The history of migration and immigration in the United States is one of the dominant forces shaping our experience of race today. Race does not biologically exist, yet how we identify with race is so powerful, it influences our experiences and shapes our lives. In a society that privileges white people, whiteness, and racist ideas are considered normal throughout our media, culture, social systems, and institutions. When someone makes a racist comment toward you and you are able to point it out, they are so fast to be justify their actions or explain why they said what they said. As an African, from Cameroon, West Africa, it is hard to ignore these issues. I remember my experience going out one day with my uncle when I just moved to the United States and meeting this “White lady” who completely assumed that, because I was from Africa, I couldn’t speak English, which was a stereotype. It is quite unfortunate that people stereotype others based on what they look like and where they come from.

Racism however, is the unfair treatment of people based on their skin color. Although, racism is an individuals mindset and actions. Racist policies can also contribute to historical oppression of what black people are experiencing today. I would also say feeling empathy for black people is okay but as black people we are able to share similar stories and it is easier to share our experiences of racism. As an African, I see and experience racism a lot, at work, on my regular day-to-day life and a lot of other scenario. According to Linda from the text, As of 1992, black and Latino men working full-time in the USA earned an average of 68 per cent of what white men earned, while black and Latina women earned 59 per cent. As of 1995, Latino and black unemployment rates were more than double that of whites.5

Racism takes different forms like individual racism when someone makes racists jokes like hiring a black person doesn’t feel like. Interpersonal racism​ occurs between individuals. These are public expressions of racism, often involving biases, or hateful words or actions. Institutional racism​ occurs in an organization. A school system where students of color are focused in a particular school or crowded in a particular classroom. Structural racism​ is the overarching system of racial bias across institutions and society. This is stereotyping people of color especially black people as criminals. The most important way to resolve these issues is ” IF WE SEE SOMETHING, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAY SOMETHING” even to the people we love. These biases wouldn’t die if we are not willing to say something. We should be willing to tell people “they do not call people that anymore, or say someone deserves to go through that experience”. We as a country have made progress but we need to do better, because our children are watching and listening to every conversation. We still have these old stuff about white superiority and it is causing us to embed in our society-and it is making despair, causing disparities and devaluing of black people. I’ll also say the main focus here is not to be racist or not racist but identifying racist and antiracist. Because saying “I am not racist” is being in denial.