A minority group refers to a group of people that has a separate racial, ethnic, or cultural identity but coexists with a more dominant group, it is this relationship that between groups that define a minority. Based on race, African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians are the major minority groups, members of these groups should be granted equal rights and freedoms as the dominant group in order to foster stable and cohesive relationships. While America has made strides in promoting minority rights, racial discrimination is still prevalent with government institutions such as the judiciary being accused of discrimination. Work must still be done to ensure the equality of minorities because it is important that Americans be presented with equal opportunities, minority groups are becoming the majority, and America is about diversity and inclusion.
Characteristics of Minorities
Minority groups have common distinctive characteristics, the major distinguishing trait of a minority is the subordination to a majority group which wields power and privileges (Mondal). Therefore, members of minority groups are forced to contend with the power the majority wields resulting in social and economic marginalization. Due to marginalization, minorities experience more hardship due to the life that their status brings.
A government study established that there were significant disparities in the health outcomes of members of minority groups such as black people and the white majority. The study discovered that infant deaths in the Native American community were 60 percent more than those in the white community, with African American deaths being higher than both (N. A. S).
When it comes to chronic diseases it was established that there are twice as many African American fatalities due to strokes than white individuals, additionally, black people had a thirty percent likelihood of suffering from fatal heart complications than any other group (N. A. S).
These statistics represent the marginalization that exists because members of the majority white community have access to better education and health care, while the minorities are forced to access cheaper services that may not be of comparable quality. This, therefore, leaves minorities in a more vulnerable position as they are unable to make educated choices and access high-quality healthcare.
It is due to their subdued position that members of such groups demonstrate a heightened sense of solidarity which results in practices such as exclusively marrying from their community in order to increase solidarity. This phenomenon is represented by the higher growth rates relative to that of the majority an example of this is the higher growth rates among Asians and Mexicans relative to that of the white population.
Another major characteristic of a minority is that their status is ascribed, therefore, they cannot avoid the characterization be it based on race, creed, or tribe (Mondal). Neither a minority nor a majority can change their status due to the permanence of some of the characteristics such as race.
Prevalent Minority Groups in the United States
Race is the most common factor determining social grouping someone belongs, therefore, the most prevalent minority groups are the Asians, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. It is estimated that members of the Asian community account for approximately 5 percent of the population and even though they are a minority, those who are born in America tend to be well off than their average white counterparts (Nittle " Kareem).
This is occasioned by their focus on education and technical careers and is thus able to secure well-remunerated occupations. However, immigrants from Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Laos face many challenges while acclimatizing to life in America (Nittle " Kareem).
The Hispanic minority account for 17 percent of the population with statistics indicating that this shall increase to 30 percent in the next 30 years (Pollard, Kelvin, " O'Hare). Even though the community`s representation in business has increased, it lags behind in educational attainment with just 62.2 percent obtaining high school education compared to the total average of 85 percent.
African Americans had long been the largest minority group in the country but have been replaced by the Hispanics (Pollard, Kelvin, " O'Hare). While the community is participating in creating the nation is widely recognized, members are still subjected to racial stereotypes emanating from the slavery era. However, statistics indicate that business owners in the community have risen with the education levels being at par with the national average.
Native Americans account for approximately 1 percent of the country`s total population (Pollard, Kelvin, " O'Hare). The group is native to North America but due to interacting with numerous groups such as the Mexicans, a majority of the members in this group regard themselves as being multiracial. In the past, Native Americans have endured racism and loss of land rights to European colonizers. However, they seem to be recovering as their investments in businesses grew by an estimated 17 percent from 2002 to 2007 (Nittle " Kareem).
Factors Promoting Tolerance
There are various factors promoting tolerance in the country one of them being the declining importance of traditional institutions like the church, marriage, and family which has promoted the growth of divergent beliefs (MSLJ). These institutions played an important role in determining the attitudes and practices of the population and the declining power of these institutions empowers divergent opinions that are normally held by minorities.
Thus, the rising acceptance of same-sex relation hips and atheism could have been occasioned by the decline in the importance of the institutions of marriage and church which has been occasioned by a growing mistrust of these institutions.
This has occasioned the rise and adoption of alternative ways of life which thrive in the absence of a strong mainstream lifestyle. I find this explanation satisfactory because, during the period when religion was an important institution in the country, it would have been impossible for people to freely express divergent opinions on important issues such as marriage.
Another factor promoting tolerance in America is the change in the demographics of the country with minority groups such as Hispanics and Asians growing at a rapid pace that is greater than that of the white majority (Kalkan " Ozan). This shift in the population is already being noticeable in public schools whereby, the number of Hispanic and Asian minorities rose by an estimated 56 percent with white Americans decreasing by 15 percent (Pollard, Kelvin, " O'Hare).
