The history of the United States contains a significant amount of struggle between different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. It is essential to analyze what events led people to this state, how conflicts have shaped the country and affected those who live in it. This essay will discuss the minority groups of Latinos, African Americans, and Native Americans and the reasons why they are considered as such.
The first group to be discussed is one of the largest — Hispanic and Latinos. They represent approximately 18.5% of the population, a significant portion of whom is considered to be illegal immigrants (“Information on U.S. minority groups,” n.d.). Issues with getting legal status lead to high poverty rates, participation in gang activities, and give rise to hate crimes (“United States of America,” 2020). The second-largest racial minority group in the United States is African Americans. About 14% of the U.S. population is Black, and many of them have descended from slaves brought to this continent from Africa (“Information on U.S. minority groups,” n.d.).
They are considered as minorities due to a multitude of past discriminatory policies that led to high rates of crime, poverty, and segregation between African Americans and the rest of the U.S. (“United States of America,” 2020). Although there are continuous efforts to fix the situation, the effects of the negative attitude remain.
The third group of minorities that is included in this paper is Native Americans. They represent 1.3% of the U.S. population and consist of more than 500 tribes with strong ties to their culture and traditions (“Information on U.S. minority groups,” n.d.). However, such diversity is often generalized by historians and media, leaving a significant portion of this group’s heritage out of the scope of many studies (“Information on U.S. minority groups,” n.d.). Despite being native to this land, this group is heavily underrepresented in politics.
In conclusion, these groups gained their status as minorities due to their disadvantaged position in society. The majority of people from these backgrounds tend to be less educated, more prone to committing crimes, and live in poorer regions of the United States. Their issues are deeply rooted in the discriminatory policies of the past, yet there are remnants of racism that harm their position today.
References
Information on U.S. minority groups. (n.d.). BYU McKay School of Education. Web.
United States of America. (2020). Minority Rights Group. Web.