1 Racism 2 3 Issue Statement 4 Racism has historically been pervasive in United States However; it goes without saying that racism has been a 5 human inclination since the beginning of man’s emergence on earth. . According to the Encyclopedia Britannica: 6 “racism, also called racialism, is any action, practice, or belief that reflects the racial worldview—the ideology 7 that humans are divided into separate and exclusive biological entities called "races," that there is a causal link 8 between inherited physical traits and traits of personality, intellect, morality, and other cultural behavioral 9 features, and that some races are innately superior to others (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013). 10 11 The United States, as is well known, has a history of racism that dates back to the country’s origin. A prime 12 example of the institutionalization of racism in the United States is the treatment of Native Americans during the 13 nineteenth century. For example, in order to open land for expansion to the western territories, President Andrew 14 Jackson enacted the Indian Removal Act of 1830 (Study World, 2013) also known as the Trail of Tears. The 15 Indian Removal Act mandated that Native Americans, mainly the Cherokee nation, were to be removed from their 16 lands located west of the Mississippi River. They ordered to leave their lands in what amounted to as a forced 17 march that resulted in many Native Americans suffering from exposure, disease and starvation on the route to 18 their new destinations (mainly in North Carolina and Florida). It has been estimated that 60,000 of the 130,000 19 relocated Cherokees died on the way. Sadly, at the same time that the Native American were being subjected to 20 racist laws Africans were still being kidnapped from their homeland and imported to the United States as slaves. 21 These two examples drive home the fact that racism is indefensible but nonetheless existed for many years in the 22 United States and still exists in many communities. 23 24 As the country grew and immigration increased, the United States became a decidedly multi-cultural society. 25 However, the influx of immigrants from Europe and, to a lesser degree, Asia only added to the racial and ethnic 26 intolerance that was ingrained in the country’s ethos. By the late 19th Century, scholars recognized that issues of 27 race and ethnicity play a considerable role in shaping societal norms and values. Furthermore, they came to 28 understand that in large multi-racial and multi-cultural (pluralistic) societies such as the United States, it is 29 essential that governmental and civic leaders articulate, both in law and in policy, that dominance by any given 30 race or ethnic group is unacceptable and unsustainable. Mostly in response to the difficulties that the country had 31 in absorbing mass immigration, a major philosophy for dealing with the conflicts related to racism and 32 ethnocentrism emerged. It was referred to as cultural pluralism. 33 34 “In the United States the pragmatists Horace Meyer Kallen (1882–1974) and Randolph Silliman Bourne (1886– 35 1918) supplied a spirited defense of diversity during World War I. Although the American political tradition of 36 classical liberalism championed individual rights, it failed to extend those rights to include the right to be 37 culturally different. Liberal rights had wrongly assumed "that men are men merely, as like as marbles and 38 destined under uniformity of conditions to uniformity of spirit," Kallen wrote in "Democracy versus the Melting 39 Pot”. The right to cultural identity was essential to selfhood, however, and Kallen called for a "Federal republic," 40 a "democracy of nationalities, cooperating voluntarily and autonomously in the enterprise of self-realization 41 through the perfection of men according to their kind” (Science. Jrank.org, 2013). This philosophy, of course was 42 the foundation for what we today refer to as cultural diversity. 43 44 The concept of cultural diversity became rooted in movements that go back many years. For example, The 45 Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s also reflected the principles of cultural pluralism through its open expression of 46 black pride and its celebration of black culture….”Alain Leroy Locke (1886–1954), America's first 47 African-American Rhodes scholar and a former student of William James, furnished the guiding vision of the 48 Renaissance and helped to achieve Bourne's "beloved community." Finding beauty within himself, through a 49 rebirth of black art, the "new Negro" would thereby achieve the moral dignity suited to a "collaborator and RACISM 2 50 participant in American civilization". Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Claude Mackay, Jean Toomer, and 51 others awakened black pride and offered an aesthetically and spiritually barren industrial capitalist America 52 African-American wisdom and beauty instead of the ashes of materialism” (Science.Jrank.org). Racial/cultural 53 diversity as tool for ethnic inclusion gained currency as we moved into the twenty-first century. 54 55 The 21st Century is an important milestone for America as it relates to how the current and future generations deal 56 with racism and cultural intolerance. This is because the country is on the verge of one of the dramatic changes in 57 the racial/ethnic make-up since the early 20th Century. The United States will soon become a majority minority 58 society. “Minorities, which means those of any race other than non-Hispanic, single-race whites, were about a 59 third of the U.S. population, according to Census figures. However, it is projected that by 2042, those racial and 60 ethnic groups are likely to comprise more than half the population, and by 2050, 54 percent of the 61 population will be minorities” (Cable News Network (CNN), 2008). 