The House We Live In: Pre-viewing Activity

Before viewing Episode Three: The House We Live In, please answer TWO of the following questions below:

> Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?

> Forty years ago, the Civil Rights Act declared that forced racial segregation was illegal. In light of this, why do you think some neighborhoods, schools and workplaces are still segregated?

> What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from?

> Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?

> Define “racial preferences.” List a couple of current examples. Do the preferences you see in practice today tend to most benefit whites, Blacks, or others?

21 thoughts on “The House We Live In: Pre-viewing Activity

  1. Forty years ago, the Civil Rights Act declared that forced racial segregation was illegal. In light of this, why do you think some neighborhoods, schools and workplaces are still segregated? I think its because the level of comfort that comes when you are around someone that has a lot in common with you. We see this in this state people from a specific background might be incline to move to an area where they might find others with his or her same background.

    What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from? I’ve heard many stereotypes but I try not to pay too much attention to them because I believe that not everyone from a specific group will behave the same as one individual in that group. I’ve heard that all Hispanic girls will have kids by 22 years old, that Irish people drink a lot, African Americans are not to be trusted and they fight all the time. Those are just some that I have heard and just because you hear it all the time it doesn’t make it true. A lot of these stereotypes I heard come from the people around me.

  2. > Forty years ago, the Civil Rights Act declared that forced racial segregation was illegal. In light of this, why do you think some neighborhoods, schools and workplaces are still segregated?

    There can be many reasons why some neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces are still segregated. My best guess as to why they are still segregated is because some people did not want to change and also that the segregation just never ended ever since the Civil Rights Act. I think this happened because racism may still control people’s bias about other people and make them want to live somewhere where everyone is like themselves.

    >Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?

    I do not think everyone today should be held accountable for past discrimination but i believe that people today should learn from past discrimination and learn why there is no place for it in this world. There’s no reason to blame people today for discrimination that started 400 years ago but there is plenty of reason to hold people accountable that continue to lead a life of discrimination and racism.

  3. Forty years ago, the Civil Rights Act declared that forced racial segregation was illegal. In light of this, why do you think some neighborhoods, schools and workplaces are still segregated?
    Forty years ago isn’t that long of a time for it to disappear, especially in some places where it was very heavily segregated. Some may have refused to let this act pass, and kept segregation around. While the hostility of it, may not be as intense, compared to forty years ago, it’s still there, and they treat it like it’s normal. This is scene when some people who live in areas where segregation is still around, and when they move out to a different area (either for college, or job) that isn’t segregated, they discover this huge difference.

    Define “racial preferences.” List a couple of current examples. Do the preferences you see in practice today tend to most benefit whites, Blacks, or others?
    This is a tricky question. To me, racial preference means that you have a preference towards one race based on their physical characteristics.
    ie: how hair is either curly or straight, certain body types, certain facial features.
    While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, when you exclude people because of it, is when it becomes bad. Racial preference is kind of a gray area. The racial preferences seen in practice today is situational, and can often be seen as racial discrimination as well, depending on the situation.
    ie: the video today, When the Bough Breaks, where one of the persons talk about how a black man with a good resume and no criminal record is less likely to get hired, compared to a white man with a criminal record.
    While racial preference is different from person-to-person, I can’t really say who it most benefits since there is even racial preference in relationships as well.
    ie: most races tend to date within their own race, or a person may be attracted to one of a different race (example: a co-worker of mine who is latino, is attracted to asians and is currently dating one). I don’t really have the statistics, but I guess if I was forced by you, to make a general guess, I would say racial preference seems to benefit non-minorities in most cases?

  4. > Forty years ago, the Civil Rights Act declared that forced racial segregation was illegal. In light of this, why do you think some neighborhoods, schools and workplaces are still segregated?

    I think the segregation comes from the perceived norm. Most families of a race would like to be surrounded by others of the same race, so I believe we segregate ourselves. I also believe that where we locate ourselves is based on the institutionalized racism. In every area there are locations where segregation takes place those areas I believe fall into the financial bracket of what each of the races can afford statistically. Therefore it maybe somewhat of a forced decision. What do we really do for ourselves when most of our choices are already predetermined…..

