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Wiki post 7 - Due Monday, May 7. Please post your best draft so far of the introduction to your research paper.

It’s an issue of the past and of the present; racial based discrimination is an issue that is often overlooked or rarely mentioned because the majority choose to ignore it in order to further advance personal agendas. Although the issue of racial discrimination has clearly taken steps in the right direction, that isn’t to say that it still isn’t prevalent in our society. There are various places in which racial discrimination run freely, including: schooling, housing, politics, and workplace as well as many others. This paper will focus on racial discrimination and housing in relation to whites and blacks or Hispanics. “Racial discrimination in housing involves a choice by housing agents to treat racial and ethnic minorities less favorably than other customers” (Ondrich et.al). This explanation of housing discrimination clearly notes the prejudice in place toward minorities when attempting to purchase a home as opposed to whites. Housing discrimination is worldwide, nationwide, statewide, citywide, and local, which is why it needs to be addressed and corrected accordingly. (Cody Devereaux)

[Amber Bowen]

The American dream is becoming harder and harder to attain each and every day. The Horatio Alger stories are slowly being heard less and less. America’s middle class is dwindling and the gap between the rich and the poor is growing exponentially. There are a several theories as to why this inequality is increasing, its effects on society, and how it can be corrected. In the end, the wealth disparity in this country can be blamed on government policy, lack of __education__, advancements in technology, corporate greed, and racial discrimination.

After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, The United States engaged in a sense of war hysteria. Suspicions grew toward the Japanese people. Japanese American citizens were positive and hopeful that the United States would protect their freedom. Many individuals tried to prove loyalty by donating blood or volunteering. However, loyalty acts did not amount to protection of freedom. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an order on February 19, 1942 called Order 9066. Diane Yancey states Franklin D. Roosevelt’s order: By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, and commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of War… to prescribe military areas in such places and of such extent as he…mat determine, from which any or all persons may be excluded… The Secretary of War is hereby authorized to provide for residents… such transportation, food, shelter, and other accommodations as may be necessary…to accomplish the purpose of this order” (2007, p.33) This order allowed military personnel to order many Japanese Americans to pack up within 48 hours and leave their homes. The order called to full Japanese people, born in the United States or not, or with any Japanese blood to be evacuated. This event was called the Japanese Interment. Interment relates to variety of words such as captivity, confinement, and imprisonment. The Internment holds only one meaning, the Japanese had to abandon their livelihood because of discrimination, racist accusations and suspicions. The evacuation was a decision based on racism. Innocent individuals had to abandon their lives because of their ethnic roots and had no reason to be judged guilty. The results of the Japanese internment in WWII were inequality, discrimination, and livelihood lost. (Leila Alawad)

Migrant workers leave their country, family, friends, traditions, culture, and customs behind in order to come to the United States. They arrive with hopes and dreams of overcoming poverty, hunger, unemployment, violence, and other economic hardships. They are willing to break immigration laws, risk their lives, pay thousands of __dollars__, and endure violence and suffering in order to cross the border to a country that is more prosperous and economically stable than their country. They come here to live the American dream, and to give their families a better live, a better future. (Lucero Rivera)

Entering a predominantly white institution may raise many concerns for African American __students__. Many students can become overwhelmed with the demands of higher education and the requirements needed to succeed. Many of these individuals are determined to succeed at these institutions and are required by their parents to have great academic standing. Often times, whites do not take into consideration the affects that society and the environment place, on African American students. Students who are accepted into college institutions are often from low economic backgrounds, which may hinder their capabilities. Students of color are more likely to experience class profiling, educational and economic hardships and experience racial discrimination in higher education.(LaTashia Williams)

We must remember that racial profiling is not a subject of the past, it happens now to all different races but we must be the ones to help promote a change. Many government officials may feel that racial profiling works to prevent crime but in all reality how can one justify this or prove that racial profiling works. Opponents say that racial profiling cannot be separated from racism, but its people (United States) have fought to create a nation that gives equal opportunity to all so does racial profiling negate the process of what we as Americans have stood up for (Orr 19)? In my opinion, I feel that there are many other ways that can be more effective than just racial profiling.(Mariana Mojica)

