Racism and stereotypes' impact on African-American women's mental health

Controlling Images: Representations of Women

Women have been portrayed in various ways throughout time. How race, class, and gender stereotypes impact the representation of women is a very important consideration, and it has changed over the course of history. One thing has not changed, however, and that is the concern that these generalizations inevitably involve false assumptions that reflect and reinforce male dominance. In other words, it is still a male-dominated society, and being female -- especially minority female -- is putting women at a disadvantage that they are finding difficult to overcome (Espiritu, 2007). There is an argument that racism is no longer present in this country, and many people point to the current President as an example that America has overcome any racist tendencies. Despite the progress that has been made, though, there are still many minority individuals -- most notably women -- who are stereotyped and discriminated against-based mostly on the color of their skin or the slant of their eyes (Espiritu, 2007).

In order to help these women lead fuller lives and avoid much of the discrimination that they have been subjected to in the past, it is very important that the message of how they are treated makes it to society, and that society sees it as being important enough to focus on and do something about (Gimlin, 2005). These are both important considerations, and if they are not taking place there will not be any progress made. How best to make that progress and get that message out to more people who will take it seriously is up for debate. First, however, it is important to look at cultural factors and stereotypes so that the how and why of the treatment of these women can be better and more clearly understood. This is not always an easy subject to discuss, because racism brings with it a lot of tension (Gimlin, 2005). Feminism and women's liberation also bring tension to most discussions, but there are issues at work here that need to be addressed, regardless.

Nature and Effects of Racism and Stereotypes

The nature and effects of racism, prejudice, and discrimination in society impact mental health in African-American women. It has been found that less attention is paid to the experience of racism among those who are the target of it. For example, it is not generally uncommon for experiences of racism to be questioned or challenged by other people (Gimlin, 2005). Such requests for proof create a my-perception-against-your-perception dilemma that can include accusations of paranoia, hostility, oversensitivity, manipulations, or self-serving motives -- none of which open up a dialogue and help address the true problem of racist and controlling behaviors where minority women are concerned (Gimlin, 2005).

Recent research also suggests that people's perceptions of personal and group discrimination are usually very accurate (Gimlin, 2005). Some degree of denial can be helpful in avoiding feelings of powerlessness and vulnerability, and conserving emotional energy. However, this short-term projection can also be harmful to the development of long-term coping skills (Gimlin, 2005). From a nature vs. nurture standpoint, the environment affects how an individual functions, and the behavior of people also contributes to environmental demands. For women of color or women who fall into another minority category, life stresses can also include considerations of experiences that are related to unique person-environment transactions involving race, culture, gender, or another 'marker' (Gimlin, 2005).

These stressors are often described as innocuous, preconscious or unconscious degradations or put-downs. For example, a black woman being mistaken for someone who serves other people, such as a maid, or being ignored or overlooked while waiting in line for something, can be a cause of stress in women of color (Hook, 1998). Intentional or unintentional daily racism or gender-obvious stressors can also be perceived as not serious enough for a lot of people to confront. Most such stressors are allowed to pass in order to protect one's time, energy, sanity, or integrity. Repeated contact with racial or gender slights and prejudices, including small stressors, can produce a condition of "psychological invisibility" in a woman of color, or in a woman who is looked-down-upon or slighted for a perceived other reason, such as age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or simply gender (Hook, 1998).

African-American women are often impacted by stressors such as chronic contextual stress and collective experiences (Collins, 1998; Hook, 1998). Chronic contextual stress is unequal distribution of resources and limitations on the opportunities for black women that influence quality of life for these individuals and their families. Having liquor stores primarily on most corner in black neighborhoods, and having out-of-date textbooks in urban schools are examples of chronic contextual stressors, but there are also stressors like this that belong just to women of color or women who fall into other minority groups. Most of these revolve around the way men traditionally think of these women -- either as 'nannies,' or as throw-away women that are not as valuable or worthwhile as their white counterparts (Collins, 1998; Hook, 1998; Gimlin, 2005).

