Article Link:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/12/21/white.persecution/index.html
Article: Are whites racially oppressed?
By John Blake
March, 2011
Main Thing of Article:
- Racial discrimination and how many white people feel as though they are moving from the majority group into a racially oppressed minority group.
-Historically….
- White’s always been majority in America
-White’s have had power, typically been higher class all throughout
-White’s held slaves: During the slave trade and slave era black people were enslaved by white holders
-During reconstruction era, black people were denied their rights, were prevented from voting at polls even though they legally had their right to vote
-1900’s until Civil Rights movement black people have been discriminated against – racist terms, denied basic rights, denied places to go (bathrooms, restaurants), racial intermarriage not allowed, etc
-White Supremecist groups such as Ku Klux Klan have done hate crimes against black people
- A recent Public Religion Research Institute poll found 44% of Americans surveyed identify discrimination against whites as being just as big as bigotry aimed at blacks and other minorities
-White people are feeling like they are becoming minorities for many reasons
-Some examples
-Not being offered minority scholarships for financial aid because they are not a part of a minority group
-Due to the recently tough economy, some white people are having severe financial struggles and are no longer up high in the social structure of America
. “Now more white Americans are sharing unemployment lines with "those people" -- black and brown, Tim Wise, author of a book called “White Like Me” says.
"For the first time since the Great Depression, white Americans have been confronted with a level of economic insecurity that we're not used to," he says. "It's not so new for black and brown folks, but for white folks, this is something we haven't seen since the Depression."
A lot of comments have been made about white people becoming a minority since President Obama was elected into office.
-In 2011 Fox talk-show host Glenn Beck led a march on Washington (attended primarily by white people) to "restore honor," and once called President Obama a racist with a "deep-seated hatred for white people and white culture."
-Peter Brimelow, author of "Alien Nation: Common Sense About America's Immigration Disaster," asserts that much of white America's anxiety derives from living under a black president and changing demographics.
Diversity, he says, "is not strength."
-Some white people feel that they are losing their grip on America, they are no longer in control of America
-Many of Americas celebritys, sport stars, etc are people of color, and the changing face of America is making some white people feel as though they are becoming an oppressed minority
-This fear of economically and socially not having a grip on all of the power in America is -making some white people feel as though they are being oppressed and treated like minorities.
- news outlets ran a number of stories claiming that an incident from the 2008 elections happened, in which activists from the New Black Panther Party appeared to be intimidating voters at a polling place. Those claims were never proven.
Other American’s however feel as though these thoughts that white people are becoming an oppressed minority are false. The severity to which white people committed racist acts against other races is much more than is being done to them. Their own fear on their potentially diminishing power in America and self-righteousness is causing them to say they are feeling as though they are oppressed and are a minority group needing help.
Others say that they are not becoming oppressed and that race in America is improving. Mona Charen, a columnist for the National Review says that “If more white Americans feel like an embattled minority, why did they elect President Barack Obama?”
While there is increase in diversity and racial equality in our country, which is a good thing to promote and something America has been working on for a long time, there are those who are seeing it is turning the tables, but it’s debatable to how far it’s possible to go to really say whites are becoming oppressed minorities.
2010 Census Records
White persons, percent, 2010 (a)
72.4%
Black persons, percent, 2010 (a)
12.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2010 (a)
0.9%
Asian persons, percent, 2010 (a)
4.8%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2010 (a)
0.2%
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2010
2.9%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2010 (b)
16.3%
Question: Do you think that there is racial oppression against white people? Why or why not? Do you think that people would feel this way if not for certain factors such as the recent struggles with the economy?
I don't think there is racial oppression against white people. White people may have had the upper hand in the past against other races but I don't think that just because other races are gaining the power that they deserve means whites are being oppressed. Granted as Mrs. Vivirito quoted that by 2015 whites will no longer be the majority of this country. But we also have to think that the new majority would be made up of other races so technically there would still be more whites I think. Also I think that some white people aren't as grateful for what they have currently. Like "Not being offered minority scholarships for financial aid because they are not a part of a minority group" I know that it may not always seem right that a student wouldn't get the finical aid they deserve, but life just isn't fair, sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI believe that since whites are a race, there will always be racial oppression against them as well as all races (though minorities are generally affected most). The animosity created through racial indifference's in economical status is starting to affect whites as well but I would not consider the tough economy as racism; since it is affecting America as a whole. Furthermore, I believe that the purpose of America was to integrate all these races so that everyone can obtain the American Dream. However, according to this article it seems sort of like whites are doing just the opposite and do not like the fact that blacks are becoming more popular in sports, politics, and Hollywood. Thus, I don't think whites are being discouraged from these positions, I think that minorities are being encouraged more than before, hence the increase in numbers within these businesses. Furthermore, I believe that economical struggles definetly effect the way people feel because people are maybe looking for an outlet for the blame of their economy so they blame reverse racism.
