Assignment:
Introduction:
Racism is not a new phenomenon. As long as there have been different ethnic groups, ethnocentrism has been a reality that people have had to deal with. From ancient times people were enslaved, captured or forced to work for others on the basis of their ethnicity. In ancient Egypt the Israelites were enslaved for four hundred years before they made their escape from that land. The Greeks city-states were known for capturing young teens from rival city-states and forcing them to serve in their armed forces or as slaves in their homes. The Aztecs captured people from other ethnic groups to serve as human sacrifices to their bloodthirsty gods. The Romans forced conquered peoples to pay them tribute. The Spanish developed a system of institutional racism in the new world.
In Mexico people were divided into social classes based essentially on their skin color and place of birth. Black slaves were at the bottom of this racial ladder. Above them were the mestizos who were of mixed Spanish and Indian blood, Above them were the Creoles who were born of Spanish blood but were born in the country of Mexico. At the top were the Peninsulares, who were of Spanish blood and as important, were born in Spain.
It is important to understand that institutional racism is not limited to a scenario where whites enslave blacks. Long before the white man arrived in Africa, tribal groups on that continent had been warring against each other and enslaving people of different ethnic groups from their own. Even today, many African nations are built on system of tribal stratification. A particular ethnic tribal group enjoys supremacy and people of a rival or inferior tribal group are excluded from the best schools, government jobs or careers, and society.
To point out the global nature of institutional racism however, in no way is sought to undermine the importance of combating it as a social cancer. Just because institutional racism has been present throughout history and is practiced in the majority of nations around the world today, does not mean that we should accept it in our own country. America was founded on the premise that "all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights."
To proclaim that message while at the same time promoting a system of institutional racism is tantamount to blatant hypocrisy. Americans fought for their freedom because they believed they had a better way to enjoy life than what was offered them by England. Today we need to catch a fresh outpouring of their revolutionary spirit. We need to be prepared to combat oppression when we see it rather than accept it is normal and acceptable. We need to say with Patrick Henry, "Give me liberty or give me death."