Sociology concepts and applications

Sociology

In spite of the fact that the U.S. is generally accepted as a country where minorities fit in perfectly due to the diversity present here, matters are particularly intriguing when considering African-Americans and Native Americans. Whereas conditions have changed when regarding the American society's position toward other races, African-Americans and Native Americans continue to be discriminated on account of their race. Some of the main factors triggering this prolonged form of racism are the slavery period and the Manifest Destiny. People have trouble treating African-Americans and Native Americans as equals primarily because of the fact that the ancestors of black people were slaves and because American Indians have always been persecuted by a white-dominated society.

To a certain degree, one can consider that people's attitude in regard to African-Americans and Native Americans is a result of the fact that people belonging to these two races presently have trouble putting the past behind and feel that it is their mission to act against the society that once considered them inferior. A series of ethnic minorities have been subjected to persecution across the history of the U.S., with people often using stereotypes as a form of discrimination. However, discrimination toward other races was limited when compared to prejudice in regard to African-Americans and Native Americans. From the very first moments of their interaction with white cultures, these two ethnic groups were subjected to continued harassment. Even though matters have apparently calmed during the recent decades, conditions are still critical and the masses seem to have trouble leaving the past behind and employing an objective character toward these two races.

The U.S. has experienced constant change during its development and its history made it possible for Americans to be less biased toward minorities, as little people can actually claim that their race, their religious preferences, or their thinking makes them perfectly normal. Individuals have gotten used to diversity and it is in point of fact one of the characteristic elements of America.

While Native Americans consider their cultural values to be some of the most important things in their lives, the contemporary American society has come to use certain native elements as a means of promoting particular merchandise. Native Americans symbols have come to represent everything that they are not supposed to. Things did not change when particular individuals have tried to raise public awareness, as "Native Americans' pleas to eliminate this practice have been met with such strong resistance by individuals who seem thoughtful, well educated, and not particularly racist" (Delacruz, 2003). Some might be inclined to believe that the American society respects Native American heritage by using native symbols to promote certain things. However, the truth is that this does much harm to Native American communities, as they feel that their culture is being deteriorated and their most respected values are being ignored by the American society. Weakened by centuries of persecution, Native Americans have almost gotten accustomed to being discriminated on a daily basis (Delacruz, 2003).