Major Roles Of Development Studies Politics Essay

Major Roles Of Development Studies Politics Essay We live in an unequal world: one part of the world is suffering from hunger, poverty, high child mortality rates, mortal diseases and numerous other grave issues; the other part of the world benefits from high income rates, very good health care systems, excellent educational institutions and superior standards of living. Progressively, many international institutions and non-governmental organizations have taken a stand against this inequality and they continuously seek to develop the world into a better place with better standards. These organizations believe they can make a change by supporting underdeveloped countries and by coming up with measures and goals for the whole world in order to try and stop the biggest threats to further development. Development Studies is, in fact, one of the recent and most important branches of political science nowadays. It is through Development Studies that one can understand the tragic imbalance of the world, and come up with solutions to tackl e the issues threatening development. Therefore, research and statistics form a major role in Development Studies; by carrying out specific research, one can identify what is hindering a particular country from further development and what solutions may be applied. Throughout the years, many scholars tried to quantify development and find ways to measure it and undoubtedly the most successful instrument for development existing today is the one named Human Development Index (HDI). While many believe that this is the best system and the best indicator vis-à  -vis global development, some others believe that there is still much more to be done, and that the HDI might still need some adjustments. This paper addresses the issue of development in todays unequal world, as well as presents all the arguments in favour and against the use of HDI as the first and most important tool to measure development. What is Development? Many scholars, politicians and writers use the term development in their studies, talks or books; however, these persons might be using the word in different contexts. For the sake of this essay, it is imperative to give out the definition of the word development as it is going to be used throughout the whole paper. Professor Jeffrey Haynes, successful author and lecturer, defines development as a key dimension of personal life, social relations, politics, economics and culture.  [1]  Development does, in fact, touch many branches of one particular country (economic, social and cultural development); therefore it is made up of various components. Furthermore, Development Studies is a vast and rapidly expanding field of inquiry  [2]  ; as the word itself suggests, development continuously changes it is never static. The components making part of development might increase or decrease throughout the years. It is difficult to set a date to the rise of interest in Development Studies. However, Dr Clark, through his acclaimed book, estimates the origin of awareness in the field of development around the late 1940s and early 1950s  [3]  , when there was an increasing interest in development economics  [4]  . Other scholars, such as Todaro and Smith comment on how the Europeans were unable to reach a certain level of developed economy within their countries a decade or so after, despite the willingness and hard work involved.  [5]   The notion of human development concerns the actual lives and conditions of the citizens of a specific country; Haynes accurately defines human development as a matter concerned with [the] stability, security and citizens relative prosperity.  [6]  Human development treats all of its components on an equal basis, giving them direct value  [7]  . Since development has a vital link with the wealth of a country, this does not mean that it is highly or solely influenced by the national income rates: Human development is about much more than the rise and fall of national incomes. It is about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. People are the real wealth of nations.  [8]   The importance of global development in the world has gradually increased. Nowadays we know more about development, how to measure it and achieve it. Furthermore, there are numerous organizations and international institutions, such as the UN, who give development a huge significance within their agenda and who continuously give their support to underdeveloped countries and urge the world to support each other out. Measuring Development There can be no improvement in the field of development if proper analysis is not carried out for every single country and region of the world. Good analysis of statistics provides identification of threats to further development and of possible solutions for improvement: The analysis of development goals is part of the analysis of development.  [9]   Therefore, measuring development is a significant step in identifying the development index of a country. The problem still remains on what is considered to be a component in measuring the development of a country. Development indicators can be many: the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) within a country, the Gross National Income (GNI), the life expectancy rate, gross education enrolment rates and more. Many scholars do not agree on what these development indicators should be. There have been numerous conflicting papers written by scholars stating their own opinions on the matter. For example, economist Jan Drewnowski repeatedly states that while economic development indicators contain concrete figures, social development indicators do not possess such precise quantitative results.  [10]  He states that welfare indicators are observable and measurable phenomena and that welfare is not directly measurable, but he also says that although measuring such development indicators might not produce perfect results, it is better than doing nothing at all. Other scholars provide other views; economists Irma Adelman and Cynthia Taft-Morris make a case for a more flexible approach to the measurement of institutional phenomena, which would rely on expert judgment on qualitative rankings.  [11]  12 Throughout the years many scholars and organizations have attempted to come up with an instrument to measure development. Although there is still no existing perfect method of achieving such data, there is one leading collection of data which is continuously cited by organizations and governments alike. This index-list was undertaken by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and is mostly referred to as the Human Development Index (HDI). What are HDR and HDI? The HDI is a result of the Human Development Report (HDR), a report produced every year by the UNDP. The first HDR was published in 1990 while the latest HDR was published last year, marking its 20th anniversary edition.  [13]   Within the report, the UNDP analyses the results of its research in the development field. For example, the 2010 HDR published by the UNDP contained chapters about various branches of development which analyzed either progress or regress on a global level. In the 2010 HDR, one can learn how progress in the health sector has slowed down, while gender differences in the education sector decreased as well. Other examples include the increased (global) levels of education but also the problem of children not learning.  [14]   For better or for worse, the annual HD reports have provided an intrinsic method of measurement of development. One of the highlights of the HDR is undoubtedly the HDI. Most governments, international and national organizations give a lot of attention to the HDI, because it provides a set of ranks and indices attributed to a number of countries in the world.  [15]   The HDI essentially is a figure, ranging from 0 to 1. This is measured by combining indicators of life expectancy, educational attainment and income.  [16]  All countries participating in the HDR are ranked numerically according to this figure. The HDI list in itself is made up of four categories of groups of countries with: very high human development (42 countries in 2010), high human development (43 countries in 2010), medium human development (42 countries in 2010) and low human development (42 countries in 2010)  [17]  . It is through these three basic development indicators that the UNDP was able to produce such a high-quality index: Life expectancy For this particular development indicator, the HDI takes the average life years of a citizen in a specific country during a period of thirty years. For the 2010 HDI, for every country on the list, the life expectancy rate was calculated on the timeframe starting from 1980 till 2010. The minimum value was set at 20 years, whereas the maximum one was set at 83.2 years.  [18]   Education The second development indicator used in the HDI is education, and this is calculated by looking at the average years of schooling of every minor and adult citizen at every level of education.  [19]  This HDI indicator also encompasses the gross enrollment rate of the country; both the people applying for education and the school-leavers are taken into consideration when formulating the education indicator. This indicator, just like the previous one, reflects the regress or progress made in a specific country on a timeframe of thirty years, from 1980 till 2010.  [20]   Income The last indicator for development is income, or the wealth component.  [21]  When carrying out its research and analysis, the UNDP sets the minimum per capita gross national income (GNI) rate at $163 (purchasing power parity PPP) at its maximum income rate at $108,211.  [22]  The minimum rate was actually attained by Zimbabwe in 2008, marking it the lowest income rate in history so far. This income value of $163 means just around 45 cents of income every day.  [23]   It is therefore believed that the key to further development is found in the combination of the above three development indicators. Geometrically, the HDI ranking can be calculated using the following economic formula: HDI = ( 1/3 Life expectancy rate + 1/3 education rate + 1/3 income rate)  [24]   Using this formula, the UNDP was able to create the HDIs of the last twenty years. The following table portrays some results from the 2010 HDI, showing one country from all four categories of the HDI. For every country represented in the table there are the resultant figures of the three main HDI indicators. HDI Rank Country HDI value Life expectancy (years) Mean years of schooling (years) Expected years of schooling (years) GNI per capita (PPP 2008 $) GNI per capita rank minus HDI rank Nonincome HDI value 1 Norway 0.938 81.0 12.6 17.3 58,810 2 0.954 56 Mexico 0.750 76.7 8.7 13.4 13,971 -3 0.785 89 China 0.663 73.5 7.5 11.4 7,258 -4 0.707 169 Zimbabwe 0.140 47.0 7.2 9.2 176 0 0.472 Data source: UNDP 2010 HDI  [25]   As one can clearly see, the leading country in the world with the best possible value was found to be Norway, which attained the HDI value of 0.938. All Norwegian statistics are impressive in all sectors of development. Leading economical countries, such as China and India, do not have such impressive results, with them ranking 89th and 119th respectively. The country ranking last with the worst HDI value in the world is the African country of Zimbabwe, of which statistics contrast severely with those of Norway. In fact, an average Zimbabwean lives up to 47 years and enjoys only $176 GNI per capita. The Arguments in Favour of HDI Since 1990, there have been many scholars and economists who have praised the initiative behind the HDI. In fact, many have considered the HDI as a huge step towards understanding what human development constitutes and what changes are needed. The HDI was first seen as an ideal way to compare one country with another and to find a specific countrys place in the whole world. In fact, this method simplifies the comparison among countries  [26]  , and this can beneficial to all governments in order for them to perform better as countries and states. Consequently, this index is described as instructive  [27]  as its empirical relevance has proved to be very meaningful to [both] UN agencies and governments all over the world.  [28]   Throughout the years, distinguished political scientists have continuously declared that the HDI contributes in terms of multidimensionality  [29]  . Among such scholars, one finds Streeten (1994 and 1995), Desai (1993) and Ul Haq (1998), with the latter saying that HDI can capture many aspects of human life that were not capture before.  [30]   Most positive feedback concerning HDI has been about how the HDI has managed to reflect the human condition in no other way other methods can. The methodology used in HDI has also been described as being relatively simple  [31]  , thus favoring it over other indices such as the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) and the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI); its strength lies in its simplicity: a simple measure is more understandable to the policy-maker and the public.  [32]   The Arguments against HDI The HDI gained a lot of criticism from scholars and economists alike; this chapter will focus on the most famous critiques. Some writers criticized the indicators the UNDP used to measure development and discourage the practice of classifying countries into the three bins,  [33]  while others disapproved of the whole system, labeling it theoretically weak (Srinivasan 1994). Moreover, Amartya Sen was concerned by the difficulties of capturing the full complexity of human capabilities in a single index.  [34]  There are also a few who think that the HDI leaves a lot of questions unanswered and they proposed development indices specific to each and every country (such as an American HDI)  [35]  In fact, the HDI seems to conduct general analysis, ignoring differences.  [36]  37This last argument is also sustained by Hicks.  [38]   The majority of critiques debate on the HDI indicators used. Some of them do not agree on how the UNDP uses these indicators, or on how the UNDP interprets its results. For example, the Task Force on Education and Gender Equality disapproves the use of education enrolment rates, finding them imprecise, and proposes school completion rates instead, defining them a more appropriate indicator of educational output'.  [39]   Some others argue on the lack of HDI indicators. Eric Neumayer believes that there is the need of a greener HDI; he argues that the HDI does not take into account natural resource exploitation and environmental degradation  [40]  Finally, there is also a group of writers (like McGillivray, 1991) who believe that the HDI is redundant, meaning that it provides very little or no insight to its analysis. Conclusion Taking into consideration what has been said on the subject, one cannot deny that the HDI has been influential in bringing forward the concept of development. It has been an impressive advancement from the previous attempts. Using the HDI as the main tool for development presents many advantages for governments, to improve their countries its role has been instructive throughout. However, many critics emphasize the disadvantages of HDI, such as the lack of sufficient insight or efficient indicators. Therefore, one can conclude that while it still stands as the reigning instrument to measure development, the HDI leaves much to be done and that in order to achieve a more efficient result, one has to make amendments the HDI is not [yet] an indicator that can reflect properly the idea that Human Development concept brings in itself.  [41]  

Challenge of Defining a Single Muliticultural Education Essay -- essay

The Challenge of Defining a Single â€Å"Multicultural Education†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As stated in the first paragraph of this article, â€Å"Multicultural education has been transformed, refocused, reconceptualized, and in a constant state of evolution both in theory and in practice.† Multicultural education is always changing. Culture is something that changes on a day-to-day basis. The way our society changes is no one’s hands, but our own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Multicultural education can be something that is as simple as a change in the curriculum adding new and diverse materials (2nd paragraph). As the world changes our ability to learn should grow. New things happen every day and the only way we can grow from these things is to open our eyes and realize what is going on. Society tackles many different things each day and we never know what’s going to happen until after it does. Entering new things into the curriculum based on current issues is a positive thing in my eyes. Adding to and enhancing the curriculum adds more knowledge to our multicultural views.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the third paragraph of this article it states that, â€Å"Every student must have an equal opportunity to achieve to her or his full potential.† I agree with this statement fully. If a student is given the opportunity to put his or her all into their work then their work is at its potential. Many teachers prohibit this from happening by picking favorites and underestimating ...

