Essay by sfloreswCollege, Undergraduate October 2003

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For the first time in the history of the United States racial and ethnic groups, once thought of as minorities, are beginning to outnumber the percentage of white Americans. Our nation's diversity has already begun to alter everything in society from politics and education, to industry, values, and culture. This is an extremely hard concept for many whites to accept. Long before this issue became a concern, our presumption of the "typical" United States citizen was someone who could trace his or her line of ancestry to Europe one way or another. Racism refers to any inherited physical characteristics such as skin color, facial features, hair texture, behavior patterns, personality traits, or intellectual abilities. In recent years, the definition for racism was modified to include social attitudes and occurrences. Racism usually takes the form of a claim that some human races are superior to others whether it's based on language, religion, or manners.

Causes of racism may be very complex and cannot be reduced to one reason. History plays a big role in the way some people feel today. Racism has commonly accompanied slavery, colonization, and other forms of exploitation and inequality. Proving the equality of all races was a long and difficult process. I believe that not everyone today agrees with the statement suggesting that everyone deserves to be treated equal. Rapid social change also promotes racism. The sudden immigration of highly visible groups of foreigners, and quick changes in the racial composition of a neighborhood are good examples. It is human nature to be uncomfortable with change. Many people are not ready for other cultures to invade their communities. A truly multiracial country is undoubtedly much harder to govern. Even conflicts that seem race-free are complicated with ethnic tension. Social Security benefits for the elders will probably be...