62 63 This fact has obvious socio-economic and political implications for the country. More importantly, the idea of the 64 United States becoming a majority minority country has huge sociological implications for which we need to be 65 prepared. By 2054, the question of how to manage and adapt to pluralism and multi-culturism will need to have 66 been answered. Historically, in democratic countries where there is a history of racism dramatic demographic 67 shifts that brings the oppressed minority to an equal or majority position with the oppressor, the result is tension, 68 resentment, and sometimes violent resistance to the inevitable change. This is where strategies that prepares the 69 country for change comes in play. 70 71 The suggestion that dynamic shifts in the racial/ethnic power equation will, in its self, end racism is probably 72 naïve. Racial and ethnic groups will continue to struggle for equal access and opportunity, particularly during 73 times of slow economic growth and wide disparities in income distribution. However, with the shift in the power 74 dynamic by 2054, it would be expected that the degree to which racism exists will be greatly lessened. Therefore, 75 the objective would seem to be to reinforce a national ethos that places a high premium on concepts of social 76 accommodation that is ingrained in the pluralism, and acceptance of racial diversity points of view. All of which 77 should be linked to social policies and laws that codify the nation’s determination to be an inclusive and fair 78 society, the idea of dominance by any race or ethnic group becomes morally unacceptable. 79 80 NASW has exhibited ongoing leadership in developing policies and programs to significantly diminish if not 81 eliminate racism in society, and within the social work profession. According to the NASW Code of Ethics, 82 “Social workers . . . should advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions in order to 83 meet basic human needs and promote social justice. . . . Social workers should act to prevent and eliminate 84 domination of, exploitation of, and discrimination against any person, group, or class” (NASW Code of Ethics, 85 2000). NASW will continue its leadership role in developing practice strategies and programs that embrace 86 racial/ethnic equality and cultural diversity. 87 88 NASW institutionalized, as a part of its core values, Cultural Competence Standards that serve as guidelines to 89 enhance racial/ethnic and cultural appropriateness in service delivery to diverse client groups. A key statement in 90 those standards is that, (NASW) encourage “the development of a high level of social work practice that 91 encourages cultural competence among all social workers so that they can respond effectively, knowledgeably, 92 sensitively, and skillfully to the diversity inherent in the agencies in which they work and with the clients and 93 communities they serve” (NASW Cultural Competency Standards, 2001). 94 95 Management of the ongoing racial/ethnic pressures and tensions of a multi-cultural society that is making a 96 historic transition from a majority white country to a majority minority one can be daunting. While this 97 demographic change is inevitable, the country still grapples with inequities that can be attributed to race/ethnicity. RACISM 4 98 For example, racism often plays itself out in the pervasiveness of disparities within the nation’s bio-psychosocial 99 institutions such including: 100 101 Education systems that continue to reflect significant disparities in the quality of education received by an African American or Hispanic child as compared to white children; 102 103 The overall national unemployment rate during 2013 was approximately 7.6 percent. During that same period, 104 the unemployment rate for African Americans was 13.5%; for Hispanics the unemployment rate was 9.6 105 percent (Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2013). Disparities in the housing market are exemplified by the 106 disproportionate losses suffered by African Americans and Hispanics during the collapse of the housing 107 market which reached its peak in 2008. The so-called housing bubble during which millions of Americans 108 loss their homes to foreclosure largely due to unscrupulous and outright fraudulent mortgage financing 109 practices was seen as one of the causes of the world-wide economic depression (2008-2012). According to 110 Think Progress, “Although the majority of affected borrowers have been white, African-American and Latino 111 borrowers are almost twice as likely to have been impacted by the crisis. Approximately one quarter of all 112 Latino and African-American borrowers have lost their home to foreclosure or are seriously delinquent, 113 compared to just fewer than 12 percent for white borrowers. Asian borrowers have fared better as a whole than 114 Latino and African-American borrowers, but they, too, have been disproportionately affected, especially in 115 some metropolitan areas” (Think Progress.Org, 2013). 