State of Things
Jeremy Mejia
Ms. Albert
Waterworld NYC
12 September 2020
The State of Things
I doubt the existence of a single person neither alive nor dead who could ever claim that they have never experienced some form of discrimination. This is simply because discrimination and division is a major part of the human experience. In fact, discrimination can cover a variety of aspects within a person’s life including: race/ethnicity, social or economic class, gender, body type, language abilities, health issues, etc. I am no exception to this trend and am therefore included in this group of those who have been discriminated against. Personally I have dealt with racial discrimination and body type discrimination mainly due to my height. When I was in middle school I was placed into an ESL class, despite speaking only english, simply based on my last name: Mejia. I was racially profiled by the administrators who I assume looked at my hispanic last name and decided to place me in a Spanish speaking class. I remember not really caring at the time and finding it ironic because I still don’t speak Spanish at all. However, now that I’m older and I can more maturely grasp the situation I experienced I am rightfully upset and saddened that DOE employees could be so ignorant. On the bright side, I learned that racism can come from anyone and that includes those who may look or share your life experiences. Aside from that disrespectful encounter I also have always been challenged by height dysphoria. I would say I am deeply concerned with my height; I am barely over five feet in a world where the average American male is around five foot ten. I think my concern comes from the desire to be not looked down upon and not wanting to constantly feel the need to defend my masculinity. I blame all the teasing, jokes, side comments, and bullying I experienced as a child and I still continue to experience for my obsession with my stature. I think this issue would fall under beauty standards and gender roles, which perpetuate a standard that not everyone can meet, and as a result it leaves men like me feeling inadequate.
The two types of discrimination which I experienced, to a lesser degree than most, have existed in this country for generations. Firstly, racism is no stranger to the citizens of the US. Many mark it as a focal point of our history, albeit a dark one. Slavery put African-Americans in a terrible position and has led to their lower status in the current day both economically and socially: “It is well known that slavery in this county was an institutionalized socio-economic system that engendered physical abuse and rape”(Milburn 145). Thankfully slavery is over in the US, but the racism and white supremacy that slavery was founded upon is not. Civil rights leaders fought for years after enslavement to achieve equality under the law and they did succeed on paper. Under the law everyone is equal, but that doesn’t mean everyone receives equal treatment under that law and not all laws are enforced the same way. That can be seen in policies like “stop and frisk” and extensive drug charges for those of minority backgrounds. Taking a step away from the racial tensions of this nation, sexism and gender roles are another issue at the forefront of the media. It’s no secret that there are social pressures surrounding biological sex in this country. Men have to live up to a masculine ideal and women have their own standards thrust upon them. Focusing on the male perspective, "Masculinity has powerful effects on attractiveness and a range of other attributions, such as leadership and trust”(Holzleitner). Men are driven by many factors, one of which is sex, and those desires lead to increasing competition both physical and mentally amongst those of the male gender. Height in particular, is seen as an advantage in every sense: taller men make up a large majority of CEO positions and "taller men are reproductively more successful than shorter men, indicating that there is active selection for stature in male partners by women” (Holzleitner). These statements clearly reveal that gender stereotypes, idealistic views of what humans should be, and racism are both alive and well in America to this day.
Despite the rather bleak history of these types of discrimination, I do see a bright side depending on what steps the country takes from here. To tackle these issues we, as in country, need to take the time as a collective to research and discuss these issues in a healthy manner. Political correctness needs to be thrown out the window and instead we should invite discourse even if the material is controversial. That way people can hear both sides and compromise, which will lead to concrete changes in political, economic, and social policy. We can’t always change our differences when it comes to skin color, or sex, and religion. Therefore, tolerance must take center stage in order for this society to change the dark nature of our past. This mixing of ideas in a healthy manner will bring out people’s fiery passion and that human ingenuity is what is needed to solve these issues surrounding race and gender.
Research and Citations page
“Denial, Slavery, and Racism in America.” Raised to Rage: The Politics of Anger and the Roots of Authoritarianism, by Michael A. Milburn and Sheree D. Conrad, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts; London, England, 2016, pp. 145–166. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1f2qqt0.12. Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.
Baldwin, James. I Am Not Your Negro. Vintage Books, 2017.
staff, Science X. “Size Matters: Men Perceived as More Masculine If They Are Taller and Heavier, Regardless Face Shape.” Medical Xpress - Medical Research Advances and Health News, Medical Xpress, 27 Nov. 2014, medicalxpress.com/news/2014-11-size-men-masculine-taller-heavier.html. .
Braslavsky, Andrea M. "Height and Male Attractiveness." WebMD. WebMD, 12 Jan. 2000. Web.
