As a member of a minority group in the United States we are openly proud of our heritage and the work of most of our ancestors...we seek strongly to hold on to certain aspects of our cultural heritage rather than assimilate the culture of the majority...with that thought such assimilation comes with problems. I have often felt that living and working with people of different challenges as a challenge...with myself. So enter the issues of diversity in the United States ... there is a richness of opportunities to learn and appreciate the differences of the many racial groups and how much we are a like. Unfortunately the existence of racism diminishes the exercise of these opportunities by introducing a production of hostility among racial groups.

Enter “racism within a society whose composition is so rapidly changing creates an environment that is socially explosive...”

“...The definition of racism is a principle of social domination by which a group seen as inferior or different in alleged biological characteristics is exploited, controlled and oppressed socially and psychically by an super ordinate group...”

So, understand the need for the question on racism is ...What function is racism in American societies? How productive have racism been on the development of a American society? How have racism functions when introduced into the world communities?

J_9

Personally I don't think racism should be a part of American society. It is part of American heritage though. What gets me, and I know this will be a thorn to some people....

Celebrating African-American month. I am polish, my family originated in Poland, why can't we have Polish American month? I do not go around telling people I am Polish-American, and I don't get upset if people do not recognize me as a Polish-American. I do not get upset if I fill out an application for Student Aid and there is not a box for Polish-Americans. Why can't we have Italian American month, or Irish American, the list could go on and on.

I understand about wanting to preserve one's heritage, and that is VERY important in each of our cultures. But America is a melting pot. If we were born here, we are Americans, plain and simple.

Now understand, that some of my BEST friends are "African-Americans" so that is not my point here. I am in no way shape or form prejudiced. It is just that the culture card was thrown so I added my 2 cents worth.

valinors_sorrow

I believe racism severely hinders production and development -- all prejudice does. It does so much harm beyond that its difficult to measure, really. It all stems from a "them v. us" mentality, every last prejudice does. It allows for the mistreatment of others in a spiritually sick manner that is not so far from the torture I experienced at the hands of a sociopath who nearly killed me as a kid. He didn't see me as an equal either, I assure you but it wasn't fear that motivated him. And the really sad thing is the perpetrator doesn't even see it as harm, sociopath or racist.

Prejudice is the product of an irrational fear, a fear so subjective, so personal, so embedded that it takes major acts of courage to root it out or spiritual experiences so profound to transform it in any one person-- from what I have seen. These days I fear very little except perhaps a person who would do me bodily harm but I have learned enough to know that who that might be doesn't neatly fit into any group or label of any kind. My last prejudice to fall was men, as a result of what happened to me, but I had to overcome that in order to live, fall in love and be successful at marriage and life. I still scare easily, I have ptsd-- but that doesn't make me leap to conclusions about any one group of people anywhere. I am sad to live in a world that is so full of fear and do what I can to ease it.

But I am not sure that answers your question Luna LOL Sorry if I went a little off on a tangent.

talaniman

The function of racism is an effort to dominate a targeted people to keep them out of mainstream society by denial of opportunities and the tools necessary to succeed. While there may be laws against this sort of discrimination there are still ways to keep people from obtaining the Great American dream thru actions that deny education, training, jobs, scare tactics and other more insidious means as unequal protection under the law, or profiling based on ethnic identity, or something a simple as having no empathy for the plight of the systematically oppressed by minimizing their oppression, a very common tactic used by racist, to further shift the blame from themselves to the ones they seek to keep down. Fear being one motivation, with prejudice coming from that fear. This fear often justifies one race mistreating another on the basis of keeping power and superiority by perceiving another as inferior. This is how America was built and thrives to this day. Just curious as to how the racism card was played here? I took the question to be honest and thought provoking.

LUNAGODDESS

Some of the responses are solid proof of/ or for the need to bring up the topic of racism from behind doors and into the light. It is sad to read that African American history month leaves such a insecure response.

What is wrong with African American History Month and Latin History Month and Women history month, which are in February and March (for your information)
The celebrations of these months are a celebration of humanity cooperating with each other. I do not find these studies a hinder to human development.
The support of this studies would leave behind actions of cruelty, suppression and repression ...for the finding of some ground to fight against ignorance...this battle...this war comes with the support of the European/Caucasian race after all this bias are in support of this race.

Do the issues about racism, challenge the existence of some members of the European/Caucasian race?

I wonder rather the response is a distraction from the important issues that is keeping this nation at risk for destruction. The statement from the earlier response is something again needed to justify the insecurities and causing unnecessary challenges to a community that have limited knowledge of the other. Not all want to be bonded to servitude.
Many participated in this guided effort to support (African American History and Latino and Women history months ) to encourage a population of the oppressed in the United States to push forward...correct the wrongs of the past. For the first reaction is proof that there is a limited association among many diversity groups.

The efforts to distract on topics are the stand that racially prejudiced and challenged socially individuals need to express to the minority population...
What harm would the study of minority groups do to the status of racism in the Americas? The answer comes with the responses.

