Race and Class Are Inextricably

Race and class are inextricably entwined, making the two issues inseparable. Especially in the United States, and throughout Western Europe as well, poverty and race and linked. Therefore, neither one plays a more important role in the evident societal inequalities and discrimination. Race has been the root cause of discrimination, leading to reduced access to jobs, positions of power, and upward social mobility. This in turn has created a vast underclass of non-whites. As the author claims, blacks are three times as likely to be poor than whites in the United States.

Racism still does exist, albeit in a subtle way. In many cases, racism is denied or ignored, such as in the ways people bolster their stereotyping about other ethnic and racial groups. The nature of racism has changed. As the author points out, it is not considered socially acceptable to be an overt racist. Thus, racism has been pushed deep into the psyches of individuals. "The maintenance of white privilege is done in a way that defies racial readings," (p. 3).

It is impossible to indicate the absolute causes of contemporary racial inequalities and discrimination. Still, we can trace the current race relations in America to the perpetuation of overt racism that existed well up until the Civil Rights movement. Although the United States now proudly boasts a President who is a man of color, the racist attitudes of Americans are still evident in the harsh reactions to President Obama. Similarly, many Americans deny the need for affirmative action programs, which are still needed to minimize the income disparity between blacks and whites and help black communities revive and revitalize. Inequalities continue to exist because they are handed down from generation to generation in the form of stereotypes, beliefs, and sheer ignorance.

Being successful means enjoying inner peace and the freedom that goes along with it. Someone who is poor is not free because of their constant money worries. This does not mean that rich people are free; on the contrary, many are not. However, money is required to live a free and easy life that defines success. Success as the achievement of personal and professional goals depends on having sufficient resources. Both Mr. Hernandez and Mr. Clay are successful. Both race and class played important roles in the article, showing that the two issues are inseparable. The article shows how the two issues are linked and how sociologists must view race and class together. Even if non-white minorities do not conform to the ideologies and practices of the dominant culture, or the "general population," equality is still ensured by law.

Race, not class, has impacted the ways many minorities are treated in the United States and in Western Europe. For example, in France and other parts of Europe the large influx of immigrants from northern Africa and Turkey experience overt discrimination. The same type of discrimination exists in the United States, in which it is not just African-Americans but also Latinos and the people of color from the Middle East and Asia who experience systematic discrimination. Because non-whites have different social and cultural values, they are viewed as being outside of the dominant culture. Discrimination is made worse by the fact that the media perpetuates stereotypes about non-white groups.