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?

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

  1. Does race affect your life ? Why or why not ? If so, in what ways ?
    Race impacts my life. I have diverse friends who believe in some of the stereotypes related to my race ( white people have money, I am smart, I am a pushover not a fighter etc). This is frustrating however, I do attempt to explain to them that this is not always true broadly. Race impacts the perception of others. For example, if I visit a “black” community I am gawked at occasionally with suspicion. I personally do not allow race to interfere with any potential friendship or relationship as I believe that is ignorance it it’s purest form. What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from?
    I have heard a whole gamut of stereotypes stemming from race over the years. It saddens me but the more typical ones are : African American men are “criminals”, Caucasians are ” wealthy and smart “, Asians are “smart ” and all have similar appearances. The vast majority of these stereotypes originate from assumptions and statistics of crime in terms of the African American aspect. Ignorance prevails and some people opt not to explore the validity of these stereotypes.

  2. Race affecting me:
    I believe race DOES affect my life. I feel being a Black Male with locs allows people to make a great deal of assumptions about me. I regularly deal with micro aggressions at work.

    I feel that the racial prejudice, and it’s legality, allowed for a huge economic divide between people with is still being felt today. Certain groups were left with few options of occupation or education, and this lead to a lack of choice in housing. This caused ethnic neighborhoods to form (both because of affordable housing and the need for support from a community that also understood “The Struggle”), and lead to the continued segregation of today. The idea is “If you live in this neighborhood you should work and learn in THESE places”, but rarely is the question of “how did all these people end up in the same location” brought up.

    Stereotypes:
    Black people are lazy- Black people stopped working for free at the end of slave era USA and there was/is resentment
    Black people aren’t intelligent- this is a hugely racist stereotype the was perpetuated by the prohibiting of black people learning to read/write etc…
    White people don’t use spices in their cooking- Imperialism took place as a result of a search for spices around the world, so maybe people are expecting some amazing spice work?

    > Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?
    Yes, I believe people should be held accountable for THEIR actions. If one was able to make somebody else’s life harder just because of hate, he/she can stand to be forced to acknowledge their way of thinking having been wrong.

    Racial Preference:
    Black athletes and entertainers, white lawyers, middle eastern doctors, etc…
    As Wealthy white Anglo-Saxon males are the historical oppressors, I’d say that group reaps the most benefit.

  3. Race certainly effects my life. We live in Nyc one of the most diverse places in the world yet people are still stereotyping and using micro aggressions toward each other all the time. I don’t think its a one way street. Just because I am white does not mean I am racist or I have money etc. When I first moved to Prospect heights/crown heights 12 years ago black men used to say to me that it was white people like me that ruin their neighborhood. They didn’t know me or know why I moved to that neighborhood. There have been several times on the train where a black person would ask me for money and if I said no not today they would call me racist.

    Stereotypes: Oh there are so many but..
    Asians can’t drive
    White men can’t jump
    black don’t crack

    It would be nice if people could be held accountable for their past aggressions but how would we go about that? Or are we talking on a whole such as white people should be held accountable for Thomas Jefferson’s actions: Then no way that was too long ago.

    Racial Preferences
    Black Athletes
    Indian Doctors
    Asian Mathematicians

    It benefits the person that fits the stereotype at the time. If we are looking for a specific person to fill the profile such as a black basketball player than they would benefit. Is it fair that we have these stereotypes, of course not.

  4. Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?
    People today should not be held accountable for past discrimination because of some moral and psychological reasons associated with this notion. First of all the punishment for the past mistakes may lead to disappointment and frustration among people. They may not feel any motivation to do any good in the future because of the non-compassionate behaviour of the society. Morally speaking, one should not be punished for one’s past mistakes if he or she is doing well in the present and has left the bad deeds. The principle of justice also asserts that it is the possibility that the person might have been influenced by the environment and circumstances in the past to commit the mistake. So he or she must be given a chance.

