Personal Narrative Essay about Racism

Racism is one the evils that exist in the society. When people hate or judge others because they look different from them, the society will not progress. People need to realize that beneath the skin color all human being are the same. In any case, people need to embrace diversity since that is what makes life interesting. Human beings spend a significant amount of their time at work. It is paramount therefore that the workplace is conducive. However, this is not always the case as some people bring racism at work. I have faced racism at work when from a certain group of people who have the mentality that they are superior because of their race. The racism occurred during my internship at a local store.

Some type of racism is subtle than others and it only after a keen observation that one can detect them. They include giving opportunities to some people while denying other based on their race. I have also witnessed this kind of racism in one of the companies that I had volunteered for the summer. Although there are a lot of people in the country who are qualified to fill different positions, this company was predominantly filled with one race. The top management did not have an individual from any race other than white. Additionally, the interns in the company were also from one race except for one student. However, despite the company employing one race in the white color field, I observed that their watchmen, cleaners, and janitor were all from a minority group. I do not believe this is a coincidence but subtle racism.

Xenophobia is a type of racism that is directed towards foreigners. It can be based on religion or race. There are different people immigrating to the US either legally or illegally. No matter how one come to the US, there is no excuse for being intolerant towards another individual. I have witness Islamophobia on a friend who is a Muslim in one of the centers that I was volunteering. People kept coming up to him and asking hurtful questions such as why Muslims are terrorists. Most of the time I had to step in and inform the individuals not all Muslims are terrorist. However, I realized that some people are not racist but just ignorant. When a Christian or a Hindu commits a crime, people of that religion are not persecuted. There should not be a double standard therefore when treating Muslims. Just because some terrorists are Muslims, it does not mean everyone who practices the religion is a terrorist.

There is also a type of discrimination that is commonly known as reverse racism. Some people feel that the affirmative action and the employment equity act is a reverse racism. According to these people, everyone should be given an equal opportunity to employment. I have witnessed this kind of racism at work where the minority feel they should be given preference on employment while whites feel the practice is unfair. Both these groups have compelling arguments and reasons to support their assertions. However, I think the affirmative action was well-intentioned and should not be confused with racism. It is also critical to ensure the perception that one is favored should be removed to ensure there is no resentment at the workplace.

The glass ceiling is a concept that is meant to ensure women and men who are qualified for a job get equal opportunity. However, I have experienced a phenomenal where a black woman has claimed she has been overlooked for years when it came to promotion and salary increment. According to the women, the management has employed people from outside to fill several vacant positions although she is qualified to fill the vacancies. Although it is hard to sue the company for racism, the employee feels like the color of her skin is preventing her from progressing in her career. Additionally, the African American woman feels like her authority is constantly being undermined by her white male colleagues. She stated that at times, she feels like she had to work twice as hard to prove she is equal to other employees.However, despite these challenges, there is a solution to curbing and controlling the menace. The most important aspect is to ensure people do not underestimate the problem. When an individual says something inappropriate, they need to be told. Defending them and claiming they did not mean it just emboldens them. It is also critical to educate and eliminate ignorance. Sometimes, people may think whatever they are doing is innocent while in turn, they are being racist. People should also not wait for a situation to get worse for people to address it. It is important to address a problem as soon as it happens. When islamophobia attacks take place in the streets of US, those responsible should be swiftly brought to justice to deter such kind of behaviors. If these things are observed racism will be a thing of the past