Race in Down These Mean Streets

Qing Xu HCOM 345 Prof. Nava 5/2/12 Race in Down These Mean Streets â€Å"Este es un mundo brillante, estas son mis calles, mi barrio de noche, con sus miles de luces, cientos de millones de colores mezclados con los ruidos, un sonido vibrante de carros, maldiciones, murmullos de alegria y de llantos, formando un gran concierto musical (Thomas, Down These Mean Streets, 1998, p. 3)†, is how Piri Thomas describes his birthplace, East Harlem. The diversity of cultures, the vibrant street life, the passion and conflicts of everyday life and media portrayal in movies such as West Side Story make East Harlem an exciting and mysterious place.But hidden under the dirty faces of the children is the struggle in the search for acceptance and belong, as painfully narrated by Thomas in Down These Mean Streets. In this essay I will analyze how racial identity is constructed through his story and the relationship between racism and social problems such as gangs and crime in a place like East Harlem. Piri Thomas’ parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico during the 1920s before he was born in 1928.Piri reflects upon a hard childhood of growing up in a lower class family at the time of the Great Depression, through the cold winters of New York City, a place whose people Piri’s mother described as having snow in their hearts. But the most difficult thing of all was the racial prejudice that he had to endure because of his black skin and the confusion of his own racial identity caused by his family’s denial of their Afro-Latino heritage. One day, Piri confronted his younger brother Jose, pointing out the hypocrisy of his family’s claim to Whiteness: Jose’s face got whiter and his voice angrier at my attempt to take away his white status.He screamed out strong: â€Å"I aint’t no nigger! You can be if you want to be†¦. But—I—am—white! And you can go to hell! † â€Å"And James is blanco, too? † I asked quietly. â€Å"You’re damn right. † â€Å"And Poppa? † †¦ â€Å"Poppa’s the same as you,† he said, avoiding my eyes, â€Å"Indian. † â€Å"What kind of Indian,† I said bitterly. â€Å"Caribe? Or maybe Borinquen? Say, Jose, didn’t you know the Negro made the scene in Puerto Rico way back? And when the Spanish spics ran outta Indian coolies, they brought them big blacks from you know where. Poppa’s got moyeto blood. I got it. Sis got it. James got it. And, mah deah brudder, you-all got it†¦.It’s a played-out lie about me-us-being white (Thomas, Down These Mean Streets, 1998, p. 145). Piri had always felt that he was being treated differently in the family because of his skin color. He wanted to find a racial identity with which he could feel a sense of belonging. Hoping to find out whether his skin color, his face, his hair made him a black in America even though he’s a Puerto Rican, he joi ned the merchant marines and traveled to the South. He came to accept that he was black after experiencing racism everywhere: on the ship, in restaurants, even in prostitution (Thomas, Down These Mean Streets, 1998, pp. 20-87). Piri’s world came crashing down when his mother died while his father was having an affair with a white woman, whose whiteness fed his father’s insecurity about his own blackness, according to Piri. Piri’s rejection toward whites came to a boiling point and he left home, joined gangs where his companions were black and took drugs. Eventually he went to prison for shooting a policeman. â€Å"Jesus, I thought, I finally shot me some Mr. Charlies. I shot ‘em in my mind often enough (Thomas, Down These Mean Streets, 1998, p. 259),† he wrote.It was the years in prison that gave him time to really reflect and think about who he was and his own worth. In the end of the book he came out of prison back into the neighborhood that he mi ssed so much. He fought hard to resist drugs and violence. Eventually he became a famed writer and a lecturer, and worked to steer troubled kids away from gangs and crimes. Puerto Ricans have historically been discriminated by U. S. institutions. As Angel Oquendo explains in â€Å"Re-imagining the Latino/a Race†, Puerto Ricans arrived in the U. S. as a result of U. S. mperial invasion and colonization of the island. They became one of the most impoverished groups and were â€Å"systematically perceived and treated as a conquered people (Oquendo, 1998, p. 70)† Puerto Ricans could sometimes pass as whites, like Piri’s family did. However, Piri was treated badly by the school, public transportation, workplace and the government. In an interview conducted by Ilan Stavans, he recalled that in the classroom the â€Å"teacher came roaring upon me and said ‘listen, stop