Prejudice is a topic that is no stranger to anyone. As good of a person you are, prejudice exists in everyone no matter how big or small. As immigrants, prejudice is one of the biggest issues they face. From many, many years ago till now, prejudice still exists, maybe not as obvious and for the most part not as severe as it was, but the reality is it seems that prejudice is something that we can’t get rid of. Years ago Italians and Jews were the two groups that were considered “outsiders” which made them the target of many negative comments and feelings. Back then, a job at the bar was considered higher up for Jews. It seems weird to think about Jewish and Italians as non-whites, but it was the reality then.
Now that new immigrants are entering the country, the lines defining what race is what has blurred. With Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians migrating to this country, the Jewish and Italians are no longer the main target for prejudice and racism. Asians are another group whose image has changed over the years as more and more immigrants came to this country. In the beginning, Asians were considered “Almost Blacks, but not Blacks” but now as the model minority myth continues to spread, Asians became “Almost Whites, but not Whites”. Foner even says that a lot of Asians consider themselves to be superior to Hispanic and Black immigrants because of the assumption of most people that Asians are the better immigrants in comparison to all other race. As an Asian myself, I’d never felt that I was superior to any other race. I believe it isn’t what race you are that makes a difference, it is the person that counts. Maybe as time continues, the distinctions that we use to separate people into different categories of races will eventually disappear, but maybe even then prejudice will not end.
