A new form of discrimination that is preoccupied with matters of racial ethnicity and informed by the virtues associated with traditions of individualism has come to prominence. Discrimination among races is an issue that needs to be addressed in the United States. According to Gee (4), discrimination can be defined as the differential treatment based on race that disadvantages a racial group and treatment based on inadequately justified factors other than race that disadvantages a racial group. Asian Americans, a minority group in the United States are sometimes subjects of racial prejudice since they represent a great diversity of cultures, languages, and backgrounds. Being an international student from an Asian American background and residing in the United States, I have experienced several instances of racial discrimination from Americans. For example, even though I had qualified to join Hampton University, I was not selected because the university employs racially and ethnically discriminatory policies and procedures in administering the undergraduate admissions program that is biased against Asian-American applicants. Moreover, as an Asian American student, I have encountered discrimination because of my accent, small eyes, and foreign status. Approximately 30 percent of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders reported that they had endured discrimination in the workplace, the highest reporting percentage of any racial group with blacks coming second at 26 percent (Gee 5). In order to tackle racial discrimination, learning institutions should be transparent about their decision-making and admission process. Additionally, schools should incorporate processes such as affirmative action in selecting and admitting students. By doing so, it will increase diversity on campus thereby reducing instances of racial discrimination.
Work Cited
Gee, Gilbert C., et al. “Racial discrimination and health among Asian Americans: evidence, assessment, and directions for future research.” Epidemiologic Reviews 31.1 (2009): 130-151.