African Americans - Ethnic Groups and Discrimination

African Americans

Anthony Ebron

Axia College of the University of Phoenix

diana

8/30/2009

African Americans

Assignment: Ethnic Groups and Discrimination

I belong to the ethnic group of African Americans. Some of the first Africans to come to America were here in 1619 as indentured servants. It is because of indentured servitude that Africans were made slaves. The first Africans migrated to America, unlike other immigrants; most Africans came to this country against their will. The battles that African Americans waged for freedom, dignity, and for full participation in the American society has transformed the nation and shaped the world that we now live in. At this present time more than 35 million Americans claim African ancestry.

As time went on Africans were brought to America as slaves to work in the fields. They were dragged from their homes in Africa as slaves, sold like animals, treated with unspeakable cruelty, and separated from loved ones forever. They were often raped, beaten, and worked to death. Africans continue to migrate to America but the original population was brought here as slaves.

Dual labor market theory is an explanation of the inequality that exists in the labor market. This practice affected the African American for a long time in American History. African Americans were not given any meaningful jobs, nor did they have any kind of significant pay structure and they lacked the benefits that more secure jobs provided. These jobs were often temporary and short term, even if they did manage to get an education, they would start in a much lower position than their white counterparts. As a result of their low wages and difficulty finding jobs, they were forced to live in poorer conditions and ghettos. These areas rarely had good healthcare, jobs, and their stores carried secondary items.

Everyone benefits from a cleaner environment but not every environment is clean. African Americans are often forced to take on an unfair share of the cost and sacrifices that must be made to meet the government's environmental regulations. The separation of the races has led to a disproportionate number of pollution sites being located in the vulnerable black communities. This represents environmental injustice; environmental justice is the equal protection of all people with respect to environmental issues. Sociologist Robert Bullard (1990) stated "that low income communities and areas with significant minority populations are more likely to be adjacent to waste sites than are affluent White communities".

When it came to Affirmative action the court ruled that labor unions and businesses could design special programs