    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?
    Despite the declaration of racial segregation as illegal in America, the concept is still rampant and prevalent in the society. The reason is that racial segregation has become the part of the collective psyche and the social mores in America. The people have been used to treat the coloured community with abhorrence and hatred. The mere formulation of laws is not sufficient to change the mode of thinking. The academician and social philosophers do not pay heed to the training of the society in such a way that the people can treat the coloured community on equal grounds. Moreover, lack of implementation of some rules and laws has also aggravated the problem. Therefore, social and educational trends are responsible for the segregation in American society.

  5. Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways? Yes, race affects your life, because every day people judged others base on our skin color, characteristics or other things. People make their decisions upon what they see, by appearances of the people, and judge everyone equally.
    What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from? Any time you grouping races or individuals together and make a judgment about them without knowing them is stereotypes. One of the more common stereotype examples is stereotypes surrounding race. For example, saying that all Blacks are good at sports is a stereotype, because it’s grouping the race together to indicate that everyone of that race is a good athlete another examples is men are strong and do all the work or Mexican stereotypes suggest that all Mexicans are lazy and came into America illegally and all teenagers are rebels.

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

    Yes race affects me to a certain extent. Why? This is due to the fact that i at times feel inferior and my actions are questioned by people of another race. Being African American, i often wonder if i will be stopped and questioned by a cop, and often get a second look from people of a white back ground. Sale clerks at times seem to question my motive for being in their store assuming i might steal something or cannot afford their products. I often wonder if it will also be an issue when applying for a job in my choice of career field. These concerns stay in my mind but i do not allow them to bother me or keep me from enjoying and going about my daily life.

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

    I have heard the African American people are very loud, vulgar, aggressive and angry always ready to fight. Very ignorant, criminals, poor and inferior. I have heard people from the Latina back ground is often nasty, loud, gang members, have many children, do not have jobs and very rude. These stereotypes are very far from the truth. One can judge a race by looking at their neighbors or even looking at one community. I have friends and associates from all races and although some of these sayings are present it is often a coincidence and not factual information that could be used to label the group on a whole. I can speak for my self and say that these stereotypes do not match my character as i am not a criminal, ignorant or eager to fight. Yes i enjoy loud music but i know when it is appropriate and when its not.

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

    Absolutely does, because I’m brown skin and everyone, particularly in NY, need to assess/associate/label people. for example, in the subway, there is so much diversity, outright fear of being next to a homeless or a crazy person is constantly in your mind, in that environment we tend to have our guard up and look about at people so that we can assess, label, judge, and then feel a bit safer when each person in our immediate area is looked at and label/associated with a certain culture, stereotype, etc. All the assessment is done perhaps on a subconscious and conscious level due to the stories about the threats of being in a subway, or being around trump supporters, stories about terrorist activities in NY on the media, social media, then there is the escape goat stereotypes for each crime associated with each race. All these things factor equals to race (how we put them in a category/how we label people), and every single day, I get asked, “where are you from?”, even in formal settings, because people have a tendency to associate/label people to feel comfortable within their own mind, there is always a sense of superiority associated in the color chart of races. Where you fall on the spectrum, forms and shapes your experiences of this world/culture/laws of your immediate environment.

    What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from?
    1. Hispanics Are All Illegal Aliens
    2. White People Are All Racist
    3. Middle Easterners Hate America
    4. African American Men Are Well Endowed
    5. All Asians Know Kung Fu
    6. Native Americans Love to Gamble
    7. Hispanics Don’t Speak English Very Well or Not at All
    8. All Asians Are Geniuses
    9. African Americans Are Good At Basketball
    10. White People Don’t Have Rhythm

    Top 10 Racial Stereotypes

    All white Americans are obese, lazy, and dim-witted. Homer Simpson of the TV series The Simpsons is the personification of this stereotype.
    Mexican stereotypes suggest that all Mexicans are lazy and came into America illegally.
    All Arabs and Muslims are terrorists.
    All people who live in England have bad teeth.
    Italian or French people are the best lovers.
    All Blacks outside of the United States are poor.
    All Jews are greedy.
    All Asians are good at math. All Asians like to eat rice and drive slow.
    All Irish people are drunks and eat potatoes.
    All Americans are generally considered to be friendly, generous, and tolerant, but also arrogant, impatient, and domineering.