116 117 Health and behavioral health is another example of how race/ethnicity is a prime factor in apparent 118 disparities in terms of access to care and quality of care. A succinct explanation of how race/ethnicity can be 119 factored in the health disparities equation is found in the idea of Social Determinants of Health which are 120 conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship (Centers for 121 Disease Control, 2013). Examples of social determinants include: 122 123 o Availability of resources to meet daily needs (e.g., safe housing and local food markets) 124 o Access to educational, economic, and job opportunities 125 o Access to health care services 126 o Quality of education and job training 127 o Availability of community-based resources in support of community living and opportunities for 128 recreational and leisure-time activities 129 o Transportation options 130 o Public safety 131 o Social support 132 o Social norms and attitudes (e.g., discrimination, racism, and distrust of government) 133 o Exposure to crime, violence, and social disorder (e.g., presence of trash and lack of cooperation in a 134 community) 135 o Socioeconomic conditions ( concentrated poverty and the stressful conditions that accompany it) 136 o Residential segregation 137 o Language/Literacy 138 o Access to mass media and emerging technologies (e.g., cell phones, the Internet, and social media) 139 o Culture 140 (Centers for Disease Control, 2013) 141 The social determinant of health factors can be used to assess to probability of poor health outcomes for a given 142 population. For example, when we look at each factor we can reasonable conclude that most can be associated 143 with low-income people of color living in an urban environment. 144 Racial/ethnicity disparities in the criminal and juvenile justice systems are another area where we see lingering 145 evidence of institutional racism. Racial disparity in the criminal justice system exists when the proportion of a 146 racial or ethnic group within the control of the system is greater than the proportion of such groups in the general 147 population. The causes of such disparity are varied and can include differing levels of criminal activity, law RACISM 6 148 enforcement emphasis on particular communities, legislative policies, and/or decision making by criminal justice 149 practitioners who exercise broad discretion in the justice process at one or more stages in the system (The 150 Sentencing Project). The indicators of racial disparities in these systems are: 151 152 the overall population; 153 154 157 Latinos constitute 19 percent of the prison and jailpopulation7 compared to their 15 percent share of the population; 155 156 Thirty-eight percent of prison and jail inmates are African American compared to their 13 percent share of A black male born in 2001 has a 32 percent chance of spending time in prison at some point in his life, a Hispanic male has a 17 percent chance, and a white male has a 6 percent chance; 158 159 To restate the Encyclopedia Britannica’s definition of: “racism, also called racialism, is any action, practice, or 160 belief that reflects the racial worldview—the ideology that humans are divided into separate and exclusive 161 biological entities called "races," that there is a causal link between inherited physical traits and traits of 162 personality, intellect, morality, and other cultural behavioral features, and that some races are innately superior to 163 others. The issue of racism in America, broadly speaking, is (and has always been) how does a complex 164 multi-cultural society overcome a history of discrimination based on race, ethnic and origin of birth? The country 165 has struggled with this question since its inception. Organized protests against racist policies have existed from 166 the anti-slavery abolitionist movement which began in the late 18th century through the Civil Rights Movement of 167 the 1960s. Such pressures on government have resulted in significant changes in public policy and in changes to 168 the constitution to combat the practice. 169 170 Though it is undeniable that there have significant improvements in race relations overt racial discrimination over 171 the years, racism has not been eradicated. This is compounded by the fact that changes in laws and public policy 172 can go but so far in ending racism. To truly achieve a race neutral country there has to be a change in how 173 individuals adapt to and accept racial/ethnic differences. As we move deeper into the 21st century, the expected 174 changes in America’s demographic will almost certainly bring about a new dynamic in race relations. Whether or 175 not that dynamic is conflict free is not clear. However, as was true in the past, social justice and civil rights 176 advocates, political leaders and government have a role to play in helping to guide the nation to a more 177 accommodating path to social change. 178 179 The social work profession with the leadership of NASW has been a part of the vanguard that has monitored and 180 spoken out against all forms of racial injustice and violations of civil rights. The issue for the profession is how it 181 will position itself to have a voice in eliminating and/or mitigating racist practices and racial disparities as the 182 country adapts to new demographic realities. Social workers are to some degree first responders for populations 183 that are negatively impacted by racism. They work with undocumented immigrant families that face significant 184 discrimination, with criminal justice involved individuals and families that have to overcome the barriers of both 185 race and stigma, and social workers are on the frontline of helping individuals and families that have life altering 186 bio-psychosocial problems related to health disparities. All of which means that the social work profession has a 187 major stake in helping to bring about changes in values and attitudes that perpetuate unfair and discriminatory 188 access to services and resources based on race/ethnicity and national origin. 