Effect of Race, Gender and Class on Citizenship and Wealth

Effect of Race, Gender and Class on Citizenship and Wealth

            In the recorded history of America, it has been noted that access to wealth and citizenship was highly influenced by class, gender and race. This is because, at the time, the society had not yet developed to the level of acceptance and tolerance witnessed in modern society. It was common for individuals belonging in a particular category to associate themselves with those in the group since they had a lot in common. This, therefore, limited the sharing of resources and opportunities to that specific group or category. This essay provides an analysis of how race, gender and class shaped one’s access to wealth and citizenship in American history.

The Indians suffered displacement and rejection on account of their race. On the speech by President Andrew Jackson to Congress, he pointed out that, “it will place a dense and civilized population in large tracts of country now occupied by a few savage hunters.”(National Archives and Records Administration 1). This is a quintessential example of racial formation. The whites, in this case, viewed themselves as more deserving of the land and categorized the Indians as ‘savages’ on account of their way of life. It is one way in which the race of the Indians cost them the wealth of lands inherited from their forefathers.

The Blacks had little chance of amassing wealth on account of their race. As quoted by Takaki, “In a country of the whites where white workers find it difficult to earn a subsistence, what right has the negro either to preference or to equality?”(Takaki 143). This was a condescending statement by the Irishmen in their attempt to justify that their race deserved employment opportunities more than the black Americans. The quote also indicates racialization of the black race as unworthy or undeserving. Living in a society, black Americans had little to no chance of acquiring wealth through employment..

The Black Americans took advantage of the reconstruction era to challenge the authority of white supremacists. According to Forner, the blacks protested for their rights through strikes among workers such as the black longshoremen and Selma restaurant waiters (Forner 281). This can be best described as counterhegemony, where the suppressed black community rose up to challenge the dominant hegemonic ideologies. It is out of these protests that the black Americans were able to gain citizenship in the country.

The ideology of class privilege was also a determinant in terms of access to wealth. According to Shields, “Class privilege that was perceived to be the natural outcome of genetic superiority came with the obligation to be benevolent to those below, although the perceived obligation was limited” (Shields 106). It was common for the rich to perpetuate the ideology of genetic superiority among the poor. The effect of this was that wealth would only be accumulated by a given class of genetic superiority within the society. Those who did not belong to this class had little chance of getting rich.

Gender was yet another significant factor in acquiring wealth in wealth in American history. Shields points out that in the 19^th century, women were viewed as emotionally inferior, which compromised their ability to undertake demanding tasks such as those of business and power (Shields 98). This was a gender ideology that attributed women to particular roles in the society which they were allegedly more suited to. The belief, therefore, limited the positions of power women could pursue as well as the tasks they were allowed to undertake.

In the 19^th century, acquiring citizenship was also limited to a specific class of people. According to Takaki, the Irish immigrants became assimilated as Americans by virtue of their class as minority whites. This enabled them to push for benefits such as “the wages of whiteness” and exclude other minority categories such as the Chinese and blacks. It also allowed them to take up arms against Mexicans during the conquest of Mexico (Takaki 153). This represents the ideology of hegemony on who qualifies as white. This form of hegemony was, therefore, a major determinant of how the Irish gained American citizenship.

The Chinese faced discrimination on the basis of their class. While there were many immigrants into America during the 19^th century, it has been noted that the Chinese were among the first wave of immigration that came even before the Irish. Upon arrival, they worked as labourers ion agricultural fields, railroads and factories. They were considered as heathens and unassimilable, which can be considered as paternalism by the dominant white Americans. It happened that even congress passed a law to ban them from entering the country known as the “1882 Chinese Exclusion Act” (Takaki 6). This was a form of structural racism by the government that made it difficult for the early Chinese immigrants to gain citizenship in the country.

It can be concluded that race, gender and class variations were some of the major impediments in accessing wealth and citizenship in the 19^thcentury. This was evident among the gender roles of the time where women were associated with weak emotions. It also manifested among the Native American, where President Jackson advocated for their displacement. Oppressive ideologies such as racialization and structural sexism played a major role in denying the minorities opportunities for wealth and citizenship. In as much as a lot has changed since the 19^th century, some forms of oppression are still evident today. An example of this is the criminalization of poverty and police brutality among black Americans.

Works Cited

Eric, Foner. “Reconstruction: America’s unfinished revolution, 1863~ 1877.” Harper & Row Publishers, New York. (1988).

National Archives and Records Administration.Andrew Jackson’s Speech to Congress on Indian Removal. Records of the United States Senate, 1789‐1990; National Park Service, Park Museum Management Program. December 6, 1830.

Shields, Stephanie A. “Passionate men, emotional women: Psychology constructs gender difference in the late 19th century.” History of Psychology 10.2 (2007): 92.

Takaki, Ronald. A different mirror: A history of multicultural America (Revised edition). Back Bay Books. Little, Brown and Company, 2012.