Inequality in workplaces seems very crucial even during this time. Workplace discrimination is one of the ways that individuals are discriminated in workplaces. At the heart of it, workplace discrimination is a practice that affects individuals all over the world. Workplace discrimination still around our society and it affects thousands of people. Discrimination in the workplace also affects race, class, and society. (Blanca Guzman)

What do you think of or picture when you hear or read the words “migrant workers”? Many people think of poor, illegal and uneducated men and women that work in the fields. In actuality, a “migrant worker,” is a person who moves from place to place as needed to work in a seasonal or temporary job. This is frequent for people that work in agriculture because crops need to be harvested at different times depending on the type of crop or the area the crops is being grown. Agriculture is the main resource of employment for these individuals. Migrant workers are commonly known as people that work outside of their home country. Over the years though, the term has gained a negative connotation. Due to the negative association with the term, migrant workers are discriminated against and in company with their families, they face many barriers since some or most do not know that language, the customs, or traditions of the country in which they reside in. They are seen as less important, unskilled, almost non-human, and not fully accepted by the society in which they are working for. Migrant workers face unnecessary prejudices in this country and their role should be reevaluated due to their poor living conditions, language barriers, and how the lifestyle of migration affects families. (Sammy Rincon)

Throughout history, immigrants have increased the population of the United States immensely and have brought along with them their culture, which has contributed, to the overall cultural change in the United States. Migration is challenging, difficult, and necessary for many. A lot of people who decide to leave their country of origin do it not by choice, but because they are in seek of a better life for themselves and their families. What would you do if you were unable to provide for your family and your only option would be to migrate? A lot of families have been faced with that question and therefore, have migrated. Their life in the United States was perhaps not what they had in mind and throughout their journey; they faced many challenges and obstacles that made their stance a nightmare. Throughout history, African-Americans and Mexicans have faced many difficult challenges in the United States, including work discrimination, deportation, residential segregation, and racism. Guillermo Rojas

Taxes have increased in the forty worst schools of North Carolina that are racially and economically segregated. (Joyner & Marsh, p 4) The courts have mandated the tax increase to help improve performance in this already broken system. Instead of dealing with the racial and economic segregation in the school system extra financial funding was used in attempts to mend the already devastating predicament of Goldsboro High School. “To repair the schools faults at Goldsboro High the school applies annually for the School Improvement Grant allowing for the school to obtain $125,000 per year contract to America’s Choice.” (Joyner& Marsh p5) Fastening a band-aid to an infected wound is not going solve the problem for the wound is already polluted. (Jerica Guzman)

Discrimination is unfair treatment of one person or group, usually because of prejudice about race, ethnicity, age, religion, education or gender. Just like the definition says, there are many different forms of discrimination; race, class, gender, disability status, age, multiple discrimination, and sexual orientation. It is crucial to note that workplace discrimination equally includes different forms of harassments. “Forty-six percent of African American workers believe they have been treated unfairly by their employers, compared with 10 percent of whites, according to a 2002 Rutgers University study, "A Workplace Divided: How Americans View Discrimination and Race on the Job ." The study also found 28 percent of African Americans and 22 percent of Hispanics/Latinos have experienced workplace discrimination, compared with 6 percent of whites.” (**Humera Khan**).

=Japanese Internment during WWII= =The history of the United States is comparatively short but convoluted with great moments of triumph as well as dark, embarrassing episodes. Ken Masugi writes, “Among all the subjects of American controversies involving race or ethnicity, perhaps only slavery and segregation have received more widespread condemnation than the World War II relocation of ethnic Japanese from the West Coast.” The evacuation and internment of thousands of Japanese and Japanese Americans during the war was widely supported by a majority of Americans but today, it is regarded as one of the most shameful government actions in the nation’s history. The Japanese American community was long the victim of economic, class, and racial segregation and eventually forcibly removed from their homes and businesses. The inevitable government action against the community was a culmination of decades of anti-Japanese sentiment rooted in racial discrimination, xenophobia, and ignorance. (Gilbert Felix)=

In the past, police brutality and racial profiling have generated much controversy in our society. History is full of these occurrences. More recently, however, there seems to be an epidemic of cases surfacing, both locally and nationally. The media seems to have an unending source. Whether these cases have actually increased, or if we are just more aware because of the technology available to us is hard to tell. Depending upon which side of the fence you stand on, you can try to justify it or condemn it. One thing is for certain. Racial profiling and police brutality do exist, and the reality is a harsh example of inequality and discrimination in America. Amber Archila