Pulaski was a Polish man that fought against oppression. I would not have known this fact if it were not for the celebration of African American History month...there are many martyrs of polish descent that fought against oppression. You must have forgotten already the greatest man of Polish descent/heritage ... John Paul II .

valinors_sorrow

I got news here .... this is how many countries are built all over the world. And not just with racism but other terrible prejudices too. It is very hard for many white people in the US to understand what prejudice feels like because they rarely experience it and without that visceral connection, I think some of it just goes over their heads. Sometimes they are almost as bad as the racists since they tend to be in the dicey moments like the "good men doing nothing while evil prevails." But I still see racism as a produce of fear and discrimination as a product of racism that has been emboldened somehow. All I got to say is discrimination of any kind better not go down within my circle of influence or plan on getting an earful from me! I have social activist written all over me.

I can see why there isn't a Polish or German or Italian month here in the US---they simply didn't experience the cultural losses from massive and systemic harm caused by oppressive slavery, never mind the open discrimination that followed and the silent prejudices of today. What I don't understand is why there isn't a Native American month right in there with African American History Month and Latin History Month and Women History month -- there should be, guess we aren't ready to face what we did to them?

I dated men from several races including African American in my youth, and gave my stuffy family "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" fits in the process - a great movie on racial issues by the way -- and if I were single wouldn't hesitate to do so again. Its the man, not the race, who attracted me. I let this be known one day at an old workplace here in the south and it apparently got around the printing plant until one day a woman from the camera department confronted me. When she asked me to confirm it, I did so gladly and then went on to suggest it was a lovely BDSM type affair LOL just to see how long THAT would take to travel - my boss who overheard this died laughing. You should have seen her face!

Fr_Chuck

Racism does not have to be done by the majority race, it is in reality the teaching of hatred because of a different race.

I have never seen it as bad in todays society ( well excpet for the KKK and the Brotherhood)

but orginally being Orthodox not Catholic, and and having just moved to Atlanta GA, I saw a nearby church that had the name African Orthodox, so I thought great, a local Orthodox Church which I figured was part of the Ethopian Orthodox from which I had part of my lines of Succession.

Well we go in and thier priest is wearing a shirt with a white collar, so ok,

Well what I missed in the small print is that this is the Church of the Black Madonia, they teach that all white people are born of Satan, and that the real black Jesus is comming back to save pure race black people from the white satans.

And that on good black will have any dealings with any whites and that they must fight against the white oppression of thier race.

So they certainly have and teach a rasism that will continue to eat at our nation.( US) and I wish to say this was a small group, but they are a larger national group.

J_9

I apologize if I came on too strong. Let me put it a little milder.

I live very close to a very culturally diverse city. Memphis, Tennessee. Martin Luther King died here. I am happy that we celbrate African-American history month. It is part of the heritage that founded our country. However, so are the English, the French, the Germans, etc.... We have all had our hardships. Not so much as the African-Americans, but we all have.

I have 3 beautiful and wonderful bi-racial nieces. I would not trade them for the world. Oh, yeah, and a new fabulous brother-in-law, as of this morning.

My thoughts are that this country was founded on all of the different cultures of the world, we should celebrate ALL of the cultures.

Again, I came on a little strong, and I apologize for that, but
It kind of hits a nerve with me sometimes, for one reason I cannot qualify for a scholarship because I am Polish-American, however, I could if I were African-American.

Racism has NO place in society today. I see it daily here in my small rural town and I flinch every time something is said or done that is racist. I am truly disgusted by the people who think it they are better than others because they are "white." It is a disgrace to caucasian race to believe that one is better than the other. We are all flesh and blood, our organs are all in the same place, we are all human. That is what life is truly about, humanity, not racism.

Again, I apologize for my ranting earlier in this thread.

valinors_sorrow

Well racism can be a fine line too. And it doesn't necessarily result in rampant discrimination. Its only that when the majority are racists and they feel so empowered by their numbers. Any of it is wrong though.

But I will always somehow feel a particular feeling for all jews as a result of the holocaust, blacks for the slavery/discrimination, the japenese for the bombs and native americans for holy cow, wiping them out. I failed to get into a college because of the quotas for race that affirmitive action set up but I hold no beef to that whatsoever. I am not sure they think affirmative action works in the face of so much discrimination, but the thing is you can't legislate morality. Its just a shame we live so fear based. I would wish for every racist an African American doctor who saves their terminally ill child and for every arrogant Evangelical a gay fireman saving their house burning down, and for every Muslim terrorist-wannabee a whole American town embracing them as welcomed immigrants and on and on and on. That is my Christmas wish this year.

LUNAGODDESS

As the days come forth an old saying we all shall over come some day and this date should encourage...

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2006 as National American Indian Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to commemorate this month with appropriate programs and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.

GEORGE W. BUSH

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/relea...061030-16.html