It is estimated that by the end of the century the current racial minorities of America will make up a large section of the country`s population (Phys). It is this visibility that may be shifting opinions. This may be due to an increase in participation in social and economic activities by members of minority communities, tolerant views have to be adopted to enhance unity in the face of growing diversity.
Setbacks
However, while diversity has been generally accepted and promoted, there have been setbacks key among them, the growing rise of anti-minority sentiments in the white community which views the growth of minorities as a challenge to the establishment (Phys). These sentiments were reflected by the election of Donald Trump who openly expressed his anti-migrant sentiments during his campaign. His views resonated with a section of the white population that feel that continued immigration may change the identity of the society they created and dominated since the country was created.
Another setback has been the institution of discriminatory policies that have sought to serve the interest of the white majority and establish their dominance over the minorities. Institutionalization of racism has been a major setback to an inclusive society as it essentially legalizes discrimination an example of this was when Michigan banned affirmative action and yet approximately 80 percent of the population is white (Elmendorf, Chris, " Spencer).
Southern states have also been granted complete autonomy in changing their electoral laws which have been viewed by many as a return of the discriminatory policies of the segregation era (Elmendorf, Chris, " Spencer). Previously, states in the south had used restrictive policies to disadvantage their minority populations by instituting restrictive policies this latest development is seen as a return to the past.
It is important for the country to promote the rights of minority groups due to the growing diversity because discrimination may cause problems disunity which may affect the country greatly. The citizenry, as well as the leadership, should ensure that discriminatory policies are scrapped and promote social as well as political integration amongst the groups.
Progress
In a study conducted by the Universities of Georgia and San Diego beginning in 1972 and capturing a total of 35,000 responses in 2012, the research indicated the approval of gay teachers has climbed 33 percent and currently stands at 85 percent (MSLJ). Additionally, approximately three-quarters of the respondents admitted not minding the religious views of authors even if they expressed irreligiousness (MSLJ).
This also indicates that the focus has shifted towards other historically marginalized groups like homosexuals who have long endured obscurity due to the focus on racial marginalization. A study revealed that there is growing acceptance of homosexual relationships in America with the younger population being more supportive than the older generations (NORC).
This study is a representation of the progress that the country has made in the acceptance of minorities. Not minding someone`s sexual orientation or religion is a significant show of acceptance because they are less likely to affect interactions and relationships making members of such groups feel like they are part of mainstream society.
Conclusion
While discrimination and exclusion of minorities from the highest levels of decision making still persists, the country has made significant progress in implementing measures that protect the rights and freedoms of minorities. Since the founding of the nation, the attitudes towards minorities has gradually shifted into a more favorable open-minded view of minority groups by focusing more on the advantages that diversity brings the country. The expected demographic changes in the country show the need for the adoption of tolerant attitudes as they would preserve the integrity of American values and unity even during future shifts. In my opinion, the government has greatly advanced minority rights but it should continue to do so as discrimination still persists.
Works Cited
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Phys. A More Tolerant America?” Phys.org - News and Articles on Science and Technology, San Diego State University, 16 Mar. 2015, phys.org/news/2015-03-tolerant-america.html.
Carr, Sarah. “America's Majority-Minority Future Has Already Arrived in Our Public Schools. How Will We Confront It?” Slate Magazine, Slate, 5 June 2016, www.slate.com/articles/life/tomorrows_test/2016/06/american_is_becoming_a_majority_minority_nation_it_s_already_happened_in.html
Kalkan, Kerem Ozan. “How Do Americans Perceive Minorities?” PRRI, 7 July 2012, www.prri.org/spotlight/how-do-americans-perceive-minorities/.
Pollard, Kelvin M, and William P O'Hare. “America's Racial and Ethnic Minorities.” Population Reference Bureau, 1 Sept. 1999, www.prb.org/americasracialandethnicminorities/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site
Nittle, Nadra Kareem. “Interesting Facts about Racial Minorities in America.” Thoughtco, Dotdash, 20 Feb. 2018, www.thoughtco.com/racial-minority-groups-in-the-us-2834984.
Elmendorf, Chris, and Doug Spencer. “Last Week's Affirmative Action Setback Could Be a Boost to Voting Rights.” The New Republic, 29 Apr. 2014, newrepublic.com/article/117552/supreme-courts-affirmative-action-setback-could-boost-voting-rights.
N. A. S. “The State of Health Disparities in the United States.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 11 Jan. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425844/.
NORC. “Americans Move Dramatically Toward Acceptance of Homosexuality.” NORC at the University of Chicago, www.norc.org/NewsEventsPublications/PressReleases/Pages/american-acceptance-of-homosexuality-gss-report.aspx