talking in that language [Spanish],’ and I said ‘well, I am speaking my motherâ⠂¬â„¢s language.My mother’s from Puerto Rico, I was born in this country,’ and she says ‘well you stop talking that, you have to learn English, you are in America now. ’ (Thomas, Race and Mercy: A Conversation with Piri Thomas, 1996, p. 345)† He also recalled going to the South with his friend Billy on a bus. The driver ordered all colored people to go sit in the back. When Piri tried to tell the driver that he was Puerto Rican, the driver said, â€Å"I don’t care what kind of nigger you are† and reached his hand into his side pocket.To avoid the risk of being killed, he quietly went to the back of the bus (Thomas, Race and Mercy: A Conversation with Piri Thomas, 1996, p. 351). In a chapter of his book titled â€Å"How to Be a Negro without Really Trying,† Piri recalls another occasion where he and his fair skinned friend Louie went to a job interview for a sales position. The company hired Louie instead of him. â€Å"I didnâ₠¬â„¢t feel so much angry as I did sick, like throwing-up sick,† Piri’s hatred started growing and he started to think of himself as black. â€Å"Later, when I told this story to my buddy, a colored cat, he said, ‘Hell, Piri†¦ a Negro faces that all the time. ‘I know that,’ I said, ‘but I wasn’t a Negro then. I was still only a Puerto Rican. ’ (Thomas, Down These Mean Streets, 1998, p. 108)† When Piri and his mother applied for Home Relief, he hated the condescending and suspicious attitude of the government officials. The fact that Piri was perceived as black even though he was a Latino and that he was the only that received all the prejudice out of all his siblings, shows that U. S. society perceives all races in Black-White terms. According to Oquendo, this racial dualism is due to the prominent history of slavery and discrimination of people of African ancestry.He explains that the division of white Puerto Ricans and black Puerto Ricans is non-existent in Puerto Rico. Modern Puerto Rican society emphasizes its African heritage (Oquendo, 1998, p. 63). Berta E. Hernandez-Truyol explains that all Puerto Ricans share the same identity: â€Å"I grew up in Puerto Rico†¦ We were big and small, brown-eyed and blue-eyed, blondes and brunettes, but one significant factor we shared was that we were all de Borinquen. Sure, we were diverse peoples, but we were all united—we were all boricua (Hernandez-Truyol, 1998, p. 381). Because of the different social context in the U. S. , Piri were perceived differently from his siblings, which dramatically altered the course of his life. Perhaps the process of Piri becoming black can be best explained by Ian F. Haney Lopez’s theory on the social construction of race. He argues that an individual’s racial identity is constructed by interplay of chance, context, and choice. By chance he means the morphology and ancestry of a person which are not chosen by the person, i. e. skin color. Piri’s morphology is the foundation of his search of racial identity.When his family moved to Long Island, the white children at his school taunted him for trying to pass as Puerto Rican because he couldn’t pass as white. By context, Lopez means â€Å"the social setting in which races are recognized, constructed, and contested (Lopez, 1998, pp. 9-11). † Piri has ancestral ties to three continents: Europe, Africa, and America. Therefore to conclude that Piri is Black is unreasonable. However, in the social context of America, skin color is mostly directed associated with race. President Obama, Tiger Woods are both widely perceived to be Blacks, even though only a portion of their blood is Black.Same thing happened to Piri. Lopez further explains that morphology and ancestry are constant, but context is inconstant and unstable and shifts in time and space. Nevertheless, context gives interpretation to morphology and ance stry, such as a person’s dark skin makes him/her Black. In Puerto Rico, Piri’s family was neither Black nor White; they suffered no prejudice based on their skin colors. But the social structure of race in New York in the 1930s is based on the racial dualism, which forced Piri and his family to define them as either Black or White.As a result, Piri believed that he and his family were black biologically. However, he was not black because of his features but because of the interpretation of these features by the racial ideology of his society. Moreover, social ideology of race changes from place to place, as evident in his travel from â€Å"Spanish Harlem, where he was Puerto Rican, to Long Island, where he was accused of trying to pass, to the South, where he was Black (Lopez, 1998, p. 12). † Finally, the last component of racial construction is choice, which means whether a person accepts the meanings of his morphology and ancestry given by the context.Piriâ₠¬â„¢s father not only shared the same social context with Piri, he also shared the same skin color and features. However, he chose to be white, like his son Jose. Lopez explains that choices about racial identity are heavily influenced by racial prejudice and hatred, as revealed in Jose’s claim to be White: â€Å"I ain’t black, damn you! Look at my hair. It’s almost blond. My eyes are blue, my nose is straight. My motherfuckin’ lips are not like a baboon’s ass. My skin is white. White, goddamit! White (Lopez, 1998, p. 14)! † The social problems that Puerto Ricans face include poverty, gangs and crimes.The â€Å"presumed solutions† to these social problems would be welfare programs, education, more law enforcement patrolling the Barrio, etc. However, new problems will arise with each of these solutions. If we provide more welfare to the Puerto Ricans, it would further drain the national budget, which is already tight in the current eco nomic situation. It would also anger many nativists who are opposed to immigration, especially whites with lower economic status, because they might fear that the Puerto Ricans are taking their resources.There are already many voices accusing the Latino immigrants of coming to their country and sucking up all their welfare. Education definitely helps prepare a more skilled work force, which means more income for the Puerto Rican households. However, with the current budget cuts, increased financial aid to Puerto Rican students will likely be met with opposition from the rest of the population. The DREAM act which allows alien students to obtain financial aid in college has already been met with opposition arguing that the aliens would take away educational funds that could be awarded to native students.Granting more aid to Puerto Rican students will probably be met with the same opposition. However, education does serve as an important tool to pull a community out of poverty. Gangs not only create violence and crime in a community, but their culture is harmful to the vital institutions of society such as the family, the church, the school, and the government. In â€Å"Beating the Barrio: Piri Thomas and Down These Mean Streets†, James B. Lane states that â€Å"The social disorganization of the ghetto bred cynicism, hatred of authority, confused identity, inability to defer pleasure, and violent impulsiveness (Lane, 1972, p. 17). † Piri, tormented by racial prejudice and confused identity, leaved his family to be on the streets because he found a stronger sense of belonging there. So do countless number of kids in the present. To Piri religion seemed an obligation. He hated school and resented government. Although gangs like the ones Piri was in are harmful to the society, villanizing them will only make matters worse. MS-13, the biggest gang in the world, started with a couple persons but grew so much partly because police cracked down on them an d sent them back to El Salvador; many of them were born and raised in the U. S. which made them more organized and bigger. That policy only aimed to remedy the problem but failed to address the root of the problem: how the kids joined the gang. We need to recognize that criminals weren’t born criminals. Many gang members are victims of racism and oppression. Racism plants a seed of hatred in each of its victim, as in Piri’s case: â€Å"A big hate of everything white grew inside of me. I was scared of the whole fucking world (Robinson). † This hatred eventually led him to shoot a white cop. It is also no surprise that he had no interest in school and government, where he encountered racism.Gangs also provide protection for the oppressed, give them strength to fight back the authority that oppresses them, and give them a sense of belonging. In order for there to be no gangs, racism must be eliminated. In order for racism to be eliminated, everyone, kids and adults , need to be educated about racism in contemporary society, because racism starts in the mind. Schools need to make it mandatory for students to learn how racism starts, the social structures that breed racism in our society and all the ways that racism affect different ethnic groups today.Piri Thomas had a good idea of what needed to be taught to children: Children become what they are taught or not taught. For thousands of years we have heard propaganda about white supremacy and â€Å"might makes right. † Because if you conquer people by might, strip away their education, their