Racism As A Social Problem

What makes a social issue a big deal? People every day may fight for a social problem that to others, may seem like nothing. A social problem is defined as an issue that undermines the well-being of some or all members in a society (Macionis, 2015). Some can be large and others are small. However, it is the large ones that can lead to the most inspirational movements or stories of our time. Great groups of people, average individuals and great scholars, have thrived off of these issues to voice their opinions and make America the nation of the free. Although racism, poverty, and immigration seem like they would be problems of the past, these issues are still alive in our modern world due to old time views and heated opinions in the political …show more content…
Racism is a large social problem because it brings about hostility which can lead to violence. Black Lives Matter started July 2013 when George Zimmerman shot and killed a black teen (Obasogie & Newman, 2016). Zimmerman was charged with second degree murder, but was acquitted of all charges (Ford, 2013). This instance triggered the BLM movement and later grew when several unarmed black Americans were treated with violence and experienced a wrongful death. Several members claim that the center of the Black Lives Matter movement is the belief that racism is alive and well, “the heart of the Black Lives Matter movement is the instance that regardless of any perceived non-respectful behavior…their lives matter and should not be treated with deadly disregard” (Obasogie & Newman, 2016). The formalization of this social issue has already been active by the several court debates and outcry of citizens as well as …show more content…
Immigration is arguably one of the biggest debates in our country and several different opinions are noted. Unlike poverty and racism, immigration can affect multiple groups of people. The big immigration debate is centered around the question, “should illegal immigrants be granted citizenship”? The importance of this question affects not only the immigrants but our economy as well. If people stay illegal they still have access to jobs and healthcare but won’t pay taxes or welfare. If they do become citizens, they would most likely be in poverty and wouldn’t help stimulate our economy, but there would be more people paying taxes. The moral issue for human rights is what caused the initial fight for citizenship. This lead to several years of political debate and the formation of civil rights movements. The immigration movement has been careful since 2006, during the Sensenbrenner act. This act increased the criminalization of undocumented people and people who were helping illegal immigrants. Currently, there are approximately 14-20 million immigrants living in the United