Racism In Louisiana

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In Louisiana, along with the rest of America, many people think that racism has been eliminated—this is far from the truth. We as an American society love to play make-believe. The American people like to have faith in the virtue of this great country. We like to think that racism is a phenomenon of the past, that we are the superior leading example for the rest of the developing world. Interracial marriage is legal; we have an African-American president, and not to mention the American dream—the belief that anyone, no matter what color they are, can achieve anything imaginable. Indeed, we have come so far as a modern society, but still, look around. Racism is everywhere, causing racial tensions to rise and many to question how far we have …show more content…
We must further identify why people of a different race discriminate against other races. Garret (2009) claims that “prejudice and bigotry are learned behaviors that people begin to form when they are in an environment where others do the same.” Countless experts have argued that culture is a learned behavior as such; it has the utmost influence on human growth and development. That is to say, racism has been a major component of many cultures’ history. By the same token, racism is a major part of Louisiana’s culture. Not to mention, professionals “have said that cultural influence is the most powerful weapon of racism as it educates each new generation the same racist beliefs” (Vaught, 2008). Many have expressed the notion that children are not born with racial prejudice. Thus, the process of loathing someone purely on the basis of their race can be attributed to psychological habituation. Regarding growing up in a society in which racism is a cultural norm, “children would most likely conform in order to belong, which calls them to embrace the dominant social belief. Children know they must be fit in order to survive. As such, children link themselves to racist beliefs reinforcing their self-confidence and taking pride in their race” (Vaught, 2008). With that being said, a simple anti-racism course forced upon many …show more content…
Specifically, in Jean Piaget’s theory of learning, a child uses his sensorimotor skills from birth to around two years old. This is how children learn using their senses and by the use of motor activities. During this stage, children develop instinctive habits and principles. It is in this process of raising children that parents are cited to face a dilemma, since parents who have been oriented with the same culture inevitably passes the same ideas to their children. This can include racist beliefs. It is imperative to keep in mind that parents are not seen as the main perpetrators. As a matter of fact, experts say that they are simply acting naturally and realistically because they want their child to be socially accustomed to the society he was born into. However, “whether they are teaching virtuous or evil beliefs remains to be dependent on standpoints as parents instill foundations of their culture to future generations” (Stitzlein, 2009). Due to the fact that a child’s parents instill morals on the child since birth, an anti-racism course would not successfully turn their mindset
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