    > Define “racial preferences.” List a couple of current examples. Do the preferences you see in practice today tend to most benefit whites, Blacks, or others?

    Racial Preferences – As an internalized racism perceiving another race or your race as being superior in a certain area of required service/capabilities and preferring their service over your own race.
    My community is pretty diverse. As far as services go I believe most people feel more comfortable being serviced by their own race to avoid mistreatment or being ripped off. However as far as doctors go I believe most would prefer a doctor of a lighter skin tone, only because the media has constructed our brains to seeing the best doctors as White or Asian, with little recognition to the Indian doctor and pretty much no recognition to the Black/Latino doctor. The “face” of a doctor is seldom to none portrayed as Black or Latino. Although I believe some may still prefer doctors of the same race based on my previous explanation.
    I believe no one wants to be served Chinese food from any other race other than Chinese same goes for Jamaican food, or Indian food, Mexican food etc:
    We all have our stereotyped areas of Superiority and it is possible to break that barrier and just maybe be seen as equal in superiority.

  5. Forty years ago, the Civil Rights Act declared that forced racial segregation was illegal. In light of this, why do you think some neighborhoods, schools and workplaces are still segregated?

    I think the reason why some neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces are still segregated because they choice to be segregated. People tends to live in neighborhood with same race because they might think it’s easier for them to communicate and also easier for them to get support from the people with same race. They might think its a more safe neighborhood because they are all the same race of people. They are not forced to be segregated by law, but they choose to do it because of their belief. In school or in workplace, It has people from different races, but people choose to work more together with the people with same race because they think it more comfortable to work with the people with same race. They might think they would get alone with people with same race rather than other races.

    Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?
    I don’t think people should be held accountable for past discrimination because, People that held slave at that time is legal, People held slave is because they use African people as hard labor. At that time the US need lot of hard labor to work in plantation to produces goods for economic grows. After Slavery ended, Every should be treated equally. People that owns slave might still have a mindset of their race superior in the present because of their power in the past that they are being owner of black race. For example the KKK still exists in nowadays because they still think white race is superior than black race. This mindset should change in present because everyone is created equal. People should treat people in nicer manner, so others will treat you back the same.

  6. Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?

    Race affects my life in a certain way, people are always assuming that because I look Hispanic I don’t know English very well. Last time when I was talking with in English with a guy in a supermarket he told me that It was amazing that I spoke English fluently, I had to ask wouldn’t be fluently if I was born and raised in this country.

    What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from?

    There are many stereotypes of a Mexican, for example people have asked me why I am tall when all Mexican are short, not every Mexican is short there Mexicans that are taller than me with green eyes and lighter skin color. I’ve also heard that Asian people are so smart and that none of them can dance. That stereotype is a little bit exaggerated, everyone shows their intelligence, and you don’t have to be Asian in order to know the velocity of speed and light. Every human being has their own talent, dance is can’t be divided by race because I am not good at dancing and that doesn’t mean I’m Asian.

  7. Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?
    Race necessarily doesn’t affect my life in many ways but at certain point and at certain situations it does. Like for example talking about the neighborhood or the place you rent out apartment basically varies upon which race you are. As i am an Asian, and lot of Asian people actually lives in Queens i am bounded to live in Queens as well.

    Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?
    I do not think people today should be accountable for the past discrimination. Because what they did in the past was from the lack of knowledge or from the upbringing of the community as a whole. However, people today should not follow what had been begun many many years ago.

  8. > Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?
    Race has affected my life in numerous ways. One being that a lot of people don’t know that I’m mixed with two cultures. I’m Dominican and also African American. Because of the color of my skin, people assume I’m only Black. But there have been incidents were I was spoken badly about in Spanish without the knowledge of them knowing I knew what they we/re saying. It also affected me because I was judged by the friends I hung out with, which one day my friend could be black and the next day I had a friend who was Spanish.

