Have you aware of the social issues all around the world? There’re numerous inequalities in the society, for instance, racial inequality. The topic of race has always been a subject to many controversies. It’s awfully unfair for the people due to the inequality of race and loss of right. In my opinion, the issue of racial discrimination is just like a lingering ghost and posing a threat in people’s lives. Until today, there’re tons of people seem to be alert on this social issue and raising awareness on the issue of racial inequality. The problem is still existing which contains misleading in people’s mind, albeit it is affirmed by the public. It is a must for people to raise awareness of the issue of racial inequality and erase the threat of right losing and unfairness in people’s lives.
Taking “The Little Mermaid” as an example, recently, the live-action version of the movie cast is disputed. Tons of people are blaming the race and colour of the actress Halle Bailey as “deep skin”, “reorganization” Princess Ariel, since they all know that the original outlook of Princess Ariel is white skin with blood red colour. Here comes a question: why can’t Princess Ariel become a black skin girl? Someone thinks that the character must stick to the original one with pursing the nostalgic feelings of their childhood. Someone aware of the importance of character’s soul and characteristic but not the outlook. Back to the past, British stage drama “Harry Potter the Cursed Child” also gained lots of arguments. It was played by a black actor Noma Dumezweni. White people always give out the feelings of “pure” and “cultured” and black people have often been blamed as “dirty” and “uneducated”. JK Rowling, the writer of Harry Potter, mentioned “I’ve never said in the book that Miao Li Granger must be a white girl” and she was giving support publicly to the actor.
Racial, or ethnic inequality, is the result of hierarchical social distinctions between racial and ethnic categories within a society and usually established based on characteristics, like skin colour and other physical characteristics or an individual’s place of origin or culture. People of some ethnic groups become a minority category in the society. They are often subjected to discriminatory actions resulting from majority policies, such as assimilation, exclusion, oppression, expulsion, and extermination.
In the US, Legislation argued to target voter fraud had the effect of disenfranchising tens of thousands of primarily African American voters while the run-up to the 2012 federal elections. This action posed threats to the social ethos, for instance, reducing economic opportunity and output, decreasing educational outcomes and opportunities and impacting levels of overall health. What’s more, Angela Davis blamed that mass incarceration has been a tool of the state to pose inequality, repression, and discrimination among African American and Hispanics in the US. It was awfully unfair to some of the people due to the racial inequality and loss of right.
Due to the ease of access to social media and online platforms that can spread negative messages easily, it has created a culture where the blatant racism and hateful ideologies of these people can be easily shared on a scale that you would never want to see unfortunately. Albeit there’re lots of hate, the fundamentals of hate can be cured with love. The case of Hong Kong’s Chungking Mansions is a great example of curing hatred and bigotry with love.
Hong Kong’s Chungking Mansions, known for its ethnic diversity, affordable curries, cheap phones, and sometimes seedy reputation. It has become strong cultural connection for Hong Kong’s protesters from October 2019. In the past, Hong Kong people were still concern about people of some ethnic groups such as Pakistan. A group of South Asians stood at the front steps of Chungking Mansions who were handing out water and egg tarts and belting out a famous protest anthem with the screaming of “We are all HongKongers”. It reflected the power of connection among people in the society. No matter what skin colour or gender, respect and embrace each other. Being aware of ethnic integration and multiculturalism are the keys to solve the severe issue of racial inequality. I believe that the society will become more gorgeous with embracing all ‘kinds’ of people.
“For many people, the United States may be a place of opportunity, but people still define me by my skin color and devalue me.” Larry Madowo, a Kenyan reporter, said. Today’s people still suffering with numerous inequalities in the world, especially racial inequality. Inequality and discrimination among blacks and whites are awfully serious. However, in US, most of the Americans argue that their country has try the best to provide equal rights between black people and whites. Do the blacks really have the equal rights in their country and enjoy their due rights with whites? The answer is still questioned and skeptical.