beliefs, their culture, and their land, then in two or three generations their children will be in the dark ages again. We had very bright minds when we first went into their schools, because children are not born stupid.The world has no right to judge intelligence by the color of one’s skin†¦ this is the struggle that we have had to wage, to allow all the colors to express their humanity through literature and the other arts to learn from each other, as a people, for we are not only geographic locations, colors, sexes, or preferences. We are earthlings who share a common bond—our humanity (Thomas, Race and Mercy: A Conversation with Piri Thomas, 1996, p. 352). It’s because of the lack of awareness and ignorance that racism is still so prevalent today.There needs to be more representatives for under-represented groups such as Puerto Ricans in the political arena who could voice their needs. Puerto Ricans should be given voting rights in the general elections, since they are citizens of the United States. Puerto Ricans can also empower themselves through strengthening their identity as a whole. Oquendo suggests that â€Å"just as African Americans seek to base their self-understanding on their resurrection from slavery, Latino/as should trace their identity back to their resurrection from imperialist conquest (Oquendo, 1998, p. 70). Indeed, Puerto Rica ns and other Latino groups have proven to be resilient peoples with a great deal of stamina to live in their harsh environments while keeping their dignity. Oquendo also suggests that Latino/as should use Spanish as a source of support for Latino/a identity, since Spanish is their shared heritage. I agree with Oquendo. Language is the central part of a cultural heritage, if they all speak the language that their mother and grandmother speak, they can be closer to their roots and thus secure a sense of belonging. It is important for Puerto Ricans in the U. S. o know their homeland and its culture in order to have a stronger identity. Piri said in the interview that he was not recognized in Puerto Rico because he didn’t write in Spanish, and â€Å"the only reason why I knew of Puerto Rico is because I sat in the corner and listened to the grown-ups speaking about places like Fajardo, Bayamon†¦ I finally went to Puerto Rico when I got out of prison at the age of thirty-two . My God, as that wall of green humidity enveloped me, it was like I was entering into my mother’s arms (Thomas, Race and Mercy: A Conversation with Piri Thomas, 1996, p. 347). Through speaking Spanish, different Latino groups can relate to each other, which can be a source of support. He suggests that Spanish be brought to adult schools, unions, church organization, prisons and rehabilitation programs, so that the adult population can learn, too (Oquendo, 1998, pp. 70-71). It’s also vital that children living in the Barrio know their own value and realize their potential. In the video Every Child is born a Poet: Life and Work of Piri Thomas, it shows Piri working with teenagers in a juvenile hall inspiring them to express themselves and find their values through poetry.It also shows testimonials from local youths telling stories of how Down These Mean Streets had helped them find their identities and connect with their neighborhood (Robinson). There should be social w ork agencies and after-school programs geared towards teenagers helping kids find passion in learning and keep them away from the streets. Piri Thomas’ memoir is not only a testament to the harsh life of immigrants growing up in the United States and the dangers of racism; its wisdom teaches us all of the importance of identity and heritage.Its lessons will benefit generations to come. Works Cited Hernandez-Truyol, B. E. (1998). Bringing International Human Rights Home. In R. Delgado, & J. Stefancic, The Latino/a Condition (p. 381). New York and London: New York University Press. Lane, J. B. (1972). Beating the Barrio: Piri Thomas and â€Å"Down These Mean Streets†. The English Journal. Lopez, I. F. (1998). Chance, Context, and Choice in the Social Construction of Race. In R. Delgado, & J. Stefancic, The Latino/a Condition (pp. -11). New York and London: New York University Press. Oquendo. (1998). Re-imaginning the Latino/a Race. In R. Delgado, & J. Stefancic, The Lati no/a Condition (p. 70). New York and London: New York University Press. Robinson, J. (Director). (n. d. ). Every Child is Born a Poet: Life and Work of Piri Thomas [Motion Picture]. Thomas, P. (1996, Autumn). Race and Mercy: A Conversation with Piri Thomas. (I. Stavans, Interviewer) Thomas, P. (1998). Down These Mean Streets. New York: Vintage Books.

