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Stella Erimia

March 22, 2019


8th Period AP Literature

The Psychological Impact of Racism and Discrimination.

Nelson Mandela once said “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of
his skin, or his background or his religion. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they
can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Racism and discrimination have had a negative impact on the lives of people for
centuries. Racism is defined as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and
capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” It
creates a border between people and prevents equality for all. Racism occurs in places such as
school, work, and daily life. It is reflected in systems and institutions. In the 21st century, racism
is continues to be a problem within our society due to the fact that people disregard that
discrimination still occurs. ​According to an article “31% of U.S. adults report at least 1 major
discriminatory occurrence in their lifetime and 63% report experiencing discrimination
everyday” (“Discrimination”). It influences a number of people in mainly negative yet
occasionally positive ways. ​Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of others based on factors
such as race, sex, or religion.
The real question is how racism and discrimination influence an individuals
psychologically? How does this psychological damage reflect on the choices individuals make?
Racism and discrimination lead to increased stress levels. The ​Ethnicity and Health in
America Series h​ as stressed the impact of racism on stress levels of those within the African
American community. According to the ​American Psychological Association​ stress can have an
“impact on health within health disparity population groups (e.g., people of color), and their high
association with many other chronic diseases” (“​Physiological and Psychological Impact of
Racism”).​ There are numerous health issues that result from the exposure of discrimination.
Those who experience racism are more likely to turn to alcoholism or smoking which leads to
serious health conditions as cancer.
Discrimination causes damage to one’s psychological well being and results in
inner-security and a lack of self esteem. Several studies have concluded that discrimination
negatively impacts self esteem in “Chinese American adolescents, Moroccan and Turkish
adolescents in the Netherlands, and Latino/a adolescents, including Dominican youth” (“​How
Discrimination and Stress Affects Self-Esteem”​). This is significant in proving the lack of self
esteem in many groups of people globally. The study found that “Immigrant Dominican women
who experience higher levels of discrimination are more likely to report lower levels of
self-esteem” (“How Discrimination and Stress Affects Self-Esteem”).The lack of self esteem
often leads to inner-security. It causes individuals to act in different ways. Despite the results,
many findings have concluded that not every individual has a negative response to being
discriminated against.
As an immigrant from Iraq myself, when growing up I experienced low self-esteem. I
experienced bullying based on my ethnicity. Being labeled hurtful words such as “terrorist”
caused extreme feelings of sadness and only made it more difficult to make friends. Around age
13, I began to understand that those hurtful comments made by ignorant people did not define
me. The psychological impact of these experiences never disappeared. In order for one race to
excel and become superior they step on other races to get to the top. It was hard to understand
where the hatred was rooted. Over the years I have learned to accept and take pride in who I am.
There is no race besides the human race.
To feel secure inside, confident, and strong is crucial. Those whom experience a type of
racism, discrimination, or prejudice lack these feeling of inner-security. The novel ​Beloved,
written by Toni Morrison, expresses the traumatic influences on those enslaved years after the
abolition of slavery. The novel, based on a true story, reveals the psychological impact of slavery
on Sethe (Margaret Garner). On page 236 Morrison states, “if I hadn’t killed her (Beloved) she
would have died and that is something I could not bear to happen to her”​. ​Sethe attempts to
justify that killing her own child was better than letting her die in the hands of the slave owners.
This is significant because it implies the psychological damage done by slavery. Sethe, as a
loving mother, believed death was a better fate than allowing her child to go into slavery.
Margaret Garner​ Morrison states, “the interest is not of slavery, the interest is what happens
internally, emotionally, psychologically, when you are in fact enslaved and what you do in order
to transcend that circumstance” (Carroll 2019). This is crucial in demonstrating the importance
of not only the physical harm done against those enslaved but the emotional damage that had a
negative result as well.
Racism can be a factor in mental health issues and split societies apart. “A study of over
800 Australian secondary school students found that racism had huge mental health impacts on
young people who experience it, including ongoing feelings of sadness, anger, depression and
being left out.” (Ahrc.admin, 2014). Racism can impact individuals to feel unworthy which
negatively influences other aspects of life. Along with the negative mental health issues, racism
can act as a barrier between people and opportunities. Feelings of extreme sadness, depression,
or a constant fear or verbal/physical abuse prevents an individual of chasing their goals and
aspirations. It pacts equal access to jobs and other services. Racism affects a community by
creating a society in which people fail to trust each other and do not respect one another.
Racism not only impacts a certain race, but people as a whole. Watkins
states, “racist attitudes are now woven into our systems and institutions like poisonous threads,
hurting us all” (2015). We are all held accountable for the impact of racism on our society.
Police brutality, voting restrictions, and unequal opportunities to education are some examples of
the negative impacts of racism on our society.
There are many psychological impacts of racism and discrimination on individuals. The
psychological impacts include health issues, emotional unstableness, mental health issues, and
damage to communities. Unfair racial stereotypes have become a part of society's norms.
“If we cannot end our differences, the least we can help make the world a safer place for
diversity.” -John F. Kennedy.
References​:

Carroll, Rebecca. “Margaret Garner, a Runaway Slave Who Killed Her Own Daughter.” ​The

New York Times​, The New York Times, 1 Feb. 2019,

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/obituaries/margaret-garner-overlooked.html.

“Discrimination.” ​Discrimination | Healthy People 2020,​

www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-health/interventi

ons-resources/discrimination.

“How Discrimination and Stress Affects Self-Esteem Among Dominican Immigrant Women:

An Exploratory Study.” ​Taylor & Francis​,

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10911350903341069.

Morrison, Toni. ​Beloved.​ Knopf, 1987.

“Physiological and Psychological Impact of Racism and Discrimination for

African-Americans.” ​American Psychological Association,​ American Psychological

Association, ​www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/ethnicity-health/racism-stress.
Suddreth, Lucy D. “How Racism Affects Everyone Alvin Poussaint Delivers Keynote

Address.” ​How Racism Affects Everyone (February 22, 1993) - Library of Congress

Information Bulletin,​ ​www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/93/9304/racism.html​.

Watkins, Sharon E. “Racism Is Poisoning Our Society.” ​Time​, Time, 1 May 2015,

time.com/3843203/racism-is-poisoning-our-society/.

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