African Americans have been seen as the rebellious and out-group of society. Lately, African Americans have been losing that notoriety but it has nonetheless been picked up by the Hispanic community. Hispanics have become the most frequent migrates coming in from all borders with large amounts of Cubans in Florida, a plethora of Mexicans in Texas and California, and a surplus of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans in New York. Presently the African American community makes up a total of 12.9% of the United States population. Many privileges have been lost in the past due to the lack of support and underrepresentation of the community. With large amounts of migration where each 3 out of 1,000 people have immigrated to the United States, the Hispanic community is beginning to play a larger role in the minority community. For example, the current Cuban population is 11% black and 51% afro-Cuban. As the political priorities shift the minority groups begin to be overlooked and are no longer given the same privileges that many others get. Even if the minority group receives credibility they are higher on the socio-economic ladder and therefore can afford to mix and mingle with the beneficiaries of the political changes. If the Hispanics and African Americans cooperate and contribute to the political community they will be able to have a greater impact. With the current political situation possibly having a candidate that may represent the African American population, the demand for cooperation is now in a higher. One major community issue that is facing the minority and migration communities are health insurance. Barak Obama has added to his political agenda to improve health insurance. In 2005, 32.6% of Hispanics went without health insurance; they were also seen as the least likely to obtain health insurance in America. By coming together and creating a strong element to combat the resistance by the government and other institutions, minorities will be able to have a stronger impact for the future.African American and Hispanic history seems to be unappreciated in the United States. With a month each devoted to the history of culture, oral traditions, and dance of two distinct constantly changing communities. As the African American and Hispanic cultural practices begin to get lost and overshadowed, upcoming youth fail to realize the importance and traditions of their culture. Bigger corporations such as McDonalds have been providing opportunities to appreciate culture all year round. Many Hispanics and African Americans have the opportunity to embrace their culture by instilling values and cultural traditions into their children who will then pass them down to future generations. If Hispanics and African Americans began to show the world the importance of their culture, other citizens would have to recognize it and embrace it as well. Another community issue is the changing economic status of both groups. As mentioned previously many Hispanics are unable to afford health insurance which is another common issue with many African Americans. Studies show that many African Americans and Hispanics fall below the poverty line and fight constantly for jobs that possibly fall below the minimum wage line. Through the media we have seen that many construction and labor companies often hire immigrants for below minimum wage jobs because they know they can. Many Hispanics have the mentality that African Americans are in the way of their “American Dream”. Their mentality teaches them that both groups are fighting for the same thing and that both must compete for the resources available to them. With these two mentalities clashing and constantly competing with each other it is hard to form consensus among the peoples. One idea of what could possibly be done is creating more jobs. Many people think that by cutting back on immigration will help and provide more jobs for the existing Americans. This will possibly cause political strife which will then only utilize more tax dollars. By creating more jobs in the African American and Hispanic communities that are owned by the African Americans and Hispanics and not larger corporations will allow for the surrounding community to spend more money within the community and will bring about a sense of unity. Not only will this create unity but it will also keep money circulating within the community. I think media produces a plethora of images of what our society should do and who associates with whom, if media including songs, and television should display more positive images of the two communities. With racism playing a larger role, “consent” to accept each other by favorite actors and artists will possible improve the cohabitation between the two groups. I think that if more artists incorporate acceptance within their lyrics and television shows that the masses will begin to emulate that which create a better environment. Many historical black colleges and universities are dedicated to preserving the cultural aspect of what the college once was. To incorporate Hispanics into the academic environment, HBCUs may offer scholarships to Hispanic students and hold academic forums in the minority communities. Possibly, HBCUs can offer Latino fraternities and sororities to embrace Hispanic culture in a predominantly African American environment showing integration and acceptance. I think that by showing these two communities what life would be like with cooperation many African Americans would be more likely to strengthen the relationship. With two small groups coming together they can have a larger impact on the overall community. Although Hispanics and African Americans have not historically cooperated, cooperation in today’s society will help each group to excel in all aspects. Politics is a main concern, once the political movement shifts many things shift along with it. Some politicians are concerned with the underprivileged and the society as a whole, while others are mainly concerned with the upper class and how to improve living conditions for the rich while not worrying about the millions in poverty. By sticking together the African Americans and Hispanics will be able to be heard and able to use their voice to receive greater benefits.