People migrate from their country into the United States for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is that individuals migrate in search for the so called “American Dream”, but what does this “dream” really imply? For many, the American Dream means acquiring wealth by either getting an education or by working hard. Either way the goal is to sustain a good economic status enough for having a fairly standard of living. In countries like Mexico many of its population take the risk of coming to an unknown world in order to improve their lives and their families. What they do not know is that this dream is a mixture of great sacrifices, struggles, barriers, joy, fulfillment, accomplishments, disappointment, and a level of unhappiness. In other words life for a Mexican-American individual in the United States is a complex experience and full of not only important achievements, but also injustices, inequalities, discrimination, and difficulties.
 * [Rosana Nunez]**

=Living in the Central Valley there is a familiarity of migrant workers. The Central Valley is a huge melting pot of cultures. There are stories, watch news channels that talk about migrant workers. Media in the Central Valley area always has something to say. We can hardly pass a corner without seeing a migrant worker trying to make a buck from selling seasonal goods. It is a hard way to earn a living because nothing is ever guaranteed. If a migrant worker is known to be hard working, then why are there so many negative stereotypes still today? Why are the labor camps below poverty level standards? Migrant workers work hard to support their families and all they get is a couple dollars a day. The migrant worker may only make $500 dollars in one month. There is little or no access to descent health care. Family’s works all day in the fields yet the children are malnourished and some go hungry. This type of income will never allow one to get out of poverty no matter how many hours are put in the fields. (JenQuintana)=

Some of the most overtly discrimination happens within American workplaces. Workers face persistent patterns of employment discrimination. Race, gender and class shape the experience of all people. Workplace discrmination has been a vast societal issue for several decades. This fact has been widely documented in research and, to some extent, is commonly understood this ongoing trend seems to leave and come back, it is full of uncertainty which causes uncertainty amongst people facing discrimination in their working environment. Keep in mind the 1964 Civil Rights Act is in full effect, but does that really matter? (YaniraBarrera)

People in white cloaks and hoods gather in secret and burn a cross while chanting white supremacist messages. For almost anyone living in America, this paints a picture of the Ku Klux Klan. This group, while trying to remain secret, has become notorious for these atrocities in the United States. The organization emerged during Reconstruction, reemerged during the 1920s, and remains in existence today ( Sara Bullard 8). As a hate group, they target African-Americans, immigrants, Jews, Communists, and Catholics primarily. Why would anybody join a hate organization? What are their motives? Klan recruits generally admire the religious and moral stance the organization takes, or rather claims to take. Fear of society becoming “disordered” is also a motivation. Whenever there is chaos (which is a label often added to change, whether positive or negative), people will turn to scapegoating, or placing blame on others, to try to reestablish order. They choose one of the target groups to reprimand for any changes in society they deem “un-American”. The Ku Klux Klan makes frequent use of this practice of scapegoating, and while their status as an extremist group remains, seemingly average, everyday people join this organization or hold some of its beliefs. (Elizabeth Ingalls)

When did the unification of class in the African American community begin to scatter? Starting in the 1960s, the division between the African American middle class and underclass initially occurred in the housing market, economic conditions, the family dynamic, and educational conditions. Although both the middle class and underclass African American community face racial inequities and stereotypes, differences in wealth, politics, social conditions, economic conditions, households, health, and education still exist. Some main areas of focus in regards to class division and inequality are household differences, educational differences, black suburbanization, and wealth inequality. With those areas of division, the African American middle class and underclass have various significant values and issues to fight for change of equality in wealth, education, complexion hierarchy, residential segregation, and the appearance of conformity in black conservatism; however, some African American middle class and underclass feel the need to defend class stratification and historical roots of internalized class division. (Natacha Woodson)

**Somewhere That’s Green**

“A matchbox of our own, a fence of real chain link. A grill out on the patio, disposal in the sink. A washer and a dryer and an ironing machine, in a tract house that we share, somewhere that’s green” (Howard Ashman, 1982). While he may have been writing for what would become a cult musical, Ashman’s words expertly capture a stereotype that has come to symbolize the Golden Age of the Middle American Dream: suburban paradise. Beginning in the mid-late 20th century, a track home with all the modern conveniences, an acre of crab grass and a white picket fence around the lot become an American icon and a welcome relief to a nation all-too-familiar with inner city tenements. Idyllic, isn't it? But is the middle class suburban fairy tale truly, realistically attainable for all Americans? Is this, in fact, a land where all men are created equal and given the same opportunities, can all build a comfortable life and a legacy for their children? (Ian Loveall)