    > What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from?
    I’ve seen a lot of stereotypes from the two races I am. One is that if you are a Hispanic woman, you will get pregnant at a very young age. Another is that if you are a Black male, you get yourself into nothing but trouble. A lot of these stereotypes have come from statistics of a few amount of people. And because they see this happening to that certain group, they feel like everyone in that category is alike so it will most likely be true for all.

  9. Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?

    As a black young man I can go a day not see anyone make a racial comment rather is unintentional or for a good cause. i work for security company the would likely to send in site where its more dangerous. ex: a retails around the junction near a project, they are excuse or you black you are from Brooklyn you will know how to deal with it. I have been stop in plenty occasion with no probable cause after been checked here is to your license we were just doing a normal routine. Everyday in the train at some point you can see some sort segregation.
    Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?
    In opinion I don’t think they should be held accountable, they should be inform in ways to prevent from happen to one and other with respect and equality. everyone was born good rather you are a criminal or not, a but as you through circumstances, social life shape in many way. They should be should be penalize strictly moving forward for participate or use any sort racism downgrade someone else.

  10. Forty years ago, the Civil Rights Act declared that forced racial segregation was illegal. In light of this, why do you think some neighborhoods, schools and workplaces are still segregated?

    * I believe some neighborhood ,schools and workplaces are still segregated because they are just simply use to it. Change is a concept not everyone can adjust to so fast especially not knowing if its right or wrong. Simply it is just a comfort in where they are placed. I don’t think its intentional that some areas segregate but its just a place where people think they belong.

    Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?

    * I don’t think people should be held accountable for past discrimination. Everyone is educated differently and I have come to learn to never judge a book by its cover. Others should not be accountable and have to take responsibility of another persons action.

  11. Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?
    Race does affect my life but not on a daily basis. While shopping or just looking around in stores on several occasions, I have been watched by stores attendant every step I take. There are two supermarkets close by my home, which I shop each and every week. In one of the supermarkets, there is an aisle which is perpendicular to a transparent glass window, and I saw the owner of the store, a white guy who I know, peeping at me. At first, I thought our eyes just met each other accidentally, so I didn’t take it seriously. However I took a few more steps down the aisle and he was still looking, so it felt uncomfortable and walked out. At the second supermarket, I was once stopped and searched for no apparent reason but luckily, the security got fired. Interestingly, the week after , I went back to the supermarket and saw someone of another race stealing, and I shook my head, because no one was watching him. Situations like these give me a somewhat uncomfortable feeling when I walk in to any store even though I know that I have never stolen and will never steal from anyone. The feeling feeling has just become a part of me.

    Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?
    I do not think people should be held accountable for past discrimination, because some of them do not know better. Discrimination has been around for centuries and will not stop anytime soon, because not everyone is considerate. When someone grows up in environment where discrimination against a specific race is a day to day thing, and seems acceptable, it is difficult for that person to know that his or hers actions are wrong. As long as that person learns about the negative effects that discrimination has on others, and is willing to change, he or she should not be held accountable.

  12. > What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from?

    The stereotype I’ve heard about racial groups are many. The most common one I hear about is that “all Muslims and Indians are terrorist”. Which I disagree with, because that’s not entirely true. This came from after the 9.11 attacks. I understand everyone targeted this group racial group but that shouldn’t give the right to someone stereotyping them because of their culture and by the way they dress.

    > Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?

    I don’t think people should be held accountable for past discrimination because it’s in the past for a reason, we’ve encountered a lot of discrimination in the past that still exists today but people are open minded about it in this day and age.

  13. Race affects my life every day. It is how people view my children and me when we walk out the door. It is the acceptance and denial of certain perceived notions on the African American race. People in our neighborhood identify with us because we are the same race with as most of them. They speak and talk to me with the notion that I am supposed to understand certain things because we are the same race. It is a question on most applications and surveys. It is by what means people distinguish expectations, my qualifications and me.

    I have heard that all black people fry their food in lots of oil or lard. All black people are ghetto and violent. All Jewish people are cheap. All Chinese people are rude. Spanish people cook rice and beans with every meal. Most of the stereotypes are overheard from family and friends in day-to-day interactions and conversations.

