Housing Discrimination Research Paper

Words: 2343
Pages: 10

“There's a lot more hypocrisy than before. Racism has gone back underground (Richard Pryor).” This quote is a great example of the current disadvantages black families are facing today and have been facing for a lifetime. In the past blatant racism to an individual’s face was something to chide someone about, but the racism hidden in our social structures has remained and is continuing to thrive. Structural racism in the U.S is defined as the normalization and legitimization of an array of dynamics that routinely advantages whites while producing cumulative and chronic adverse outcomes for people of color (Lawrence, Keleher). It is found in institutions such as, education, politics, and economics. As a mixed-status family the individuals in …show more content…
The use of these laws and policies lasted until 1968 and though these laws and practices of discrimination have since been made illegal, it is apparent that housing discrimination still exists today.
When I asked my family about their experience with housing I received a variety of answers. My mother did not have a great experience when she moved to America and was trying to find a house. At the age of about five, my family lived in a traditional home that was near our school in a nice neighborhood. Over time the violence from what some call the hood spilled over into our traditional neighborhood. Soon those involved in drugs and other illegal activities moved into the homes surrounding us and our neighborhood quickly became the place where cops hesitated to drive through. Realizing that the neighborhood was overtaken with crime and with a new child on the way my family decided to move out of the neighborhood before it began to influence us. However, soon she realized that the mission would not be so easy. With no education past middle school and very little English there were not many job opportunities open for my parents. Both worked at a plant nursery receiving minimum wage so paying the bills was not an
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“Labor market discrimination is a situation in which equally materially productive persons are treated unequally on the basis of an observable characteristic (Lawrence, Keith).” An example of discrimination in the labor market is that men earn more than women and whites earn more that nonwhites. They are also more likely to be hired for certain positions in high paying jobs. In female dominated careers such as nursing, men often rise higher and faster than women in male dominated fields and this is known as the glass escalator. Racial stratification of the economy due to discrimination result in a high concentration of minorities in low paying jobs and they are more likely to be employed in the construction and non-durable goods manufacturing industries. As an immigrant from Haiti with barely any education my parents could only count on low paying jobs to take care of the family and pay the bills. My father started working in the plant nursery industry and is still working there today. Over thirty years working for the same company and he has yet to be promoted. As a side job he buys homes and fixes them up and rents them out to other people. Many times he has been encouraged to start his own business, but as a black man with broken English he is hesitant. My mother on the other hand has been in and out of work. With the struggling economy she has been out of work for the past five years. She has