Michael Omi and Howard Winant claim that “race is a concept which signifies and symbolizes social conflicts and interests by referring to different types of human bodies”1, which ties to the idea that race is just an illusion.2 Race is an idea that was created to cause divides within the human species; the Zoot Suit Riots and the Civil Rights Movements are examples of how it succeeded in doing so. Race has been used as tool to demean and degrade people of color from in U.S. society; the only time when a person’s race is used in a positive light is when referring to people who are white. It can be reasonably stated that race does in fact determine inclusion, exclusion, and segregation in U.S. society. This is demonstrated through scientific
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The basic structure of a social hierarchy can be demonstrated as upper class, middle class, and lower class, where the upper class is considered better than the middle and lower class, and the middle class is better than the lower class. This is how intraracial hierarchies are formed; a person’s class standing is based on income and way of living, not their race. Intraracial hierarchies can be found in any race; Malcolm X was even annoyed while working as a soda fountain clerk due to having to listen to the sons and daughter of the “Hill Negroes”, “penny-ante squares who came in putting on their millionaires’ airs”9. While it’s possible to see the intraracial hierarchies in different races, it’s perhaps the most profound in the white race. It was believed that there was a difference between being racially white and ethnically white; the idea that “ethnicity is a social status assigned to those immigrants who, though slotted into low-wage jobs, were not reduced to the slavery or systematic civil discrimination that ‘racial’ minorities suffered”10, this demonstrates how being called ethnically white was something that racially white immigrants had to earn. Often the immigrants that were considered to racially white, but not ethnically white were those of Eastern and Southern European nations.11 Intraracial hierarchies are demonstrative of …show more content…
society on a daily basis; it’s easy to see how race determines inclusion, exclusion, and segregation in U.S. society. Race creates the unnecessary divides between the human species, acting as though it’s more than just a way to describe people. Race is used as a signifier as to why a person can claim themselves superior to another person, not based on the character of the person, but simply how their genes physically present themselves. There’s a multitude of ways that can demonstrate how race determines inclusion, exclusion, and segregation; firstly is racism, especially scientific racism, is the justification that people believe exists to make the claims of superiority and inferiority. Additionally, social hierarchies, both interracial and intraracial, show how class and ethnicity impact the views people have on certain people of certain races. Finally, the formation of privileges and advantages of races and ethnicities over one another that allow for the neglect and mistreatment of those who are not born into the privileged race. Race may just be a social construct, but it’s impact is real and present in U.S. society and determines much of how U.S. society
The basic structure of a social hierarchy can be demonstrated as upper class, middle class, and lower class, where the upper class is considered better than the middle and lower class, and the middle class is better than the lower class. This is how intraracial hierarchies are formed; a person’s class standing is based on income and way of living, not their race. Intraracial hierarchies can be found in any race; Malcolm X was even annoyed while working as a soda fountain clerk due to having to listen to the sons and daughter of the “Hill Negroes”, “penny-ante squares who came in putting on their millionaires’ airs”9. While it’s possible to see the intraracial hierarchies in different races, it’s perhaps the most profound in the white race. It was believed that there was a difference between being racially white and ethnically white; the idea that “ethnicity is a social status assigned to those immigrants who, though slotted into low-wage jobs, were not reduced to the slavery or systematic civil discrimination that ‘racial’ minorities suffered”10, this demonstrates how being called ethnically white was something that racially white immigrants had to earn. Often the immigrants that were considered to racially white, but not ethnically white were those of Eastern and Southern European nations.11 Intraracial hierarchies are demonstrative of …show more content…
society on a daily basis; it’s easy to see how race determines inclusion, exclusion, and segregation in U.S. society. Race creates the unnecessary divides between the human species, acting as though it’s more than just a way to describe people. Race is used as a signifier as to why a person can claim themselves superior to another person, not based on the character of the person, but simply how their genes physically present themselves. There’s a multitude of ways that can demonstrate how race determines inclusion, exclusion, and segregation; firstly is racism, especially scientific racism, is the justification that people believe exists to make the claims of superiority and inferiority. Additionally, social hierarchies, both interracial and intraracial, show how class and ethnicity impact the views people have on certain people of certain races. Finally, the formation of privileges and advantages of races and ethnicities over one another that allow for the neglect and mistreatment of those who are not born into the privileged race. Race may just be a social construct, but it’s impact is real and present in U.S. society and determines much of how U.S. society