  14. Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?
    Race does affect my life. I don’t make race an issue but other people do. People who dont know my family or me personally always make it a point to try and figure out “What I Am”. Outsiders always want to label me or know what race I am. Because I can blend in with other races awkward encounters are inevitable. At least twice a week someone who speaks Spanish will approach me and ask me things in Spanish and I have no clue what they’re saying. I have a coworker who is Indian and she speaks to me in her native tongue sometimes forgetting that I don’t know her language. These are all harmless things but my siblings aren’t so lucky. My older brother has experienced police brutality and had to be hospitlized and it was a case of mistaken identity. He was a black boy riding a bike with a hoodie on, police didn’t ask him for id or a name they jumped out the car and beat him, saying he was the suspect they were looking for and he actually wasn’t. I have a sister who is very fair skinned so people don’t think we’re related or if they find out we’re related and that she has a different father than I then they use the oh ya’ll are half sisters and shes only half black line. We don’t use the terminology half sibling in my house and my sister identifies as black, because we have the same mother and our mother is black. I think society is fascinated with race because they’re fascinated with labeling things and people.
    > Forty years ago, the Civil Rights Act declared that forced racial segregation was illegal. In light of this, why do you think some neighborhoods, schools and workplaces are still segregated?
    I think people are comfortable being around people of their own “kind”. Also with race comes religion and culture, so some areas are still separated because of their culture. They have different practices and beliefs. I work at shoprite as a cake decorator on Ave I in Brooklyn, we have a variety of Kosher foods. Most of our customers are Jewish and Indian. They have a certain diet based on their religious beliefs. I believe this is a huge reason on why certain areas are still segregated.

  15. >> Forty years ago, the Civil Rights Act declared that forced racial segregation was illegal. In light of this, why do you think some neighborhoods, schools and workplaces are still segregated?
    There are several reasons for segregated neighborhood and schools. First, making something in a law doesn’t mean it also changed people’s personal views. Prejudice and racist behavior (discrimination) in one community can make someone to move from that neighborhood. People also tend to live in their comfort zone i.e. in neighborhood where they can find people like them. Similarly, people send their kids to school that has higher number of kids from same racial group part of the reason is they don’t want their kids to experience racism in minority racial schools.

    >> Define “racial preferences.” List a couple of current examples. Do the preferences you see in practice today tend to most benefit whites, Blacks, or others?
    To me racial preference is choosing someone because of their race. Racial preference is also kind of discrimination to the other race. One example would be getting job is easier for people of white race than black or other races. Sometime a company who is posting job availability, they also specify that people from what racial group can apply for that job. I believe white racial group gets more preference than others. Another example I can think of (from my experience, listening to conversation of cab drivers) is getting a cab is much easier for white people than black especially during night time.

  16. > Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?
    So far, I have not been caught in any racial issue. Therefore, I believe that it does not affect my life in any terms. But overall, I do acknowledge that people have prejudice and rage for the people from my country. So who knows that they might see me in the same way. But, personally, in school, internship or at work, I have not been encountered with such challenge.
    What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from?
    I have heard and seen many stereotypes for many races including my own race. So far, what I have observed, these stereotypes are baseless and useless. There is not any reality that can prove them right. I would say that these are superstitious concepts, nothing else. people today tend to follow what they were told by their elders. for example, upon my arrival to the United States, I was told that the black people are really dangerous so I should stay away from them. It was proved wrong, because the very first time, I was lost and I had not one around myself who could I ask the directions. Then there was a black guy on the street. I was afraid to ask him . but then I had no option. So I did ask him and he guided me while demonstrating very well behavior. So my fears were minimized. Then upon starting college, A made a lot of friends who are African Americans and I never have any problem with them.

  17. <Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?