189 POLICY STATEMENT 190 NASW supports an inclusive, multicultural society in which racial, ethnic, class, sexual orientation, age, physical 191 and mental ability, religion and spirituality, gender and other cultural and social identities are valued and 192 respected. NASW is a proponent of forward thinking social policies that seek to foster diversity at all levels social 193 discourse ranging from the workplace to where we live. NASW encourages government, national social 194 justice/civil rights organizations, and faith-based organizations to become vocal about preparing the nation for 195 demographic changes that are imminent by openly advocating for respect for cultural differences, racial/ethnic 196 inclusion as opposed exclusion, and embracing the value of accommodation when dealing with cultural RACISM 8 197 differences. 198 199 From a policy perspective, NASW espouses the principles of cultural pluralism as described in the background 200 section of this document. By definition, cultural pluralism is not a remedy for racism; it is mechanism for 201 multi-cultural societies to adapt to the convergence of various cultures into a functional whole without major 202 conflicts. A central tenet of cultural pluralism is that can co-exist without losing their own cultural identities. 203 204 As a concept cultural pluralism is an alternative to the “melting pot” view that immigrants should assimilate to 205 American culture by abandoning their own cultures, languages, and other traditions. Cultural pluralists insist that 206 different ethnic groups have enriched the American way of life as immigrants and native-born citizens have 207 learned from one another, thereby broadening their views on art, cuisine, education, history, music, and other 208 aspects of life. 209 210 During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which saw the largest surge of immigrant arrivals in 211 American history, an anti-immigrant backlash took the forms of nativism, xenophobia, and other expressions of 212 prejudice. Criticism of the unfamiliar appearances and behaviors of the newly arrived peoples prompted 213 discriminatory treatment of the new immigrants in education, employment, government programs, housing, and 214 public accommodations. As a result, the advance of industrious and talented immigrants whose efforts could 215 enhance American progress was held back (Immigration on America, 2013). 216 217 As a part of its policy guidelines on combating racism, NASW believes that the nation can institute proactive 218 strategies that will lead to a greatly reduced number of communities and individuals that hold onto racist or 219 ethnocentric values. Already there is a much more far-reaching acceptance of workplace diversity policies in 220 government, industry, and in many communities. Because diversity programs are a by-product of the cultural 221 pluralism philosophy, NASW believe if the nation continues on that path, it will be preparing itself for the 222 demographic shifts expected by the middle of the 21st Century, 223 224 NASW’s guidance for social workers is that each social worker must adhere to the ethical responsibility to 225 demonstrate culturally competency in their workplace with fellow employees, those under their supervision and, 226 more importantly in their areas of practice, Additionally, NASW’s policy for responding to current occurrence of 227 institutional racism is to work in coalition with other organization with a civil rights and social justice agenda to 228 advocate for reforms in public policies and/or enact legislation that will eliminate racial discrimination and 229 disparities based on race/ethnicity. 230 231 More specifically, NASW will seek reforms in bio-psychosocial service delivery systems that have historically 232 been plagued with racial disparities and cases of overt racism, including: 233 234 race/ethnicity 235 236 The Public Education System where there are significant disparities in quality of education based on Employment opportunities where there is a wide disparity in the unemployment rates of persons of color as 237 opposed to white Americans; Health Care and Mental Health Services has been subject to racial disparities in 238 terms of access to care and quality of care; Criminal Justice System where there are documented instance of 239 disparities in incarceration rates, arrest rates and in sentencing. 240 241 REFERENCES 242 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t02.htm 243 (Cable News Network (CNN) Minorities expected to be majority in 2050. Retrieved from RACISM 10 280-290 Racism 12/29/11 2:41 AM Page 11 244 http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/08/13/census.minorities/index.html?_s=PM:US. 245 246 Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Social Determinants of Health. Retrieved from 247 http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=39. 248 249 Encyclopedia Britannica. Racism. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/488187/racism 250 251 Immigration in America. Cultural Pluralism. Retrieved from 252 http://immigrationinamerica.org/454-cultural-pluralism.html?newsid=454 253 254 National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. 2000. 255 256 National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Cultural Competency Standards. 2001 257 258 Science. Jrank.org. Retrieved from http://science.jrank.org/pages/10750/Pluralism-Cultural-Pluralism.html. 259 260 The Sentencing Project. Retrieved from: 261 http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/rd_reducingracialdisparity.pdf) 262 263 Studyworld.com. The Indian Removal Act of 1830. Retrieved from: 264 http://www.studyworld.com/indian_removal_act_of_1830.htm 265 266 Think Progress.Org. Latinos, African Americans Twice As Likely As Whites To Have Been Affected By The 267 Housing Crisis. Retrieved from: 268 http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/11/18/372517/latinos-african-americans-housing-crisis/?mobile=nc