What’s more, blacks usually suffer with racial inequality and treated less fairly than white people in US. Several unfair events happen and create huge impacts to black people, for instance, when they are applying for a loan or mortgage, or sometimes in shops. Why do white people discriminate blacks and treat them unfairly? Racial inequality occurs among whites and blacks due to the legacy of slavery. White people always define blacks as slaves and obstacles with the present slavery of black people. The impacts of slavery among black people are still exist and influence them awfully much nowadays, albeit the slavery had already abolished and banned by constitutional amendment since Union measures such as the Confiscation Acts and the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
Protests are happening every day in the United States. You may know about the seriousness behind this news through social media and online articles in the Internet. African-American George Floyd were dead under the uniform by police officers for more than eight minutes. This “accident” has aroused public indignation and contain huge anger towards the issue. The US polices got blamed by the people in US and even in the world, while it became a social issue. Racial inequality has definitely created immense impacts among black people. US Congressman Nancy Pelosi leaded the Democratic MP to kneel on one knee in the Liberation Hall of the US Congress on 8th June after the event happened. She felt so sorry about the death of black person George Floyd and kept silent 8 minutes and 46 seconds for him. Black people really got unequal rights and influence their lives a lot under the impacts of racial inequality. Everyone is questioning about the morality of the people in our society. Choked to death by a police offer despite being completely cooperative and following every instruction without restraint.
No matter what your skin colour is, the rights you enjoy should be the same as other people. This is a basic human right. The accident of black person George Freud has aroused worldwide attention to racial inequality. I wish that this tragedy will not be happened again. Everyone should truly respect multiculturalism.
Moreover, democratic congressmen are planning to make recommendations to reform the police system, for instance, prohibiting police officers from snatching suspects while they are arresting the suspects. Establishing a database to record excessive use of force by the police is one of keys to enhance the police system and relieve the inequality of race among black people with whites. I really feel so sorry about the accident of the death of black person George Floyd.
In a study, a majority 56% of people views being black as a con and 25% of respondents say that it hurts the ability of white people to go forward on their prospects and future. In a news, black people were killed without a reason. How come could it happen? It is unacceptable to see anyone are being insulted and murdered due to their race and colour. Racism is serious problem that always happens in America, for instance, black lives matter happen in recent days reveal the hidden problem of racial inequality in America with the hashtag #blacklivesmatter in social media. Racial inequality is “imbalances in the distribution of power, economic resources, and opportunities”. American always treat black people as a suspected criminal and this unfair phenomenon is very common in America. It can be changed and solved in one day since more America begins to aware of this problem and try to deal with this problem in social media in my opinion.
We indeed all hope for the society to be more embracing and accepting of everyone’s difference as individuals including their colour, race, and ethnicity. Skin colour is congenitally inherited. It shouldn’t be a factor for people to be treated unfairly. The world is embracing the people who suffer with pain in mentally or physically in today’s society. No matter which inequalities people are experiencing, we should treat everyone equally and accept each other with different skin colour and from unlikely cultural backgrounds. The world will treat everyone gently and treat everybody fairly, right?
References:
1. Wikipedia contributors. (2020, May 3). Social inequality – Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_inequality#Racial_and_ethnic_inequality
2. Wikipedia contributors. (2020, May 3). Social inequality – Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_inequality#Racial_and_ethnic_inequality
3. Wikipedia contributors. (2020a, May 3). Chungking Mansions – Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chungking_Mansions
4. Hong Kong Baptist University. (2015). Feelings and the racial other: race, affect, and representation on Hong Kong television. Retrieved from https://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1247&context=etd_oa
5. Equal Opportunities Commission. (n.d.). our work-eo works. Retrieved from https://www.eoc.org.hk/eoc/graphicsfolder/showcontent.aspx?content=our%20work-eo%20works
6. 莊承憲. (2019, July 17). 真人版《小美人魚》選角爭議：「深膚」、「黑髮」的愛麗兒公主. Retrieved from https://www.thenewslens.com/article/122139
7. BBC News 中文. (2020, June 5). 一個非洲記者在美國親身感受的種族歧視. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/world-52933874
8. COX, KIANA. (2020, May 30). 2. Views of racial inequality. Retrieved from https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/04/09/views-of-racial-inequality/
9. Lu, M. (2020, June 11). US political correctness won’t solve racial inequality. Retrieved from https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1191361.shtml
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