Bipolar Model of Racism

The bipolar model of racism in the United States creates a “black- white framework.” This discourages the understanding of widespread awareness among minority groups. The existence of the bipolar model of racism is due to several philosophies, which I have narrowed down to five.

When the need for labor increased, the nation started to focus on African labor. Before slavery became very popular, America was a “triracial society.” This society was based on skin color; white, black and yellowish-brown. Nevertheless, when the demand for labor increased, the yellowish- brown people were forgotten while blacks were overemphasized. Thus, the whites were considered superior while the blacks inferior.

            The black- white framework also exists due to population, location and history. Putting aside the current situation, African Americans have been the largest minority group in America. Not only were they the largest minority group, they were expansively spread across America, especially in cities. Historically, Americans are very familiar with issue concerning African American slavery. The United States was established as a result of the Civil War. This war was fought because of disagreements between the North and South about slavery. Thus the emphasis on African American slavery during the Civil War has made people study the topic more in depth. Moreover, African Americans have been very vocal about their issues. They have had very strong leaders throughout the centuries that have put their own dent in history.

            There is also a psychological reason for this framework. During the Anglo white supremacist movement, the classification of “white” had been very broad. If the masses were partly European or physically identifiable to Caucasians, they were accepted. Since Native Americans, Mexicans and Pacific Islanders were fairly acceptable as “white”, African Americans were seen more of a racial threat in terms of cleanliness of race. Nevertheless, because Mexicans and Asian American were not considered technically white or black, they were shoved to the side.

            Ignorance is another factor to the black- white model. While the average American learns the history of slavery and the movements following after that, many Americans are ignorant to the history of many other minority groups, like those of Asians’ and Latinos’.

            Evidently, United State’s political construction is stubborn and self- centered. Since the nation is so emphasized on being the dominant force, many refuse to accept cultures other than the white culture. For example, although the dominant language in the US is Spanish and Portuguese, English is still considered the main language.

            These five main arguments show that America has a bipolar black white perspective about race. If individuals put a stop to racism and instead have self- respect and hope, all peoples will be equal. Nevertheless, doing so requires people of color to unite and be vocal about their concerns.