Thesis

The overall goal for this blog was to show that almost everyone will be discriminated against in their life, regardless of age, sex, race, or color.  The trends of discrimination change with time; however, specific groups are usually targeted for a finite time period rather than continually throughout American history.  For example, after the civil rights movement in the 60's is seems that society has been less and less focused on the oppression of African-Americans, but instead the focus has shifted towards Middle Eastern Muslims.

2000-2010: Discrimination Today

The first example of modern discrimination I chose was “Islamiphobia.”  After 9/11 it seems that Americans have a insatiable need to hate anybody with Middle Eastern culture.  In reality the events of 9/11 were the doings of just a very small portion of the Middle Eastern population.  Unfortunately, the hatred stirred by these events is not limited to just that portion of the population, and today the entirety of Muslims are paying for it.  They are harassed on a daily basis, they are singled out in security checks, and they are even accused of crimes.  This picture shows a Muslim being “randomly” selected for a pre-flight inspection.

The second example of modern discrimination is the stereotype that all Mexicans are illegal aliens.  Recently there has been an effort to strengthen our borders in order to keep aliens out.  It is estimated that 14% of the United States' population is illegal aliens (approx. 24 million people).  People are complaining that the aliens are causing an increase in crime due to drug smuggling related issues.  Others argue that aliens are taking jobs away from naturalized citizens.

1970's- Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action is a policy that works on the principle of reverse discrimination.  In 1961 John F. Kennedy signed a legislation stating that applicants should be hired without regard to race, color, or ethnicity.  Lyndon Johnson added religion and gender later on.  Many Americans believe that the Affirmative Action policy is discrimination against the majority group.  Common arguments are that the policy gives minorities unfair bias without regard to education or ability. 

1940's- Propaganda During World War II

During the 1940's antisemitic behavior was arguably at its worst.  In Germany and many other areas of Nazi occupied territory Jews were being blamed for almost anything.  Jews were being put into concentration camps, murdered, and neglected.  In these camps Jews were shot, starved, beaten, and even gassed.  In the end over 6,000,000 Jews were murdered in such camps.  Americans fought to liberate the Jews from the concentration camps; however, antisemitic behavior was also present in America.  In the end Israel, a sacred land, was officially recognized by the UN.  Today this country is still largely inhabited by descendants of Nazi prisoners. (please note that drawings are just to prove that discrimination was present.  THESE ARE NOT MY PERSONAL OPINIONS)

In contrast, America had its own internment camps during the war.  Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor there was a growing distrust of Japanese-Americans.  They were accused of being spies for Japan.  This distrust grew to a point where the Japanese-Americans were being held in internment camps for "public safety".  By signing Executive Order 9066, FDR permitted the military to detain approximately 110,000 Japanese-Americans.  Almost all of the camps were located in the western United States, very few if any were formed in the east.

Propaganda is often used to express how the creator feels about the war.  In this case a vast majority of the American population was in support of America's involvement in World War II.  This is a picture I drew to show how a large-scale war effort was promoted.  Residents of the United States that were not directly related to the war (fighting over seas) were still encouraged to help the war effort.  This was done by recycling, building war supplies, or even by buying war bonds.  This is just one example of how awareness can be raised. The picture basically argues that wasting materials that can be used to fight the war in un-American.

1800's- Slave Trade

The slave trade was a large market in the early 1800's.  Thousands of blacks were removed from their homes in western Africa and put into slavery in the southern states.  I tried comparing this to the conditions that major corporations place their employees under.  Corporations use third world countries as a way to get cheap labor.  Workers are over worked, under paid, and not supplied with humane working conditions.  I tried comparing this with the slave trade.  In the picture a man is shoe shopping.  He asks for something in a certain size and the salesman responds by checking storage.  Below I labeled Africa as storage to show that the shoes are being made by the corporation's "slave laborers".  Conversely, he same picture can represent the slave trade.  It would be the same set up; however, the product would be a slave.

1600's- Extortion of Native Americans

At one time the entire land mass that is now the United States was inhabited by Native Americans.  However, as more and more Europeans came over to the colonies on the east coast, the colonies expanded to accommodate the growing population.  The only option was to expand west and fulfill our "Manifest Destiny".  In doing so land was taken away from the Native Americans.  Europeans were constantly bringing over western diseases.  A combination of these diseases and flat out massacre are responsible for the decrease in Native American population.  Currently there are few reservations, just a tiny fraction of the United States, that are purposed for Native Americans.