    Read more at http://examples.yourdictionary.com/stereotype-examples.html#6ubmXWIxvH4GAdg1.99

    I found an interesting article called “Where Bias Begins: The Truth About Stereotypes” on https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199805/where-bias-begins-the-truth-about-stereotypes, by Annie Murphy Paul.

    which states “…in the early 1980s, theories about stereotypes were concerned only with their explicit expression: outright and unabashed racism, sexism, anti-Semitism. But in the years since, a new approach to stereotypes has shattered that simple notion. The bias Banaji and her colleagues are studying is something far more subtle, and more insidious: what’s known as automatic or implicit stereotyping, which, they find, we do all the time without knowing it. Though out-and-out bigotry may be on the decline, says Banaji, “if anything, stereotyping is a bigger problem than we ever imagined.”

  8. Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?
    In the past, race has affected my life. Due to ignorance and lack of knowledge, I have been name called and bullied based off from my appearance (skin color and attributes). In todays society, it should be known that race still exists today. Although discriminatory action have not targeted me, I am still in some way affected by other peoples experiences.

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

    A stereotype that Black women face is that, they all have big butts and have attitude problems. I think that they come from society such as mass media and politics. It is unfortunate that “girls” in todays society try to live up to the stereotype as part of “Beauty”.

  9. Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?
    I think it does affects my life in the daily basis but I just decide to ignore it. For example, when I take the train and people of light colors does too, most of them wouldn’t sit after looking at me (which I guess is because Im hispanic). But if they see another available seat and the person next to it is white, then they prefer to go there. I really don’t care but some people may.
    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?
    Because those are loop holes society hide from us. Where I live at, one will be lucky enough to find one white family living within three blocks away. Schools are about filled of minorities too. This may be because years ago, the grounds were set up by previous generations.

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

    I am proud to say it does not. I think its because I look white. Without knowing my name or hearing me speak, I could easily pass for a Caucasian or Italian just off looks. I never been discriminated against. Every job I ever applied to has hired me. So if i been affected by it indirectly, I wouldn’t know.

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

    I think the new generation cant be blamed for what the previous generation did. They should try to change and get rid off discrimination and if they don’t then they should be held accountable.

  11. 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?

    There is still a lot of segregation today when it comes to housing. Many landlords still believe that a white neighborhood is a better neighborhood, which end up affecting minority groups that are looking to move to a better neighborhood today. Some people will start to believe this to be true; I have seen people take one example of how minorities negatively affect a neighborhood and then end up applying it to the whole group of people also, a resume with a “white sounding” name is a lot more likely to get a call back for a job interview then one that sounds black.

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

    Some stereotypes I have heard are that blacks are more likely to commit crime, and that hispanics are illegal and are taking “american” jobs. Many stereotypes start out with some truth the media tells us but then end up out of proportion. The media plays a role when it comes to stereotyping not just the news but also social media today. People notice things then, end up applying it to other individuals that resemble the stereotype they saw. The after math of all the social injustice in America is very real not only intentional racism but also subconsciously. People who believe things subconsciously will act differently towed one group over another without even being aware of it.

  12. > 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 feel that people are segregated because of the fact that people like to fit in with there environment so they tend to join places in which they are a majority. This creates a mental barrier in which people segregate themselves in order to not feel left out or discriminated upon.

    > What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from?
    A stereotype I’ve heard of about is how asians are good at math or computers. I believe that most stereotypes come from the frequency of a person seeing something and how certain people are portrayed in films. I believe hollywood plays a huge role in the formation of stereotypes in that it ingrains people with the thought “Wow, asians are either hacking something or doing something involving math in all the movies so it must be true”.

    • People like to live where they fit in economically, not so much racially. The mental barrier you describe is one to do with class. Individuals do not segregate themselves– the housing exists already and opportunities for ownership are delineated by federal policy. There is very little choice in the matter.

