How Racism is Ruining the United States

Jisoo Ku
JSerra Catholic High
9th Grade

The most recent video to have caught social media by storm is one of a man getting escorted off a plane for speaking words in Arabic. What’s more shocking, perhaps, is that the plane was managed by one of the biggest airlines in America, Delta Airlines. As expected, people have responded in conflicting ways: some have been indifferent while others have been supportive to the victim’s cause. In 2016, this is unacceptable. There are so many signs of how crooked the world has been, how crooked the world is, and how crooked the world will be in the near future, yet there are slim to no signs showing people how globalized, multi-cultural, and diverse America has become. It’s a matter beyond politics and ideology; the way in which the United States has grown accustomed to simply denying and putting aside these race-driven acts of hate is unacceptable.

Many Americans, especially in light of the recent election, have grown more vocal and impassioned on their view of illegal immigrants, citing welfare, unemployment, and race-relations among various reasons to enforce stricter immigration policies. It is all too easy to obsess over the political and economic ramifications of immigration policy and overlook these undocumented immigrants as all but a number on a page. These are people. Hard-working, motivated, and genuine people. All immigrants alike came to the United States with the simple hope of living under better conditions compared to where they came from. These people often take up blue-collared work positions, compromising their physical and mental health, all in an effort to preserve that very hope they immigrated to the United States for. But Americans (and here, I’m talking specifically about white Americans) have denied even this, as exemplified by the most recent election, which most scholars cite as a “white-lash.” These immigrants take up work such as construction workers, housekeepers, street cleaners, etc. They might sound lowly and insignificant, but history tells us time and time again that these individuals make up the backbone of our country.

As an Asian-American student, I am more perceptive to the kind of discrimination that pervades our society. I was disappointed especially when such discriminatory remarks have been cast towards the values I treasure so highly. I think this is very disrespectful to people who came from other countries with hopes of being successful to America especially in Southern California, where we see cultural diversity everywhere we go. It is this shift in cultural awareness and understanding that I sincerely hope people can begin to see.

9 Comments

1. Lee

   January 10, 2017 at 3:41 AM

   CA does not represent the whole of the USA. Especially, its sanctuary policies. These sanctuary policies go against federal law. If, as you state, you are part of ‘our’ country why not support federal laws? Why moan and groan about a minority of people that fail to respect others – the answer for you, I would guess, is that you are fully accepting of the university garbage coming out of CA. Try visiting other, major parts of the country and ask them, what they think of the CA university system? You will get a completely different answer then the brain-washed baloney from CA.

   Reply
2. JP

   January 10, 2017 at 7:51 AM

   Growing diversity in the US has nothing to do with what the article described. Americans historically are accustomed to interacting with different people or foreigners living around them.

   A strange article/comment coming from a person who’s country has virtually no diversity. South Korea has something like 50+million people and 98% of them are South Korean. In addition, there is no great immigration influx towards South Korea like there is with the US. So you have no real idea of being on the other side of the situation.

   Too many people come to the United States simply for economic gain and have no stake in the continued well-being or fabric of the country and contribute almost nothing. Too often Americans are asked to accept and respect differences of people rather than those people assimilating into the American way of life as all other ethnic groups did before them. Different ethnic groups brought different qualities to American society but they all assimilated into mainstream society and culture.

   Take for example South Koreans living in the US that overstay their visas. Most live and stay within the existing Korean community and don’t pay taxes or even learn English. From an American point-of-view why should that be allowed to happen? Why is that acceptable?

   The attraction of the American Dream comes with a cost. When so many people come from third-world countries it lowers the standard of the US and diminishes what attracts foreigners to immigrate there in the first place.

   There is definitely a growing backlash against foreigners who simply use the US for their own personal gain. Illegal immigrants have no legal rights in the US by the very definition of their status. In no other country (South Korea?) would people living there illegally, be so open and vocal in demanding rights and that their voices be heard.

   How long illegal citizens have lived in the US illegally should not be a factor in their fate. Whether I committed a crime 20 years ago or 20 minutes ago … its still a crime and illegal. No, go back and apply to enter the country properly or be sent back to where you came. Its really that simple.

   America is a lot more than just LA and NY. That fact was driven home most recently in the latest US election.

   Reply
   • Astrid

     February 2, 2017 at 1:49 AM

     Speaking as a person who is from Miami, perhaps the largest city in terms of ethnic diversity..I disagree with your viewpoint. Miami was built by immigrants. Its economy is actually among the richest in the country (even though the distribution of wealth is corrupt or inefficient). People from Miami are bilingual. It has assimilated in certain ways, such as our adoption of American holidays, but infused with our respective cultures. We all pay taxes, even illegal immigrants. If you do proper research, you will find that actually illegal immigrants pay billions in taxes so they fund schools, social security, and all those social benefits. All illegal immigrants I have met all have one thing, they LOVE the United States and are even more patriotic than me, an American citizen born and raised. White America does NOT respect non-white cultures (this includes African-Americans…citizens!). Instead they impose their white privilege over it, causing us to concede to their white sensitivities and roll out the red carpet or bend over backwards for them, they become offended if we don’t. OR they take aspects of our cultures as a trend, exploit it for profit or fashion, then discard it as if it never meant anything. If you want to know what the US would be like if it actually respected people of color and of other cultures, take a trip to Miami. And I don’t mean that you should visit the beaches. I mean, actually LIVE there in the neighborhoods and work among Miamians. We all understand English; however, some of us choose not to speak it because there are barely any white people around and Spanish is most comfortable. English is spoken when necessary because it’s America after all, and it’s respected. It’s no different from different parts of the US. Each state, county, city has its own unique and distinct culture. Why should that be restricted to just a white culture? That doesn’t make any sense considering the ethnic make-up of the country. So instead of painting illegal immigrants as ingrates who are there just for material gain, think about what it is they are actually gaining. It’s freedom, peace, security, opportunity at a good life…not just for themselves but for their kids who will, in turn, contribute to the American talent/skill pool and economy. The sense of gratitude these people feel for the US is something you obviously have zero concept of. Please do research before you make such a comment.
   • Astrid

     February 2, 2017 at 1:53 AM

     By the way, Native Americans are the only true Americans. So before you talk about assimilation, ask yourself…did the white European colonizers assimilate to Native American culture? The answer to that is DEFINITELY NOT. They stomped all over it with their white privilege and sense of entitlement. White America has zero right to force immigrants to assimilate to white culture or any other culture considering they themselves didn’t actually assimilate to begin with. White America is a giant group of immigrants who never assimilated. They need to stop being hypocrites.
3. lunch boxes

   January 10, 2017 at 5:44 PM

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   Reply
4. Park

   January 10, 2017 at 6:49 PM

   The video was a stunt done by a comedian. The man was counting down in arabic to provoke a response. I’m sure anyone counting down menacingly in any language will cause passangers concern and a reaction from the working staff.

   Reply
   • JP

     January 11, 2017 at 1:18 PM

     I believe he has been arrested and exposed regarding other incidents as well. Looking for attention maybe? I don’t know.
5. JP

   January 11, 2017 at 1:13 PM

   “undocumented immigrants” No, they are people who live in a country illegally … against the laws of that country. Thats who they are. All of the things you list may be true, however, they still are living in a country illegally and therefore, are not true citizens of that country. There is no way around that fact no matter what nice label you want to put on their living status!

   Its an insult to all of the people who apply and go the through the immigration process properly and legally to say its “ok”.

   No other country that I know of would be so lenient towards people breaking the law and living in their country illegally.

   Reply
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