ReplyDeletei do not believe that whites are discriminated at all! i believe that whites are completely overreacting over the racism over "whites". i mean we have dominated the race for centuries and we still have so much percentage of whites in America. i mean 72.4% is still a lot of whites in America. and off of what Randa said yes different color races are becoming famous in sports or Hollywood, but whites still are part of the world and are not being discrimination in any way whats so ever. They are overreacting to much.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is racial oppression against everybody including whites but I do believe that they overreacting. Just because most of the sports stars and celebrities are people of color does not mean they are getting oppressed. It just means that recently them have had more talent. I think that it is just be chance it is like that and good very well be the other way around. I think that they just need to deal with the colleges not giving them minority benefits because whites are not a minority. Since almost three quarters of this country are made up of whites there are going to be more of them in colleges anyway so there is no need to explain.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that because whites are a race, there will always be racial oppression against them, just like other races that also get discriminated against, even though minorities are affected the most. I agree with what Randa said about the purpose of America being to integrate all of the different races so that everyone can obtain the American Dream. According to this article, it also seems like white are doing the opposite and they don’t like the fact that the blacks are becoming more popular in America today. So, I don’t think that whites are discouraged from these positions and I think that minority groups are being more encouraged to get involved more.
ReplyDeletePretty much every race feels racial oppression from the others and the white race is no exception. However, I feel that the 44% of Americans that took the survey are being a bit dramatic. The white race has been dominate in the United States for many years, but we’ve also begun to allow immigrants into the country, allowing more diversity among the population. I definitely agree with Randa that a majority of the white race are not allowing to accept the fact that other races are taking their spots. The white race has had the upper hand ever since the discovery of America and I feel that we’re not willing to give up our position as the “top” race so easily. I also agree with Sam that minority groups are being encouraged to get more involved, but that doesn’t mean whites are being discriminated against. I feel that many are overreacting.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that whites are oppressed in our country. 72% of the country is caucasian, showing that whites are not close to being the minority at this point. However, in certain situations whites are at a major disadvantage. Colleges are more apt to accept a minority student over a white student with the same credentials. In my eyes, oppression is much more deliberate than that, however. Moving certain races into ghettos and forcing the separation of certain utilities such as bathrooms and water fountains according to race is more along the lines of my view of oppression.
ReplyDeleteI think there is no way that whites are oppressed in the US. We make up a massive chunk of the population in this and we are the majority of the people who live here. I do understand how they feel oppressed with colleges and other institutions giving minorities special advantages over whites, but that is not grounds for oppression. That is only due to them wanting diversity. There is no way when whites make up 72% of the population that they are oppressed. They are given the same rights as every one else. Even with all the recent struggles in the country, they aren't oppressed against. Jeff brings up a great point with his view of oppression. Its not like the whites are being separated from other races, so they really aren't oppressed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Randa that, yes of course since whites are a race they are going to be faced with racial oppression no matter what. I believe that it is true that whites have created more racist acts against other races than has been done to the white race. I think that many white people are afraid that they might have less power and that in fact their self righteousness is causing them to say that they are oppressed and are becoming a minority group. I also think that since we currently have a black president, white people view that as a concern that we are gradually losing power to black people who in which were once discriminated against greatly. Since the economy is bad across the entire country, I don’t think that if that were changed people would feel differently about this topic. I agree with Tim and think that people are overreacting as well because whites still account for 72.4% of the population in America. So in my opinion, I don’t think white people are faced with a great deal of racial oppression.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is racial oppression against all races including whites. White people are known for their past as always being the majority, and always on top. But now that some numbers are sliding they feel they are loosing power and are basically becoming the minority. I like Randa's idea that the purpose of America was to integrate the races to obtain the American Dream, but how whites are feeling "left out" by all of the black celebrities, sports stars, and politicians coming to rise. I also agree with Sammie about the minority groups are being encouraged to get involved more.
ReplyDeleteI completely disagree with Natalya about the college scholarship thing however. Students should not be offered scholarships just because they are in a minority, but because they have worked hard and the school really wants them to go there. Yeah life isn't fair, but if you try hard then obviously you deserve credit for it. Say there was a white person who got straight A's by studying hard and trying to do well, got into College A and a black person who did alright in school and also got into College A. The black person got a scholarship just for being in a minority while the white person didn't get anything for the hard work they put into their schoolwork. To me, THAT'S not fair. I also agreed with what Katrina was saying in class, I do believe that it's sort of hard for whites to get into college now because the admission boards want to have diversity on their campus. I also believe that if there was a white person and a black person, who had the same exact everything on their transcript, the black person would get in over the white person because the admissions board wants that diversity and do not want to continue the "white are superior" trend.
Whites are not being racial oppressed in my opinion. Whites have been the majority group that has always been successful throughout the whole past. White people are not still growing, but they aren't deteriorating either. Since there aren't a lot of white people doing fascinating things anymore, people think that we are being oppressed when in reality we not. It just happens that other races are starting to shoot up. The economy in my mind is a big reason why I think people think that we are in an oppression, but there is more to it.
ReplyDeleteHard topic because I am not on either side. There is always racism not specifically on one group. I do believe some colleges may try to accept more of a variety of races but it compared to some other racist acts that occur this isn't as bad. I also do not think that this would be felt as much as it is if the economy wasn't where it is today.
