because one is Caucasian it is harder for them to get into college opposed to an African-American or a Hispanic' Prior to Executive Order 10925 civil rights activists were fighting a war on racism. This country and its citizens believed that it was unfair for one to be judged by the color of their skin or lineage. The United States took affirmative action and a step in the right direction in taking race out of the decision process when applying for a job or a school. In modern times race and lineage have everything to do with applications; institutions and corporations have to meet quotas on different races in order to keep up with the times. Isn’t keeping up with the times being having moral attitudes and giving the best person the job based on ability' It is unjust for race to be any part of an application. To give one an advantage over another because of race or ethnicity is just as racist as segregation. In a perfect world, all applications would be blind; writing race or gender would be unheard of. We are all people right' Why should one be judged by skin tone' It’s unfair to the people who have fought for equality for so many years for the United States to succumb to this reversed racism. My experience in the BEP (Binghamton Enrichment Program) showed me the true colors of my classmates. Here at BEP I am the minority, something I’m not used to. I come from an extremely diverse town in which there is the same amount of Caucasians as there are African-Americans and the same amount of African-Americans as there are Hispanics. In my town all the different races came together as one, we didn’t separate based on race. We judged people based on their character and ability rather than color of their skin. While I may have a different opinion than most of my classmates at the BEP most of them seem to find my opinions wrong. I remember very clearly, after stating my opinion on race relations, I looked over my right shoulder to see a girl with her eyes popping out of her head. The vain in her forehead was throbbing, after looking past her I realized it was the entire class glaring at me, sucking their teeth and whispering amongst themselves. I am almost certain it was about me. This reaction by my classmates made me feel like an outcast and oppressed. We had a difference in opinion, isn’t that what living in a democracy is about' While I consider myself a moderate, my classmates seem to only hear my conservative views and view me as their definition of a typical white person. My classmates find me to be racist because I do not believe in affirmative action or the advancement of any particular race. I believe in the advancement of the human race. I am far from a racist; I have equal, just and non-racist views. While my classmates like to judge me as a white person who wants the white race to advance over another race, they are mistaken. My classmates make me feel like an outsider because of the color of my skin, they outcast me because I am Caucasian. This is a familiar story isn’t it' 50 years ago judgment based on race is exactly what moral and just people were fighting in this country. Why is it that if I, a Caucasian, go and call an African-American a nigger I will be viewed as a racist, immoral and mean but, if an African-American were to call me a cracker it would not be viewed as harsh' These words have the same connotation don’t they' My generation is different; we should not have these words in our vocabulary. These words denote racial supremacy. In an equal country these words should not be used. Why is it that the use of the word nigger, or nigga, is so widely used in the African-American community' This word is offensive and demeaning, if I, a Caucasian, do not use it because I do not want to offend anyone no one of any race should use it. Why do African-Americans not feel offended if another African-American calls them a nigger' The question is one I’ve posed to myself actually daily. I cannot fathom why one would want to use a demeaning word that people have fought for years for people not to say. Throughout my eighteen years of life I have met many racist people. One of which was Caucasian, whom I look at as inspiration to be more just and equal with my judgments of people. Most of the racist people I have met are the so-called victims of racism. I cannot argue that in the past, through oppression from past generations, minorities in this country were victims. In modern times if you are a minority you are put at an advantage. I have met many minorities whom hold grudges and prejudices against Caucasians. I find this very odd, considering that past generation minorities fought so that prejudices and grudges would not be held unless you can judge ones character. It is not fair that I, as a Caucasian, receive dirty looks from anyone based on the color of my skin. Caucasians are being punished for the actions of their “ancestors”, or rather minorities rewarded or paid back. Why do I put ancestors in quotations' Modern science proves that my DNA could be more similar to one of an African rather than an Argentine, the nationality my father identifies himself with. As I learned in Human Development class modern science proves that biologically humans as a whole are 99.9% the same. I do not find it fair that because of the actions of past generations one should be put at an advantage or disadvantage because of skin color. In modern times Caucasians are being oppressed. Is it fair that I need to pay for the racist and unjust actions of previous generations' I share none of the same racist, immoral, unjust tendencies and views as previous generations here in the United States. Why can’t I have white pride' I pose this question because it shows another inequality in this country. If an African-American had black pride it would be just fine, actually praised and widely accepted. If I were to have white pride I would be viewed as a racist. While I am not a racist, past generation has shown people to associate white pride with the practices of the Ku Klux Klan. I am in no means supportive of the Ku Klux Klan, but I do have pride in myself and society has constructed me as a Caucasian. So is having pride in myself and the people whom I’ve been associated with through society racist' It is not; having white pride is the same as having black pride. Pride in ones constructed race should not be limited to certain races. This is an unfair advantage in the United States. While race is embedded in American’s lives it is really one’s choice to see race. Race biologically does not exist. Race is an illusion, an illusion that one choses to abide to. If it were up to me I would not see color. I am forced to see color because of the oppression of my socially constructed race. My race is being put at a disadvantage for the actions of past generations that we have nothing to do with. I find that unfair and unjust. In order to fix this reverse racism we need to stop seeing in color and we need to start judging people based on their character and abilities. Again, this is unfair to the people of the civil rights movement who have fought for equality through years of hard work. As a respect to civil rights activist it is imperative we stop seeing race. As Adrian Cronauer stated, “Martin Luther King, Jr. didn’t carry just a piece of cloth to symbolize his believe in racial equality; he carries the American flag.” This quote by Adrian Cronauer perpetuates to me. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed that as an American you deserve to be treated equally, as do I. In this great land of opportunity we should all be afforded the same chance as the next person; not based on race but by your character and abilities.