Good Example Of Racism In Today’s World Essay

Contrary to the notion that our current society is “color blind” in regard to racism, it has become common knowledge that racism is very real. Racial discrimination, economic inequalities, social segregation, hate crimes, as well as the behavior of some government agencies; demonstrate that racism has by no means gone away. As it stands, racism whether it takes the form of utterances, or actions is still present in our society. Today’s society is therefore, characterized by deep-rooted racism.
Within my own life, I have encountered first hand experiences of racism within my country. Despite my belief and hope that racism should not be a fixture in our world, I am afraid that racist radicals have continued to harm the nation through their personal racial segregations. In some situations, those who have dark skin can hardly acquire the services they desperately need, for instance, being denied employment, or followed around in a shopping store. Furthermore, public goods often seem to be distributed unequally along racial lines. Let us compare the scenarios to understand this inequality more in depth. Having the opportunity to tour the Hunts Point neighborhood in New York City, I was amazed by the various characteristics of this community. The area, mostly occupied by African Americans, was covered with industrial waste, boarded homes, tall grasses, uneven street pavements with deep potholes, and police officers fighting the drug dealers on the corners. However, in a suburban area, I have viewed new businesses and new homes being built appropriately with the taxpayer’s money, smooth street and sidewalk pavements, no trash or litter on the grounds, and working class citizens that work hard so their children could attend schools with excellent rated school systems. Even local city officials discriminate for distribution of where the funding goes to fix the ghettos versus the suburban areas consisting of mainly Caucasians and high income minorities.
As a Pakistani Muslim American, I have been subjected to several instances of segregation, especially in school, as a result of the color of my skin. Indeed, I came to learn that most minority schools in my own country have less than experienced teachers than the “majority” schools have. There was one instance in which a teacher punished me without listening to my side of the story. I suspected that the teacher was motivated by racism, because my white colleagues were allowed “off the hook”. Students would at times look down on me because of my skin color. In addition, they would not share their equipment with me. I have even been discriminated against in hotels, where the look on the attendants’ faces communicates the message that a colored person is not welcome in that place.
An African-American friend of mine was once assaulted and suspended from school because of a very minor mistake. Elijah, who was overweight due to hereditary factors (as he described it to me once), mistakenly petrified two truculent males. Due to the ignorant mind of the police officer who saw them, he was reported for “harsh bullying.” It came to light later on that the boy had never participated in the reported bullying case at the school. Elijah explained his situation to me and, subsequently, never attended study sessions with me. This shows that such acts can have very negative effects on the academic performance of the child who is discriminated against.
     In conclusion, racism is harmful to the entire nation. It leads to a derailment of the social, economic and political development of an individual -- mental isolation in me and a dispirited life in Elijah. Racism also hinders progress for community and work projects, causes a “closed mind”, and hurts our future generations from reaching their true potential and development.