Racial Formations

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non-whites was intense in an unfair system built on discrimination and oppression, life in businesses became much more difficult for non-white individuals; mostly based on the issue of how psychological wage expressed white superiority towards employees of different racial categories in businesses (Buck 2001, p. 24).

Although racism has targeted many African-Americans and individuals of different color, it has also affected the oppressed groups of both immigrants and Jews of Southern and Eastern Europe, who also struggled to achieve equal rights in the white-dominant society across the United States. In “How Jews Became White Folks” by Karen Brodkin, the author explains how Jewish minorities were able to succeed in society by using their efforts and abilities to help create racial change during the days of segregation (Brodkin 1998 p. 27). Jews shared a dual personality of being considered white citizens, but also inferior human beings in comparison to the white, Christian individuals of Anglo-Saxon origin. However, Jews were able to use the linkage of whiteness based on their classifications as American citizens to rise above stereotypical myths and help shape the ideals and values of many middle-class Jews throughout the generations (Brodkin 1998 p. 31). By recounting her family’s experiences throughout the generations as Jewish minorities, Brodkin confirms how Jews rose high in society as middle-class citizens after the Allies Forces witnessed the horrid actions caused by Nazi Germany during World War II. Although racism and anti-Semitism remained an issue to among minorities, Jews believed that with hard work and obtaining a highly, valued education, they would be able to accomplish anything; even if it is a belief believed by few unlike most Jewish individuals such as Karen Brodkin.

After reading these articles, I was appalled by how we treated each other in the past and discover how the past can sometimes repeat itself towards modern times. While the ideology of race has had it’s positive and negative consequences throughout the years, it has become a central concept in our complete understanding of identifying ourselves and others in regards to their nationality, spirituality, or sexuality. Personally, I strongly believe that no one, not even a white individual like myself, should ever be guided by false stories and rumors that oppose non-white minorities and determine an individual’s race solely based on their unique efforts and abilities. Although many Americans have originated from various ethnic backgrounds, I believe that an individual’s race determines who they are as an actual human being instead of someone who is dubbed inferior by others.

Works Cited

Rothenberg, Paula S. 2016. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study. 10th ed. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Print.

Rothenberg, Paula S. 2013. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study. 9th ed. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Print.

Omi, Michael, and Howard Winant. 1986. "Racial Formations." Pp. 11-20 in Race, Class, and Gender in the United States : An Integrated Study. 10th ed, edited by P.S. Rothenberg. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Print.

Wright, Richard. 1937. "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow: An Autobiographical Sketch." Pp. 23-32 in Race, Class, and Gender in the United States : An Integrated Study. 9th ed, edited by P.S. Rothenberg. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Print.

Buck, Pem Davidson. 2001. “Constructing Race, Creating White Privilage.” Pp. 21-26 in Race, Class, and Gender in the United States : An Integrated Study. 10th ed, edited by P.S. Rothenberg. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Print.

Brodkin, Karen. 1998. "How Jews Became White Folks: And What That Says About Race in America." Pp. 27-37 in Race, Class, and Gender in the United States : An Integrated Study. 10th ed, edited by P.S. Rothenberg. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Print.