 * Throughout the course of the 20th century, there has always been discrimination in the United States. Discrimination that affects every type of person including race and class. The most common place where class and race discrimination take place would be the Criminal Justice System. “In recent decades, a considerable literature focused on racial profiling by police and racial differences of imprisonment, sentencing, and other areas of criminal and juvenile justice processing has grown”(Crutchfield, Fernandes, Martinez, “Racial and Ethnic Disparity and Criminal Justice: How Much is Too Much?”). This shows us that an inmate’s sentencing and other factors are determined by their race and even their position in society. Someone with a well known reputation would not be given such a severe punishment. So what can be done to change this? Marc Mauer mentions Jeffrey Reiman and how Reiman developed the Pyrrhic Defeat Theory Model. “Rather than identifying a single critical point at which discriminatory policy is implemented, Reiman notes that it is the sum of the parts that leads to a race and class based enforcement of the law” (Marc Mauer, “Race, Class and the Development of Criminal Justice Policy”). An individual’s race and class should not be factors when they are being punished for a crime. The severity of the crime committed should be the only factor when making a punishment. (Jazmin Anguiano) **

The ideal image that the United States usually portraits is the one of a country that welcomes immigrants and provides them with opportunities to succeed in their new surroundings. It is true that the United States provides opportunities for immigrants, but usually those opportunities only bring benefits to this country not to immigrants. Many immigrants have come to this country only to have better opportunities for their families, but they only have encountered discrimination and racism. Mexicans and African Americans are just two of many groups that have been exploited through history with the excuse that they are in a country where they don’t belonged. How would you survive in an environment where no one accepts you because of your race? Many immigrants in the United States have asked themselves this question once they discover that they have no privileges and opportunities just because they aren’t white. Surviving in an environment where society considers you a threat, where you experience discrimination, racism, deportation, school segregation, residential segregation, and unemployment was a necessity not an option for these two groups in order to provide for their families. (Marisol Ornelas)

Many factors contribute to a family’s inability to succeed in the average American society. These contributing factors include the cost of food, the cost of safe shelter, the cost of utilities, the cost of child care, the ability to find a decent paying job, and the ability to rely on the Federal Government if a family is in need. In general, society does not believe that people actually need welfare. Is this because of a higher society’s standards? Is it because they believe recipients are just plain lazy? Welfare reformation has been a governmental concentration for many years. The nation’s plan to reduce the amount of people relying on welfare is inconsistent and ineffective. The aim for this research paper is to find out what it will take for society to understand how community efforts can aid in the reform of the welfare system. We will look at The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. This bill was introduced in order for President Clinton to take strides in placing a framework for stipulations in order for a person to receive aid. Second, we will research The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (The Recovery Act), signed by Obama hoping to contribute to the reformation. Lastly, we will look at factors of what it really takes to change the state of mind of people who cannot get out of the welfare system. Reforming Welfare will not only take effort from the individual, but the family, neighborhood, society and government. -Ashlee Hickey

“An observation on the life struggle that migrant workers went through in the United States”

==Chinese, Japanese, and The Mexicans migrant workers suffered from discrimination as they were looking for a better life in the United States. “Growers built California’s agricultural industry on the backs of migrants: first the Chinese, then the Japanese, and, finally, the Mexicans” (Prouty, p. 7). It will be described under what conditions each racial group struggle in hard labor, work under unhealthy conditions and get paid low wages salaries in order to be seen as equal or simply survive. Did they become part of the American society?(Elizabeth Moreno). ==

The Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. However, at any given point in our lifetime, we may face the cruel experience of discrimination or inequality. It does not matter if you are a multimillionaire or a homeless man with nothing but the torn clothes on your back. We assume when were arrested we have rights and privileges that protect us from unfair and bias treatment in the criminal justice system. However, even in a great country like ours racial discrimination still exists, in all levels of life. Arguments about discrimination in the criminal justice system have been ongoing for years, with people on both sides trying to set the facts straight. However, there have been many statistics, court cases and my own personal experiences that prove that the criminal justice system does discriminate. Jorge Carrillo