Minority families in the United States are groups of people who seem to have less power than the dominant group and who are subject to unequal treatment(Seccombe 156) for many reasons. Some of the reasons minority families struggle is due to economic issues such as lack of employment, discrimination due to race, and truly just being stuck in a hole that is due to a mix of all of those aspects. Racism- the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of one particular race(Merriam-Webster Online 2010) is a key factor in the way minority families function. The university of Chicago did a study in which they sent of resumes to over a thousand job ads using four names, two of which were primarily "black" sounding and the other two "white." The resumes with white sounding names received back 50 percent more calls for interviews than the black did.(Seccombe 156) So if these statistics prove it is easier for a white man with a white name to get a job in this country what does this do for the black man who needs a job to get money to survive and provide for his family? In what ways can the United States help reduce this stereotype so that there is no prejudgement before a job interview and everyone is actually equal?
This video shows a member of the NAACP going into a school which the majority is white teachers, he feels that many of the qualified black people who have applied for jobs in the school have been disregarded and he is making a stand and wants to know why they are not being hired.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbZ9P_iAuvA
To tie this into my life, I grew up in the town of Mystic, Connecticut which to those who know about it may feel I have no right to even speak on minority families because thats the last thing you would find in Mystic- wrong. It is true the Mystic, Noank, and Groton Long Point area are mostly wealthy fishing villages and homes on the water, but what people do not know is the poverty that surrounds these nice areas. About a mile from my house, there is a housing project called Poquonock Bridge. These houses are all very small in size with large families (mostly minority) living off of Welfare. About a mile from there is Branford Manor which is a little smaller in size, but is structured connected housing for people that cannot afford anything but the housing the government provides. Here's where things get interesting. The high school in my town is compiled from 3 middle schools. Cutler Middle consisting of kids from wealthy to upper middle class Mystic and Noank areas, Fitch Middle consisting of mostly kids from Poquonock bridge and suburbs of it making the population poor-low class, and West Side Middle which consists of kids from Branford Manor and surrounding housing developments making it poor to middle class. Needless to say the first day of High School for some kids is a huge surprise. The the rich kids in all Lacoste interacting with kids who cannot afford to buy a T shirt and are wearing all hand-me-downs from generations ago, and the stereotypes from group to group, and the way people turn their noses up at each other. It was a very interesting climax of all of the social groups meeting, having classes, and interacting together. I would have no learned half the things I know today if it was not for me making friends with kids from all over Mystic to Groton to New London.
One of my favorite things about having a diverse group of friends that are either very rich or very poor is seeing the different ways these people live, and what its like to go to their homes and hang out. I consider myself directly in the middle and have no stereotypical ways towards either rich or poor. Wether it be Tuna fishing off of my friends Yacht, or drinking 40 oz beers on the front porch of my friends government issues home, I still believe that is not what shapes him or her as a person.
Here are a few photos of Mystic, Noank, Poquonock Bridge, and Branford Manor.(In Order)
By: Jeff Zeppieri
Questions In what ways could the people of Groton to Mystic help integrate before going into high school so there is not such a race and class barrier?
Do you think it would be possible to create a job application that did not require a first name rather a number of some sort therefore there would be no stereotyping on who was chose for the job?
What are some of the problems that may rise with kids from different economical backgrounds becoming close and spending time together?
Do you think that if a child living in poverty makes friends with a group of children who are all upper-middle class this will be a good outcome on the way he sees his own family? Why or why not?
By: Jeff Zeppieri
Questions In what ways could the people of Groton to Mystic help integrate before going into high school so there is not such a race and class barrier?
Do you think it would be possible to create a job application that did not require a first name rather a number of some sort therefore there would be no stereotyping on who was chose for the job?
What are some of the problems that may rise with kids from different economical backgrounds becoming close and spending time together?
Do you think that if a child living in poverty makes friends with a group of children who are all upper-middle class this will be a good outcome on the way he sees his own family? Why or why not?
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