Kaylan Gutierrez

Writing For the Humanities & Arts

March 20, 2022

 

Op- Ed : Racial Discrimination in our Society Today

 

There are many different people who come from all parts of the world. The United States is one of the most diverse countries filled with people who come from many different places, speak different languages and are different races. New York City, the city I live in, is considered to be the “melting pot” meaning one of the most diverse cities in the world where you can find many different people.  However, still there being many people who don’t all look the same or talk the same racial discrimination is still a common problem in our society today.  Racial Discrimination occurs in places like work where employees are treated differently because of their skin color, where they are from, and how they speak. And how some people aren’t employed for jobs because they’re not white and because of that they aren’t “fit” for the job. Racial Discrimination also occurs in public health care places where a white person is more likely to get better care than a black or hispanic person. Police brutality a big issue in our society today that also comes from racial discrimination. Although racial discrimination takes place in many areas I’m going to focus on racial discrimination in work places. I believe racial discrimination has had a toll in our society on a national level, throughout history it has been a problem that has bled into our daily lives, into our political policies, into our jobs, into corruption  within our own government. Many immigrants/ people of color  are treated unfairly and without the proper respect because of where they are from and their skin color. Through this article attention can be brought to those 

who discriminate that this is a very unjust act and has had lasting impacts on the lives of many of these people.   This topic interests me because it is very common and its effects are major. But also I can speak on it from a first hand perspective because it has happened to people close to me. Racial  Discrimination has a negative impact on the higher education, employment, and relationships of many people. Due to the fact that their skin color is not white and they don’t talk or look like a white person these individuals face racial discrimination.  For example, getting bullied for their accent, seen as less people because of the way they speak and look, deprived of job opportunities, etc. 

 

Elin Johnson discussed in his article “Racial Inequality, at College and in the Workplace ”According to a study, white people held 77 percent of decent positions in 2016, despite only accounting for 69 percent of accessible jobs. Latinx workers had 13 percent of good jobs while holding 18 percent of all jobs, and black workers had 10% of good jobs out of 13 percent of all occupations. The study also discovered that black Americans have nearly double the unemployment rate of white Americans, and Latinos have around 1.5 times the rate of whites. This study proves my point on how racial discrimination effects the work lives of immigrants and people of color. I believe that this is an issue because discrimination isn’t being addressed and educational opportunities aren’t being expanded.  There aren’t policies and incentives that promote diversity and promote economic development in disadvantaged areas. Also, because young people do not currently have access to the essential work experience they require.

 

Although many people do not see what goes on in these workplaces and how employees are chosen. A lot of racial discrimination goes on behind the reason an employee is chosen. Usually when applying to a job your background records are searched and if you have a criminal record you’re most likely to not be chosen over someone who has a clean record. However according to the article “​​Confronting the Uncomfortable Reality of Workplace Discrimination” by Derek R. Avery and Enrica N. Ruggs Studies have shown that darker-skinned applicants face distinctive disadvantages when applying for jobs compared with lighter-skinned applicants.  One study even found that a White applicant with a criminal record received more interest from employers than a Black applicant with no record. Discrimination in the workplace is a systemic problem that doesn’t go away after someone gets a job. Negotiations over starting salary, future income, etc  are all influenced by racial bias. In summary, Black employees start out earning less than white employees, and this difference grows with time. Promotions are also given less frequently to black employees. This is an issue I can relate too on a personal level because my father faced racial discrimination In the work force as well. My father started off as a rookie in the police department and he worked very hard to work his way up and get promoted to higher positions. But through all his hard work he did face a lot of discrimination like white police officers saying “he isn’t capable of this position”. His white bosses attempted  to give him more work and longer hours than other employees. Also by trying to humiliate him by speaking of his family and background etc. 

 

 

Whereas discrimination was overt and prevalent 50 years ago, it is now more difficult to determine the extent to which continuous forms of discrimination impact everyday experiences and opportunities. According to their article “The Sociology of Discrimination: Racial Discrimination in Employment, Housing, Credit, and Consumer Markets” Devah Pager and Hana Sheperd state that “ the majority of white Americans believe that a black person today has the same chance at getting a job as an equally qualified white person, and only a third believe that discrimination is an important explanation for why blacks do worse than whites in income, housing, and jobs”. Although the issue isn’t as visible as it was many years ago does not mean that it doesn’t go on behind closed doors. 

 

In conclusion there has been a lot of improvement toward the issue of racial discrimination, However we can’t end here. We must speak up and have these uncomfortable conversations so change can occur. Additionally, defining and implementing consequences in workplaces for violations sends a strong message about accountability and makes it obvious that racial bias will not be accepted. Managers can serve as a first line of defense by checking in with employees on a regular basis to see if the workplace is free of prejudice (both intentional and accidental), and by enforcing zero-tolerance or progressive discipline policies. Individual employees can hold one another accountable by noticing and speaking out against racial discrimination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflection:

 

The rhetorical situation I am addressing in this op-ed is how racial discrimination not only occurs in our society today in many places but mainly focusing on workplaces. Also,  how personally it affected one of my family members which motivated me to write an op- ed about this issue. The audience I would like my essay to reach is those who participate or discriminate against immigrants or people of color in the workplace and how this act has long term effects. The purpose in writing this essay is to bring attention to the fact that although racial discrimination in the workforce isn’t as visible as it was many years ago, it is still something that is going on and should be put to an end.  The rhetorical strategies I used in my op-ed were pathos and logos. I used pathos when I referred to the personal experience of one of my family members facing discrimination because I wanted to appeal to the emotion and sympathetic imagination of my audience. I used logos so my argument can be more credible by referring to statistics, data, and studies that were made because some people believe more in something if there is data/evidence behind it. The publication I am pitching to is the New York Times article because I know that most people in the U.S have a technical device whether it’s a phone, computer, Ipad  etc that they use every morning before work. My audience being adults in the workforce , they can use their technical devices to read the article in the New York Times app or website where it is easily accessible. My experience writing this essay was very new because when writing essays I’m used to being professional and not using words like me and I. Also I’m not used to writing about personal experiences in my essays as well. However, the construction of the essay was very interesting and I can definitely say that I learned a new way on how to format an op-ed. 

 

Sources:

Confronting the Uncomfortable Reality of Workplace Discrimination by : Derek R. Avery and Enrica N. Ruggs

https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/confronting-the-uncomfortable-reality-of-workplace-discrimination/

 

Racial Inequality, at College and in the Workplace by : Elin Johnson 

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/10/18/racial-inequality-college-and-workplace

 

The Sociology of Discrimination: Racial Discrimination in Employment, Housing, Credit, and Consumer Markets by : Devah Pager and Hana Shepherd