ReplyDeleteEver since Europeans traveled to North America and colonized, whites have always been the majority. And although the article states that whites are being racially oppressed and becoming a minority, they're really not. They may be at some extent where the opposite race may think differently about whites, thinking about the past. And according to Mrs. Vivirito, in the near future whites are going to become the minority. And it is not that we will be the minority in level of superiority, just a smaller part of the population. The percentage of whites in the United States as of the 2010 US Census Report was 72.4%. There are many current views on how colleges are looking for diversity and minority races lot enroll and accept. They offer race specific financial aid and scholarships, and none for whites because they suppose we can afford it. I wonder the same thing as the author of the article when they said “If more white Americans feel like an embattled minority, why did they elect President Barack Obama?” where he is African American, whom supposedly will grow to be the majority, as whites become the minority. So in the end, there may be some racial oppression on whites, but in the end it may just be a result of people giving the current minority a chance at education or political offices. As with the economy, it is possible that it is coincidence of a new president, but really it has been getting prominently worse the past few years, and those were white presidents who were in charge of government spending. So no, I don't think the economy has anything to do with racial oppression, although there are some views of that in some news reports. And with the scholarship bit, colleges are trying to give everyone a fair chance which is why colleges want and try to be very racially diverse to attract people from all over to enroll.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Randa, that since whites are a race they are going to be faced with racial oppression. However, whites are the least affected by racial oppression. The white race has been the majority race in the United States for many years. Due to immigration, the United States has a lot of diversity. I think that some whites have a problem with more of a diversity in this country and different people are handling it different ways. As many have said, minority groups are being more encouraged to get more involved, and this country is leading towards equal races rather than one dominant race.
ReplyDeletei agree with several people when i say that I am in between, but also have little to say or think about this topic because i am in the middle. White certainly had had the upper hand in this country, and has been the leading majority. I personally have never encountered racism against white people, which probably has a lot to do with the fact that i live in a small town in Massachusetts. I believe that the white race in America has been the most racist here. The white race discriminate against immigrates, who are mainly coming in from the sough (Mexico and Brazil).There is a lot of diversity here, and I think that when you have diversity among races, there is bound to be racism, against EVERY group.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that whites are being faced with any racial oppression from society, especially since the whites hold the majority of economic wealth in the country. I think that this dilemma is arising from the diversity that is seemingly growing in the United States, and the potential of whites losing their majority status. I guess the increasing cultural melting pot of America brings a nervous reaction to the white American community. Either way I don't believe that whites are facing any kind of danger from racial discrimination, nor are they being oppressed for their ethnicity. To the contrary the Caucasian population of America still has the most power in our society, and instead a lot of other races suffer from poverty.
ReplyDeleteAs some of the people said above, white is a race along with all of the other races out there who are racially oppressed. The racial groups that are often discriminated upon are the minority people that are criticized by the white population who are the majority. Therefore, the white race will not get as many accusations as the other races because they make up over 50% of our population. Every race is always going to be discriminated against in some way no matter if they are the minority group or the majority group. In America especially, we have a very diverse society because of the amount of immigration and over sized population. If we continue to become more and more diverse, everyone will be equal as it says in the article that someday the whites will be the minority. Immigration plays a huge problem in our economy because immigrants are looking for jobs and will work for anything. Big American operations will take advantage of so called "cheap labor" and use the immigrants instead of Americans who have higher expectations. I think that our economy has a lot to do with racial oppression because the American population is made up of white people and the immigrants are coming from other nations which means they have different ethnic groups. The Americans have a reason to insult other races because they feel like they are stealing their jobs in their own country.
ReplyDeleteLike most of the previous posts I do not believe that whites are being purposely oppressed. Everyone mentioned how all races are oppressed in some way, shape or form and I agree with that idea. There is always going to be select few people who dislike something about someone and this is what leads to oppression. As the most dominant race slowly becomes the majority minority I think complaints are going to become more exaggerated and more common. Whites are going to think that they are being oppressed because they are receiving the same benefits as the the previous minority groups. Like Erika and Sammie said, minorities are being encouraged to get more involved to create more diversity, which demotes the average white Caucasian. I still believe that whites are the most powerful because they make up the majority of Congress, which creates the governing laws. I think they are making complaints because they have heard that they are becoming the majority minority and they need excuses to abide for the new label.
ReplyDeleteI don't think whites are being oppressed purposely. As said above, every race are oppressed in some way or another. There are always people who have their own opinions on people and they may not think it is something really bad but it will eventually lead to oppression of the race. Therefore, as more oppression occurs, there will soon be no minority race and all the other races who used to be on top will feel like they are being oppressed and will complain more and more about it until it becomes a big deal. I agree with Kirsten in that whites are needing excuses to abide the new label.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that whites are being oppressed. The argument that because blacks were slaves for so long also isn't a reason to give blacks more rights than anyone else. As Ari mentioned, ever race is going to be oppressed one way or another. But I feel that by saying whites are being racially oppressed is almost racist in itself because you are separating blacks and whites into two different groups instead of looking at them as a whole
ReplyDelete