    Yes. Race affects my life directly and indirectly – but not in a way to hinder or put a halt to my progression in life, because that would be a psychological stagnation. As a naturalize immigrant, the whistle of race was already blown to me by white folks during my orientation before migrating to the United States. Culture shock in terms of race and how to control my feelings if ever faced in a negative situation that makes me feel otherwise was well explained to me. Interestingly, they were right. My first direct experience was on the train – sitting next to a white woman, who then got up and move to another seat; which I tried not to take personally, having been told of what to expect- (more to direct experience). Indirectly, was on the job working at SYMS at the time and hired the same time with some whites, Guyanese, Chinese, etc.; only to find out a year later that the whites were well paid more, but doing the same job. Again, since I already knew what to expect, I paid no attention to the direct or indirect affection of the way race was playing in my life just because of the skin color and for the fact that I was coming from another country. I looked at everything as a way for me to excel and find a way to better please my mind and make myself comfortable in any situation I found myself.

    <Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?

    No, and Yes.
    I don’t think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination. However, there is an exception to that. First, it depends on what or who “people” is referred to – meaning does it includes whites only or other races that discriminate against a particular group or set of people? If people today are referred to as whites only, then I would say they shouldn’t be held accountable for their forefathers’ past discrimination for hundreds of years ago – but would definitely recommend some form of compensation in the form of an apology or something else. On the contrary, for this generation of white people (as I presume), I think they should be held accountable for still discriminating today for the last fifty or hundred years; because after their forefathers, this generation still discriminates, which could have been stopped, but rather continued.

  18. > Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?

    Yes the fact that I am Hispanic does affect my life. I am judged by others sometimes unconsciously other times consciously because of the way I look and my culture. I have bin told that I speak English so well how long have I bin in the U.S. I know for a fact that I did not get a number of job because I wasn’t white. I am followed around in stores sometimes. Walking down a street at night people go across the street and women hold there purse tighter. I had a conversation the other day with my sister explaining how life in America is easier as a white person in every way possible

    > Forty years ago, the Civil Rights Act declared that forced racial segregation was illegal. In light of this, why do you think some neighborhoods, schools and workplaces are still segregated?

    People are misinformed and ignorant. Some are afraid of changing there culture some are just racist.

  19. Race does affect my life, because Europeans have created a climate where european features are falsely advertised as the epitome of beauty. I do not fit into this “standard” so people often look at me and judge me based solely on my physical features.

    40 years ago The Civil Rights act passed and made segregation illegal . Although this act passed i think neighborhoods, schools and workplaces are sill segregated because some people are still stuck in the same mindset as well as a system of wrong doing towards other races. Also many people may not realize some of the thing being done against them.

    People Afrikans decent excel at sports
    Asians are smart
    White people are racist
    i think it all comes forms false information

    i think people today should be held accountable for their discrimination. I believe this would embarrass them as well as them having them think about consequences when they perform these actions.

    Racial preference is when someone likes one race more than the other races. This is seen in Jobs hiring, people picking life partners. The practices that i see is most beneficial to the white man.

  20. Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?
    Unfortunately race plays a major role on my life. Although I live in America where we are all legally equal I am still face with discriminative acts due to me being an African American female. Racism still exist. People are still being denied opportunities because of there race which is very sad. I feel black African American have come a long way but we are still being judged by our race.

    Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?
    It seems like forgetting the past is a very hard thing to do but our society still seem to live in the past. I do not think people today should be held accountable for past discriminations. All Muslims are not terrorist and all African Americans are not criminals.

  21. This had been made more difficult to people not defining as white people because these people may not have had these things done to them but their current situation is a direct result of these things. These things being blockbusting, which is when black people move into a neighbor hood to cause whites to move out due to thinking that their home value will be reduced so all the sites in the area will sell their home as quickly as possible to get the bet “deal” for their home before people of Afrikan Decent. this is used my realtors in order to make profit. also another thing is redlining where people of Afrikan decent was denied housing in a certain part of a neighborhood. The long term affect of these practices are white people having higher network while in the same situation as people of Afrikan decent. All these negative impacts have passed down through the generations to people in todays world. the difference access to financial resources make in terms of your life opportunities are vast. You are basically living a life bared from something that someone else isn’t being bared from. they are receiving a whole other spectrum go help that inset available to you, you may not even know that it exist.

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