Race and Society

The “American Dream” is an American motto that began in the eighteenth century with the writing of the Declaration of Independence. The American Founding Fathers sought to create the idea of the American Dream by stating in the Declaration of Independence “That all men are created equal.” This statement provides hope and the belief that there is nothing that can limit the opportunity for prosperity and success. However, this is not the reality for all Americans, past and present, due to the race of the individual. Race is not a biological trait, but rather a socially constructed classification of people by their physical appearances. This classification is mainly defined by the pigmentation of an individual’s skin, his hair, and his facial structure. Then again, why must we even classify people into a certain group based on these characteristics? Why must race exist if it has no biological meaning? How can our appearance define who we are in society’s eyes? American Sociologist Peter Berger argues that it is imperative that we ask these types of questions to help develop a sociological consciousness. This consciousness allows us to become aware of all the social differences and inequalities in our culture, especially race. In our society, an individual’s race is indicative of his opportunities and life chances due to the ranking of race our society delegates. Typically, white individuals are seen as the elite and each race subsequently follows. Thus, the white individuals have the most opportunities while other races such as African American, Latino, and Asian have much fewer chances to succeed in life. An individual’s race influences the relationships that he or she has with other members of their race and members of other races. As a human species, we constantly judge people based on their appearances. When it comes to a member of a different race, we attribute his appearance, clothing, and behaviors all to he and other members of his race. Judgments limit