Racial Profiling by Kavya

Racial Profiling by Kavya - July 2017 Scholarship Essay

Racial profiling is “a judgment… made about an individual based on the color of their skin or the appearance of a specific ethnicity.” (Vittana) Although this is a society where discrimination is classified as inappropriate and antagonistic, racial profiling still ceases to diminish. This prejudice against innocent minorities continues to exist due to the negative bias that some adults possess and teach to their children. Much of the generation that will lead America’s future society is raised to believe in the discriminatory judgements that they have adapted. This process will continue to occur until awareness about the impact of racial profiling is understood by teenagers and their parents nationwide. By incorporating historical examples and current events of racial profiling into everyday secondary school classes, recognition can be heightened and provide an end to this discriminatory cycle in the near future.
The proposal to teach young adults and students in general about racial profiling is an effort to teach minors tolerance using various techniques including, but not limited to, working in groups, completing handouts, and conducting assessments. Students must be taught the real definition of racial profiling, identify cases of profiling, explained why it matters in an informative manner. The severity of the situation is extremely evident and kids would be able to relate to it even more as it is always in the news and the United States and its schools is now diversified. Data on racial profiling includes that, blacks/African-Americans are 3 times more likely to be searched during a police stop as a motorist compared to Whites/Caucasians. Hispanics are 2.5 times more likely to be searched during a police stop compared to Whites/Caucasians. (The Leadership Conference). These shocking figures demonstrate the importance of such an issue and in what manner it needs to be approached. There would be multiple aspects to such a class and would be useful knowledge for students because not only would their mindsets be refined, but they would also learn about constitutional acts and the exemplification of the chronicle events that has led to this point in time would teach students about their history. Ultimately, the next generation must be given the opportunity to change people who do not understand this concept’s severity.
Young teenagers entering secondary school experience the hefty requirement to discover who they are. During this period of self-establishment, these individuals are more likely to be susceptible and vulnerable to outside influences such as peers, parents, siblings, and the expectations of society. They easily shift their perspectives to match those around them as they also feel a need to conform and belong. Many teenagers experience turmoil in these years and seek help from their peers and adults to sort such moral conflicts out. As teens observe the actions of their parents and other adolescents, they tend to pick up on habits and thoughts they notice. One of the behaviors that young adults pick up on could include the usage of racial judgements, and, as vulnerable minors, they could be easily persuaded to believe in these stereotypes. Instead of allowing the belief in racial stereotypes to become an epidemic in America’s future, incorporating information of the impact of racial profiling on the lives of minorities should be stressed and taught. By including these lessons in everyday thinking in classes, vulnerable secondary school students can observe racial judgements and identify and prevent racial profiling cases.
Racial profiling is said to be a primary factor in decreasing crime rate and those in the government and those who enforce the law are continuously put in the spotlight when racial profiling incidents come up in the news and they have divided beliefs on it. In an attempt to catch criminals and keep the public innocuous, they distinguish the significance of race and ethnicity, claiming that what they are scrutinized for is not racial profiling, but they are using criminal comprehension and statistics which includes one’s culture and upbringing. Many even consider racial profiling to be reasonable, stating that regardless of the indiscretions, “a majority of terrorist organizations that threaten the country today are based on an ideology of Islamic form that is primarily prevalent in the Middle East and Southeast Asia,” (Pros and Cons of Racial Profiling). Establishing classrooms that teach those who will guide America’s future exemplifies the horrors and dissenting outcomes of racial profiling. Activists and all those aware of this ignorance of the standard, which is to treat all humans equally regardless of complexion and cultural background, have a responsibility to educate the nation’s future and expose the realities of how racism is prevalent in law enforcement and the most common social situations.
The expectation is that students will hold onto this knowledge about racial profiling and discrimination in the nation and make some kind of change even if it is on a smaller level like in the community. This prospective course would also emphasize reading, language arts, and social studies making the lessons beneficial in countless situations that individuals encounter throughout the course of life. The continuous series of affairs in which law enforcement agents incriminate strongly imply the guilt of people based solely on their national origin, religion, race, or ethnicity must come to a full stop.