Should America be more concerned about racism or classism
The focus of this paper is on Rodriguez’s article, “It’s class, Stupid.” According to Richard Rodriquez, affirmative action is a big challenge, and people do not bother to look at the more significant issues regarding it. Most people tend to assume that when one is not in the capacity to do something, it’s because of their race. However, regardless of race, people should not be discriminated whether they are Mexican-American or African American. Discrimination is prevalent, and as stated in the story “class stupid,” the law professor Lino Graglia from the University of Texas is in trouble for merely saying that African-Americans and Mexicans are disadvantaged in higher education since their cultures tolerate failure. This caused a stir on several students, and he was accused of racism. The students failed to see the bigger picture in this case.
The main issue of concern to Richard Rodriquez is skin colour which is a significant factor in American society. The example given earlier is just one of the evidence for this idea. What he implies when he mentions American writers being brilliant at describing being what it is to be a racial minority is that he disapproves of racial differentiation. He offers an alternative to a social distinction that is classification in terms of the rich and the poor. He comes up with the notion of poor whites, which proves that black people are not the only ones that suffer from social inequity. Rodriguez provides a number of cases that illustrate the relevance of this reevaluation in society. He describes the poor whites who are willing to study, but since they are out of options, they opt to find a dollar-and-cent job working at a Safeway or McDonalds. This is as a result of the financial state their families experience. Through this, the author can prove that the absence or presence of material comfort is more important than being in a particular racial group. Furthermore, he asserts that the classification of society in terms of classes is a more objective means of social classification.
Rodriquez is encouraging people, especially those that are narrow-minded, in terms of race, to outspread their limits on the way they perceive society and acknowledge the existence of social classes. He does mention that European culture is recognizing the lower social, and the Americans should learn from this. This, in itself, demonstrates the rational nature of the ideas of Rodriguez. The middle class is seen as being useful in the workforce while, on the other hand, the lower class is deemed to suffer. This is discrimination of the lower class. The absence of such affirmative actions would make things easier; thus, there will be inclusivity for the lower class.
Generally, I do agree with Rodriguez’s arguments. His arguments show the division between the rich and the poor rather than the blacks and the whites. However, he did feel that affirmative actions were wrong since the poor people, especially the poor whites, were left out. He clarifies on the imbalance in the affirmative actions, and it is therefore prudent that we care more about the social class instead of the race. Rodriguez’s article discusses a crucial and topical social issue that demonstrates its usefulness. Evidence from his own experience and various world-famous cases support his points of view, which makes his article intriguing. It is, however, important to note that even though the division in terms of social class proves to be essential, racial classification is of significance as well when it comes to culture.