Stereotyping and prejudice: definitions and distinctions

Prejudice

Has prejudice in the United States declined since earlier decades, when certain groups of people such as blacks, Jews and homosexuals were excluded from having the same rights as others in this country? Many individuals believe that the passing of the Civil Rights Act significantly improved the bigotry and "isms" that exist among American people. Is this really true? or, has prejudice become more subtle and seen in other ways other than blatant segregation and inequalities?

Those who believe that the U.S. offers much greater equality, point to the fact that no people can be kept from attending any public activities or services. True, no one can tell someone to leave a restaurant because of race, creed or color, or to "sit at the back of the bus." However, racial inequalities continue to exist in public education. On the whole, Blacks and Hispanics receive much poorer quality of education than whites. Educator and historian Jonathon Kozol states, "Schools that were already deeply segregated 25 or 30 years ago are no less segregated now, while thousands of other schools around the country that had been integrated either voluntarily or by the force of law have since been rapidly resegregating."

Such disparities also exist within the country's penal system. Many studies have shown that the percentage of minority inmates in U.S. prisons has increased significantly since federal sentencing guidelines took effect 17 years ago, with blacks generally receiving harsher punishments than whites. While sentencing has become "more certain and predictable," disparities still exist among races and regions of the country.

People who truly believed that prejudice was decreasing in this country only had to see what took place with the Arab-Americans after 911. Although the situation was nothing as bad as placing anyone in camps as the Japanese-Americans were during World War II, many Arab-Americans were put into jail without cause and treated with anti-Semitic slurs by individuals in their own communities. This prejudice has abated since then, but still exists throughout the U.S.

Native Alaskans who attend a high school in this Western state interviewed their "elders," those living through the 1930s to 1950s, about the inequalities that existed. These individuals, too, were not able to go to certain movies or be served at local white-owned restaurants. Even in 2007, many Native Alaskans relate stories about the bigotry that exits within their state. A few years ago, several white students exploded paint balls at a Native Alaskan walking down the street. Native Alaskans also have less representation and responsibilities in the judicial system and receive, on whole, a lesser education than the non-Natives.