Does Racism Make Us Sick - 1506 Words

Maressa Rodgers Dr. Crystal Piper HLTH 3105 MF December 12, 2014 Does Racism Make Us Sick? When assessing the progress of the racial divides that plagued what is now considered the â€Å"melting pot† of all nations, the feelings and health statuses of the oppressed should stand out as one of the major indicators of progress. Yet with this logic, it seems as though the disparities continue to grow, the voices of the oppressed minorities in the United states gets hushed by their oppressors, and many individuals that try to stand up for their basic human rights get tossed back into the shadows. In America, many people of privileged backgrounds find themselves fleeing from their guilt by excusing their unearned favor in this society by†¦show more content†¦Those key aspects include, historical traumas and colonialism and the etiology related to health behavior, the disassociation that some minorities feel, the permanent division among different races due to segregation, the various levels of racism, and finally how these elements affect the health outcomes of minorities. While assessing these aspects, the consideration of America’s progress should still have a thorough examination as well as finding the validity in the statement that racism contributes significantly to making American minorities sick. Before delving further into these aspects, a distinct understanding of racism, discrimination, and disparities is significant to seeing the connection of how they each relate to the health impacts of American minorities. Racism is an institutional and systematic form of oppression, seeking to undermine the progression of minority groups, in an effort to place them as inferior based upon the taxonomy of race. Discrimination is clear mistreatment among certain individuals based on prejudices against various parties. Finally, disparities are facets of different communities that force an unfair disadvantage upon them. All three of these factors contribute to negative health impacts among minorities. Racism and discrimination have played a major role in creating such health disparities over many years throughout history. From the video, Dr. Karina Walters explains how â€Å"historical trauma has indicators of etiological or