Hidden Bias and Stereotypes
There is no doubt that all humans harbor some form of bias against another ethnicity, another religion, another culture, a person simply different from the norm (like a motley homeless person), or perhaps another political party. The Southwestern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) presents a very objective and helpful list of explanations for bias, stereotyping, prejudice, and hidden bias. This paper responds to the SPLC material, to the test given, to my own beliefs about bias (including my biases) -- and to the current American political scene, which shows how one candidate has gathered momentum by tapping into the prejudices, fears and biases of certain segments of the public.
Reflection on Hidden Bias
After taking the test and reading carefully through the "Teaching Tolerance" tutorial by the Southwestern Poverty Law Center, I am more knowledgeable about these topics than I was before. I have a bias against conservatives who ruthlessly, without justification, attack President Obama. My bias is not against Republicans per se, but against far right conservatives, who, for example, tried to convince Americans that Obama wasn't born in the U.S., and that he is a Muslim. They were called "birthers," and their assertions that Obama was ineligible for the presidency (because he was allegedly not born in the U.S.) was, in my opinion, a thinly veiled form of racial discrimination. If I meet someone who espouses those views, I excuse myself and leave that discussion. It may be rude, but I am intolerant of discriminatory behavior when I believe there is a racial bias behind it. So I discriminate against racism and ethnic biases that demean Mexican immigrants.
I have been in a situation with two African-American friends -- at a restaurant -- when I clearly felt that the server was nervous when taking their orders. That rang a bell when I read on page two of the SPLC tutorial that "Members of minorities continue to report humiliating treatment by store clerks, co-workers and police." Also, there are clearly biases (not always blatantly presented) against Latinos in many parts of the nation.
I am very personally...
I care very deeply about the future of our country; hence, I continue to this day to be confused and even angry at the United States House of Representatives when it comes to fairness for Mexican immigrants that are here illegally. In 2013, the United States Senate passed legislation that would allow path to citizenship to an illegal immigrant, providing that the person: a) serve the country in some way (military) or do other community-based work; b) learn English; c) pay a fine; d) have had no arrests or outstanding warrants; and g) wait up to 4 or 5 years. Shamefully, the Speaker of the House of Representatives refused to bring the legislation up for a vote. Reportedly, the Speaker knew the House would never pass this legislation because the far right wing tea party would lead the charge against it.
Was that hidden bias? Or was it outright prejudice against people of Latino heritage? The Gallup poll showed 65% of Americans support a path to citizenship for the 11 or so million immigrants here illegally. That's two out of three adults favoring giving these folks a chance at citizenship. The 11 million or so immigrants already are making huge contributions to the American economy, but when asked as to why some conservatives opposed this bill the answer always comes up that it is "amnesty." This is clearly a political lie that is used as justification for prejudice. The definition of "amnesty" is nowhere close to what the 2013 legislation tried to do for illegal immigrants.
The Southern Poverty Law Center explains that prejudices " ... are often accompanied by ignorance, fear or hatred ... they are formed by a complex psychological process that begins with attachment ... to an 'in group'" -- in this case, the House of Representatives is the "in group" and Mexican immigrants are the "out group." "Amnesty" is actually a hateful response to what is actually a humanitarian proposal to give illegal immigrants a chance to fulfill their dreams and be part of the mainstream of American society.
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