Essay on Racism - 583 Words

What is Racism? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Racism is one of those unusual things which seem to escape the understanding of clear and to the point definition. Racism is a system of racial discrimination and prejudice. The concept of race as classifying people can be seen as misleading people and prejudicial as far as it’s involved in the quality of human life. The term race has been quite confusing because of its four principle connotations. 1. Physical anthropologists have called races the various subspecies of the human race characterized by certain phonotypical and genotypic traits. 2. Laymen have profusely used the word race to describe a human group that shares certain cultural characteristics such as language or religion. 3.†¦show more content†¦Racism is never pushed to the side. For example when a white law school student at Georgetown reported that black students were not as qualified as white students, it made a big controversy about racism. If the student would have murdered some one it would have caused less attention. Racism is an obsession. Universities are always on top of it, newspapers and politicians reject it, churches are against it, and America is strained with it. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Insurance Fund of New York made a company pamphlet in which she explains that all whites are racist and that only whites can be racist.(Thomas Jackson, What is Racism? PublishedAlthough some blacks and liberal whites acknowledge that non – whites have been forced into it as self defense because of centuries of white oppression. What would be called racism when done by whites is thought to be normal when done by any one else. The opposite is also true. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;At a few college campuses, students that disagree with affirmative action have set up a student union for whites, analogous to those for blacks, Hispanics, etc, and have been accused of being racists. Today, one of the favorite slogans that define the unorganized quality of American Racism is â€Å"celebration of diversity†. People have begun to realize that â€Å"diversity† is always achieved at the expense of whites, and never the other wayShow MoreRelatedRacism : Racism And Racism1544 Words   |  7 PagesTo understand whether or not racism is learnt, we first have to divulge into the nature of racism. It is usually assumed that racism has been a part of civilisation since civilisation started, that it is embedded into how people work and that no matter what, it will always exist. Another assumption is that racism derives from the capitalism of the slave trade by white elitist men seeking to dehumanize people for economic gain, and used raci sm as a way to mask their financial motives to justify enslavementRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1003 Words   |  5 Pagesracism: Racism-â€Å"the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.† Imagine, 5 black men. Singing a church song still faithful for hope. Chained and cuffed together. Flies follow them as they walk by in the dry hot desert. With the white oppressor behind them yelling nasty words that poison their brain. Yet they still sing and wait and keep faith. In some statesRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism953 Words   |  4 PagesRacism in America â€Å"Racism is a refuge for the ignorant. It seeks to destroy. It is the enemy of freedom, and it deserves to be met head-on and stamped out.† - Pierre Berton Racism is the unjust hate for any people who are simply different for a various array of reasons. It is all around us and always will be, but that does not give us the right to be passive on the subject. This discrimination against culturally diverse people is hurting our â€Å" land of the free†, one racist remark at a time.Read MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1181 Words   |  5 PagesThis issue of racism is popular by name but tends to be sugar coated by the way people see it. In order to truly understand racism you need to take a bite into the topic in order to get a taste of what it is really like. Racism comes in many different forms and can be seen many different ways. But why even care about racism at all? Why does it even matter? One would think that with such a harsh background regarding racism in America it would no longer exist in society today. But sadly that is notRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism989 Words   |  4 PagesRacism in America Racism discrimination has been one of our society’s most horrible social problems. In the words of the famous Martin Luther King judging an individual by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character can be a very dehumanizing experience that can have lasting effects on an individual life. Racism in America has not come to a cease. Racism promotes negative personal relations between people of different cultures. I believe slavery started around the 1500sRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism996 Words   |  4 PagesCovert Racism Introduction Racism; ‘the belief that races have distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and that this endows some races with an intrinsic superiority over others’ (Collins English Dictionary 2012) and thus leading to ‘abusive or aggressive behaviour towards members of another race on the basis of such a belief’ (Collins English Dictionary 2012). Over time, racism has transformed from a blatant and overt form into a passive style of prejudice and discriminationRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1094 Words   |  5 PagesRacism has been an issue that has caused controversial debates for years. It is a topic that stirs up lots of emotions within people and continues to be an argument for all. When there has been a shooting between a white and a colored or a cop and a colored person, people blame it on racism. They state that since the white cop shot the black man it simply means the cop was racist. Then the people want to speak that justice needs to be served and the cop needs to be put in prison or released fromRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1751 Words   |  8 PagesRacism Social Justice Topic Issue Corbin Metz H R – 3013 University of Oklahoma Racism Social Justice Topic Issue Today in our society, racism is a very popular social justice topic issue, which affects many of the lives of those around us on a daily basis. Individuals as well as organizations and institutions widely commit the act of racism and these issues are embedded in their policies, procedures, and practices (Calgary). The first signs of racism beginning to arise in the worldRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1971 Words   |  8 PagesRacism has come to be a very important topic in today’s society. Many are talking about the injustices when it comes mostly when it comes to African-Americans and Caucasians in authority. Many have deemed the incidents of Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Walter Scott, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, the Spring Valley High School video, and even the Charleston Shooting to name a few as reactions to racism. Out of the people talking about these events, only a few really know the meaning of racismRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism2243 Words   |  9 PagesRacism, a topic which has become especially touchy in modern times. It is quite clear that racism is alive not only in the United States, but across the globe. Though the topic is widely talked about, nobody really does anything to stop it. People will be quick to elaborate on the fact that it should be stopped, then make no changes themselves. Yet do they truly understand the concepts of racism and what it really means to be racist? Granted everybody understands that it is racist to hate a group