  13. Question: Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?
    Answer: Almost every day I am put in situation because of my race. I feel it at my work, in the train/bus, sometimes even in the school. For example, I work at Sephora as a cashier and almost every day I have found some clients who never wanted to come to me because I am Muslim. They always wait for next cashier even I don’t have any clients at that time. I am just surprised to say that they all are from high society class and educated. I never experienced something like that since last year until started doing Hijab. In the beginning I felt bad but now I really do not care about this. I know if I start think about that it can lead me to stress. Being a full time student and also working full time is enough stress for me. I just can’t allow it to affect me and my thought process.
    Question: What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from?
    Answer: Some of the stereotypes I heard are
    1) All Asians are good at math and sciences
    2) All Mexicans are illegal
    3) All Muslims are terrorist
    4) All Jews are greedy.
    5) All Irish people are drunk.
    These stereotypes I heard from school and work and also from my friends. I think Stereotypes come from society and made by people. When someone saw people from the same race doing something wrong they just assume everyone from that race would be the same and which is not just right.

  14. 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 this is a new era of racism, the government use money as reason to separate schools by zones /district based on the amount of tax each neighborhood /area generates. For neighborhood that pay high tax they get the best and for the poor neighborhoods get the least. All that is based on the amount on money.
    What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from?
    -These are the stereotype I heard from people from watching videos or hearing people talking in public and also from friends.
    1)Hispanic, Asians speak bad English
    2) Mexicans and Asians are all dirty, can’t stay clean
    3) Asians are good at mathematic
    4) Asians only inter Mary each other
    5) All Muslims are terrorists and killers
    6)Black people are lazy don’t like to work.
    These stereotype come from society, they are socially constructed, and some of them are socially-political constructed by government to gain political advantage.

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

    People say that African american people cant swim, or all african americans are good in basketball. I think stereotypes comes from what some one saw at one moment in time and then they label it for everyone that looks or have similar skin tone to the original person.

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

    Yes, race affects my life because sometimes you cant do one thing with out someone mentioning something negative about a race.

  16. What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from?
    – A stereotype i have heard was that asians or chinese people are not good drivers and i believe this comes from comedians and movies and just because maybe there is one bad driver and they happen to be chinese or asian they label all of them as bad drivers.

    Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?
    – No i do not think people today should be held accountable because when they were little they were grown around discrimination and they grew up with it but as adults they should know that its bad and if they still discriminate even if they know what there doing is bad they should be held accountable.

  17. Does race affect your life?
    Race definitely affects my life in many different aspects. We live in a place where in every corner we can see people from different races and still they discriminate against each other. In my case, I am Hispanic and live in a neighborhood where the majority of people are Hispanics. The funny thing of this is that even among us we discriminate each other. For example there is a deli grocery right next to my building and the owner is from a Hispanic country which I prefer not to mention but he is always helping the ones from his native country and the rest of us have to wait. I saw this since the first time I went inside the deli and actually it was my last time buying something from there. I do prefer to walk half a block and go to a deli where everyone is treated equally.

    Stereotypes:
    I have heard so many stereotypes about Hispanics. Some of them are that we talk so loud that we are almost yelling, we like to fight and are always looking for getting in troubles. Also, I have heard that we are lazy and drink too much among others. I don’t exactly know from where those stereotypes comes from because I have heard them in different people from different ethnicity.

  18. Q1: To a certain degree yes, because many of the people who are descendants of these people who have discriminated against people of different ancestry still reap the benefits off of the system that was initially created for them. The reason why I say that is because based off of my experience, when you try to tell them that the system was created for them and that it is very racist and oppressive, some of these folks get incredibly offensive or want to act oblivious. That kind of attitude perpetuates the unfair system that is currently in place.

    Q2: Race affect my life because as a black male I feel like I have to constantly prove that I am not the stereotypes that the media portrays about black males. For example, when I go into certain neighborhoods to find stuff to collect LEGOS to sell, the energy is sometimes negative because people who are of different ethnic groups act as if I am suppose to be a criminal, or something negative.

