why is there so much racism and discrimination in the USA?
477949
Three part answer:\n1) There are a lot of ignorant people still roaming about keeping the hatred alive\n2) There are a relative few who make a lot of money and power keeping racism alive. (Jesse Jackson, etc)\n3) There is another relative few who fear what would happen if we could all agree with each other and topple them from their power--so it is in their best interest for racism to exist.
1098978
Racism isn't mutually exclusive. Often its other issues that motivate criticism and violence. How many times have you seen the victim of hate or violence by one man take it out on an entire race of human beings. This happens ever day.
129620
I'm from lower state New York, so I don't see much of racism, sexism etc. You start to see more xenophobia and racism in upstate NY though.\nAs far homophobia, it's not as bad as say the south, but it's not all that good either.
873612
I would guess from many factors in your post, that you are a foreigner.\n\nIf you lived here, and knew the history of this country, you would know that while the legacy of racism is not entirely gone, it is nothing like what you describe.\n\nMany nations have had a violent or biased past and have done things they are not proud of.\n\nThe USA at least admits most of our mistakes and attempts to correct them through the democratic process.  If you don't understand that, then you have my pity.
502626
I don't think racial discrimination is as extreme in the UK as it is in other countires, but it is still present. The recent victories of the BNP in local elections is very worrying. People must realise that minorities have just as much a right to be here as the "indigenous" population (as the BNP call them), as most people don't realise that our current population comes from millions of immigrants over history (the Celts, Anglo-saxons, Vikings, Jutes, Normans, the Dutch, Irish, Huguenots to name but a few).\n\nAlot of people who are racist don't even realise they are doing it.
100909
There are no "Barriers" that constitute discrimination. We live in America because we have a right to have our individual liberties to do w/ at will. I do not know of anyone that has been deprived of the right to be anyone & or anything that they choose to be. If there where more Millionaries then Poor people, then there should be no need for poor people.
544257
yeah i know...hispanics are going through a hard time right with the american goverment and some of the people.is it racism? i don't know because i'm not american.i could never thrash a another person race or religon.
627893
It's a sad fact that there are racists in every race and culture.There is even racism among people of the same race toward each other.\nYep,there are 'asteroid orifices' of every color;jerks will be jerks no matter the color of their skin.
273681
We may have a lot to complain about but at least we have civil rights. Many people, like my husband, flee a country with a  political regime that makes daily life for its citizenry downright miserable. What we complain about in the USA is frivolous and petty in comparison with the real troubles facing citizens of many of the countries in the world today.
329430
Because no matter what country, what race, or what situation, there will always be racists. Please remember that most Americans are not racist. I think the problem is that all of us who accept people for whomever they are don't walk up and tell you how much we accept it, because it doesn't occur to us that it would stand out as a problem to someone else. The racists are very vocal and will try to make you feel bad. I'm sorry you get treated this way.
389896
racism - Doesn't exist like it did in the past. Why else are some of the richest Americans black? Where else would you find a black women, like Rice, in such a high position in government? I think we are doing pretty good in less than 40 years!\n\ndrug addiction - Because we removed the Bible as our moral foundation. It started becoming rampant in the 60s, same time we removed prayer and the Bible from schools.\n\nchild molestation, child abuse - Sex slavery is rampant in other countries. Here, at least, we do something about it when we can.\n\nwomen abuse - Not here. Many women in high positions of power. New legislation to protect them. Houses of sanctuary to flee abusers.\n\n2 wars in 6 years - Yes, both in answer to two towers down. The smart war is one that keeps the enemy on the defense. I will never forget the children that ran out of Saddam's prisons, or the Iraqi Olympic hopefuls that knew that they could compete without Saddam's sons torturing them afterward for not winning. People have short memorys.
377670
American society is very much a "black & white" society, very consumerist society.  People, as a rule, are discriminatory (not the same as prejudiced), they have a definite us vs. them streak.  There are myriad of institutions that reinforce this view, religion and patritotism, to name two.  In the us vs. them view, regardless of fact or opinion I am right and you are wrong.  The educational system in the United States further reinforces this by not making people think, just memorize.  I could go on and on, but I feel that I would end up ranting.  I hope this helps you.
721624
America IS a multi-cultural nation like it or not and you can't write off the whole country as being either racist or non-racist, that's just simplistic thinking.\n\nYou're going to have people who believe what they will and you can't change that in any society.  So there will always be people who discriminate against one or more groups for some reason...if not for race, then socio-economic level, because they're too fat or too thin, because they don't look a certain way, because they're male or because they're female...the list goes on.\n\nIf you'd read a paper lately, you'd see that minorities are working their way up the corporate and political ladders at a remarkable pace.  Does that mean we'll see an African-American or Latino President or even a woman President in the next 20 years?  Perhaps not, but the fact that it is a possibility speaks a lot for progress.
219808
I can honestly tell you that thet root of racism is directly related...at least in the U.S to series of events that most of us don't ralize are there because we don't MAKE THE TIME to inform ourselves. racism, war and poverty are a direct result of U.S interventions thru out the world in order to intimidate people w/ ideals that might pose a threat to THE U.S GOVERMENT...NOT THE PEOPLE OF THE U.S., BUT THE GOVERNMENT...this has been going on for at least the last 50 years. \nthe secret gov't spreads racism by means of terror.\nthis is a list of countries that the U.S has invaded since the 1950's  till today.\nIRAN, cambodia, VIETNAM, GUATEMALA, CHILE, EL SALVADOR, CUBA, EGYPT, IRAQ, AFGANISTAN,LAOS,PANAMA, BOLIVIA...the list goes on and on.\nthe U.S secret gov't is responsible for more than 5 millions of deaths and atrocities thru out this counries.\nRACISM exists because we allow the people that are supposed to represent us to do as they wILL. WE HAVE THE POWER TO END RACISM BUT WE CAN ONLY DO IT BY BECOMING CONSCIOUS AND CREATING SOLIDARITY THRU OUT THE WORLD.THE PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER, WE HAVE THE POWER TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD FOR ALL. BUT WE MUST SPEAK OUT AND BECOME INVOLVED AND FIND DIFFERENT SOURCES OF ALTERNATIVE INFORMATION.
418169
Discrimination exists all over the world. Don't be so naive to think it just happens in America.
216614
A part of the reason is that American society still has racist messages and ideas floating around in it and showing up in the media (TV, magazines, the internet, etc).  Some of these things people don't even realize are racist.  Some members of racial/ethnic minority groups (African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans) internalize these racist ideas and use them against members of their own race or ethnicity who they believe are not "American" enough or not "ethnic" enough.  \n\nTo put it in simple terms, people start to believe racist messages from the media and from other people.  Sometimes without realizing it, people increase racism by being racist against others of their own race because of their ideas about what a "true American" should be like or what a "true African American (etc.)" should be like.
399686
Because no matter how much we want to believe that racism doesn't exist anymore, it does! Nowadays it is just more subtle. It really sux!