UNITED WE STAND OR TOGETHER WE FALL: African American and Hispanic Unity
The United States of America is a nation founded upon principles of freedom and equality. The national pledge of allegiance states that America is “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Most minorities feel as if this sacred oath contradicts the deep racial inequalities that exist within the US, especially against African Americans and Hispanics. Despite the growing diversity in the US, the nation remains highly separated by race. The perceptions of racial discrimination among African Americans and Hispanics are high. For this reason, African Americans and Hispanics should be compelled to unite and fight for equal opportunity. They must address political issues, cultural differences, communication barriers, and community activism. These minorities should definitely take advantage of their voting rights by registering to vote. If they don’t vote then they have no voice to promote change. African Americans and Hispanics must be more active in voting for political figures that will represent them and implement legislation that is beneficial toward their needs. Many minorities struggle to obtain healthcare benefits such as health insurance. There is also a struggle for minorities in education. Many low-income areas, predominately made up of African Americans and Hispanics, struggle for a quality education. Many schools in these urban areas aren’t efficient in supplying up-to-date textbooks and adequate technology to prepare the students academically. These are two of the main issues that specifically hinder the minority community. In order to work towards this goal African Americans and Hispanics must learn to accept their cultural differences instead of becoming divided by a language barrier. Often times, African Americans and Hispanics are competing against each other to obtain employment opportunity. They shouldn’t feel threatened by one another; instead they should work together to urge more employment opportunities for minorities in the workplace. The best way to combat all of the negative barriers surrounding African Americans and Hispanics is to unite through community activism. It is important that prominent African American and Hispanic role models show more unity publicly so that it is accepted universally. A great way to unite the two minority groups is to educate them about their history. Many people are ignorant because they are not informed. It is important that ignorance is ceased through knowledge. Historically Black Colleges and Universities can definitely help alleviate the stressors by serving as a catalyst for unity among African Americans and Hispanics. If HBCU’s recruit Hispanic students as well as African American students this shows that they aren’t discriminating the opportunity of higher education. This can help bridge the gap between young minorities so that in the future unity is achieved. There is a growing Afro-Hispanic population that can serves as a representation that unity can exist among African Americans and Hispanics. These minorities must realize that in order to be the majority they must stand united or fall divided.