  19. Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?
    I believe race affects people’s lives whether they realize it or not. People are constantly judged by their appearances. Race is just another criterion of appearance, their skin, their color, their accent. It is unfortunate but people are treated based on their race. Because of this it sometimes affect when one is looking for a job. Working for Human Resources I noticed how manager only hired and looked for one race. When I asked why, they simply said because Spanish people work hard for a cheap pay rate. I was shocked to know how much power people have in hiring only a specific race. Working with this new company, I changed the way they view race. I allowed them to take the chance and see how no matter the race, people work as hard as others when people need a job in this economy.
    Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?

    I do think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination because they have not learned from the mistakes of others. Expressing discrimination only serves the never ending cycle of hatred and judgment. Being held accountable is a good place to start in preventing more discrimination. If we see how much damage it has done in the past, we should set our minds to want to change it. Not to continue the damage. But I guess with so many years of not making a change or taking action, discrimination has now become normal for people to think. Almost like it is okay. That is wrong though, discrimination needs to be changed and present generations are the ones to make the change. Be held accountable for their furfure and the furfure of their children.

  20. Does race affect your life? Why or why not? If so, in what ways?
    Yes i think race affect my life in many ways. The simplest way i can explain would be in the way people view me through me race for example when a girl says i only date black guys or my Asian friend who swear black men are just born in shape and are just naturally better as sports which to me demeans a black athletes hard work. Or even the fact that i feel i have to constantly judge whether or not i’m being treated a certain way because of my race. Like at work or when i go on an interview

    Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not? Yes i do, because people are still being given advantages and resources because of past discrimination as well as people are still being hurt for the same reasons.

  21. While we would have hoped that in 2016 we would not still be saying this, unfortunately many people are still judged by their external manifestations such as skin color, hair texture and external ethnic expression. As a religious Jew who wears a yarmulke (skull cap) I often encounter perceived stereotypes. As a home care nurse, I visit patients in their homes after they were hospitalized. My job is to help to ensure a safe transfer back to the community. I visit a diverse group of clients living in different parts of Brooklyn. Many times when I am waiting to gain entry into a client’s home or apartment building, neighbors or other people passing by will ask me if I am the owner of the property or if I am looking to buy the property. While I understand being mistaken for a landlord is not as bad as being suspected of being a thief, it does show me how quick people are willing to make judgments on a person just on skin color or the clothing they wear.

  22. Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?
    No I do not think people should be held accountable for past discrimination because it is behind us and everyone is accountable for the present. Whatever mistakes have happened before should be analyzed and used as a learning experience but if we still hold grudges and hold people accountable for the past then we will never be able to move forward and get past the discrimination and other issues in society.

    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 neighborhoods, schools, workplaces are still segregated because people like to live in areas where people are similar to them, whether by being from same country or skin color. This leads to neighborhoods having a similar cultural/racial demographic and so schools and neighborhoods become segregated in that way.

  23. 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 for those whom are from their families past. Think about it this way, you recognize yourself as a white person and in your deep historic root your family is an African American slave. The question now is, “who would you hold accountable now and why?” Instead the logical step is to recognize the past discrimination in our history and address current problems arising now from it.

    What stereotypes have you heard or seen about different racial groups? Where do they come from?
    1) Black People are lazy
    2) All Arabs and Muslims are terrorists
    3) All Asians are good at math.
    Stereotypes come from a bunch of sources, such as family, school teaching and media, but before social media, family and school education taught our youth about stereotype, if not directly then indirectly.

  24. 1) Does race affects your life?
    Of course, the fact I am African American (Haitian) does affect my life. I am being judged by others most of the times purposely or without any purpose because of my accent. People usually ask me, how long have been in the United States, I remember, last time I was talking to someone in English and she stated that, I am very surprised that you speak English so well. And also my speech teacher from city tech gave me D instead of B+, even thus I passed all my exams and submitted all the assignments on times. When I spoke to him, he said he could not understand my accent

    Do you think people today should be held accountable for past discrimination? Why or why not?
    I do not think people in this current century should be held accountable for past discrimination but i strongly believe that people in today’s society should be able to learn from the past discrimination and must understand the reason why it should no longer exists .There’s no reason to blame people today for discrimination that started 400 years after Jesus Christ about. But, i think there is plenty of reason to hold people accountable that continue to lead a life of discrimination and racism.

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