Collective experiences are another stressor, and these exist in the absence of any kind of political representation. Racism has a profound impact on the mental health of African-American women, and it is even more upsetting when both race and gender work together to cause problems for these women (Collins, 1998). A lot of these women find that they are judged as less-than because of the fact that they are female, and when it is realized that they belong to a minority race they are seen as even less valuable. Of course, this is not always the case and there are many people who really do not care about a person's race of gender -- but there are many who still do, and it is these people who minority women often struggle with.

Discrimination and Justice

The American justice system says that it prides itself for being color blind, yet more than one-half of the prisoners incarcerated today are black men or women, and they account for more than one million people in prison. African-Americans make up fourteen percent of all of the drug users in America, but they constitute more than thirty-five percent of all of the drug arrests, fifty-five percent of the drug convictions, and nearly seventy-five percent of all of the drug admissions for drug offences. Statistically, at least eight out of ten African-Americans men will be arrested at some point.

This pattern of racial bias in statistics has been confirmed by research done by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, but most black women face a different kind of racism. While they are not arrested and jailed nearly as often as their male counterparts, they are often assumed to have no husband, a lot of children, and live on welfare (Hook, 1998). They are assumed to be unintelligent and 'only good for one thing.' It is this kind of racism from society -- and often from male members of their own race, as well -- that black women must face every day (Collins, 1998; Hook, 1998). How difficult is it to remain feeling valuable when members of their own race turn against you for who and what they are?

Conclusion

There is little that can be done to eliminate biological differences between the ethnic groups, but society can change differences that have been created by its own political and economic systems. Some psychologists even argue that racism should be treated like a mental health issue. Racism, therefore, becomes a double-edged sword and both the oppressors and the oppressed suffer from and for it. The oppressors have guilt, shame, and remorse, while the oppressed have anger, despair, and thoughts of revenge. None of these feelings are productive for the person or for society.

It has been noted that ethnocentrism is at the core of these prejudicial attitudes and beliefs. Ethnocentrism is defined as having an exaggerated preference for dealing only with one's own group and a very strong dislike of those who belong to other groups. Both minority and majority groups can be guilty of perpetuating separation, because comfort with people of their own kind is inviting. It fosters a sense of belonging and safety that few people really like to let go of, in many cases. Some members of both mainstream the majority culture and of minority cultures glorify ethnocentrism and they detest the idea of adopting other cultural values, attitudes, or opinions, because they believe that anyone who is 'not like them' is wrong.

White people often enjoy the fruits of racial privilege, while black people and other minorities struggle to keep up and to be treated fairly and equally by all others. Both the majority and minority groups often also reject those people who succeed through becoming linguistically anglicized or culturally Americanized -- or 'Caucasianized.' In other words, those people of either the minority or the majority group who change their attitudes and their beliefs enough to 'fit in' with another group of people are often ostracized to a certain degree by the original group they belonged to (Gimlin, 2005; Espiritu, 2007). Black women are put down by white people and by black men. If they become 'more black' to f it in with what black men want, white people look down on them further (Collins, 1998; Hook, 1998). If they become 'more white' so that they can be more respected and move ahead, black men see them as thinking that they are better than they really are, and they can be shunned by 'their own kind.' It is becoming increasingly more difficult for a black woman to remain true to her roots and heritage and also be successful in what is largely a white society (Collins, 1998).

The nature of race and its association with what are commonly called in-groups and out-groups has been debated for a long time. However, there are many who believe that the process of dissolving any kind of racial identity in a very diverse and still somewhat-racist population is extremely difficult, and that is magnified when gender also plays a role (Collins, 1998; Hook, 1998). Minority groups are naturally expected to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, regardless of the societal bias against them based on their group affiliations. Often, though, they need help to do this, and they are not getting any of this help based on prejudices that many others have toward them.

Black women and other minorities are confused by dual messages of equality and inequality that are so prevalent in American society today, and these messages seem to be growing stronger over time. Because of that, they may alternate between feeling they need help and believing they can succeed on their own, without needing to change who they are in order to belong or be (and feel) valuable to society and themselves. They may also alternate between their cultural heritage and what they feel they must do to fit in with white society. These black women have not yet been completely able to resolve internalized tensions that they have between pride and shame. They want to be proud of who they are and their cultural heritage, but yet society all too often reinforces the message that, without change, they are inferior.