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It is accurate to say racial status is one of the root causes of discrimination.

However, understanding and awareness of issues surrounding racial status is still minimal.

Therefore, this article will speak about racial status.

What is Racial Status?

Racial status refers to judging people based off race and status.

Although, it is not accurate to claim a correlation between race and status.

However, and rather unfortunately, many times race influences and impacts status.

For example, African-Americans were subject to slave trade.

The slave trade refers to when African-Americans were sent to the US from Africa to work as slaves.

Additionally, Native Americans were victims of negative racial status and used as slaves.

Native-Indians were used as slaves as well.

In this way, unjust social hierarchy has led to racial injustice throughout history.

Furthermore, these issues are not just things of the past, as they persist in modern times.

What are the Issues Surrounding Racial Status?

There are three main issues surrounding racial status:

• There is no standard in race
• There is no difference in race
• These unclear differences lead to discrimination

No Clear Standards of Racial Status

One of the main issues with racial standard is there is no clear definition or concept of what racial status is.

The one concept that exist is race.

However, there has and will continue to be inter-racial marriages and as a cause of that, inter-racial children.

Due to these marriages, it’s difficult to distinguish people solely based on race.

Furthermore, we make racial judgements based off physical characteristics.

However, basing racial judgements off racial characteristics isn’t so clear.

There’s No Difference in Race

Another major issue within racial status is the notion of superiority and inferiority of race.

Race has nothing to do with inferiority or superiority.

Therefore, the concept of race determining and having influence of status should be non-existent.

Status is often used when making comparisons.

Though when speaking about racial status, the concept of superiority and inferiority is always a factor.

Thus, this concept is another main issue regarding racial status.

Unclear Differences Leading to Discrimination

The concept of racial status can be subject to discrimination.

For example, being black in the United States can lead to acts of discrimination.

Furthermore, black people often are victims of violent acts.

There are instances when a black man is shot and killed by police officers.

In these ways, there are many discriminations and prejudice according to racial groups.

Incidents Caused by Racial Status？

Below are some problems caused by racial status.

• Holocaust
• Ku Klux Klan
• Black Discrimination in the United States

Holocaust

The Holocaust happened in Germany during World War II, targeting Jews.

Nazi Germany killed many Jews in this indiscriminate killing.

It is said that they became the target due to their religious beliefs.

Germany at the time was a predominantly Christian nation.

However, many believed in Judaism.

For these reasons, in Europe, including Germany, there was some discrimination against the Jewish community.

Nazi Germany used this kind of bigoted thinking towards Jews.

Nazis’ aim was to “unify” the country through the slaughtering the Jewish community.

As stated above, race and racial status played a major role in the Holocaust.

Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux Klan is a group of white supremacists that originated in the United States.

The Ku Klux Klan saw white people superior to any other races.

Such supremacism advanced the idea of racial status.

The Ku Klux Klan protested movements such as the liberation of anti-slavery.

In addition, they were known to support the unification of the Americas.

Black Discrimination in the United States

Another example of racial status abuse is the black discrimination that happens in the United States.

There are many reports of black people being killed in the United States.

Being black is often the target of discrimination.

The existence of racial status is a part of what are behind these cases.

The confrontational structure between the white and black communities is especially strong.

This further demonstrates the existence of racial status and the discrimination that comes with it.

What Do You Think of Racial Status?

Below, the stance that the United Nations, different nations and human rights groups take will be introduced.

The United Nations

The United Nations does not condone the concept of racial status or discrimination that comes from it.

They have declared the below.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedom set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Reference : “Universal Declaration of Human Rights – the United Nations”

As stated above, the United Nations prohibit racial status and the prejudice surrounding it.

Nations

Many countries are against the existence of racial status.

This is due to the fact that many forbid racial discriminations as part of human rights.

Thus, in other words, many nations do not want to consider racial status as a concept.

However, this does not signify that there is no race or difference racially.

In many cases, racial differences are recognized without racial status that denote superiority and inferiority between races.

Reference : “Facts about Discrimination in Federal Government Employment Based on Marital Status, Political Affiliation, Status as a Parent, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity – U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission”

Human Rights Groups

Human rights groups also prohibit discriminations based on racial status.

Amnesty International has written the below on discrimination.

Discrimination strikes at the very heart of being huma. It is harming someone’s rights simply because of who they are or what they believe. Discrimination is harmful and perpetuates inequality. We all have the right to be treated equally, regardless of our race, ethnicity, nationality, class, caste, religion, belief, sex, gender, language, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, age, health or other status. Yet all too often we hear heartbreaking stories of people who suffer cruelty simply for belonging to a “different” group from those in positions of privilege or power.

Reference : “Discrimination – Amnesty International”

This extract also states the prohibition of discrimination based on race.

Thus, signifying its intolerance against racial status.

This is because discrimination happens when there is a group that is considered superior to others.

Therefore, forbidding racial discrimination signifies the ridding of racial status.

Racial Status Q&A

Who determines racial status?

There is no clear racial status.

Therefore, no one has the right to determine such status.

Can racial status be disadvantageous?

The idea of racial status can be detrimental.

For example, racial discrimination.

One may be subjected to discrimination that is based on the idea of racial inferiority.

Racism may continue to occur.

On the other hand, sometimes particular race groups may be targeted temporarily.

What are some problems caused by racial status?

A famous society that originated from the idea of racial status is Ku Klux Klan.

Ku Klux Klan’s ideology derives from white supremacy and not racial discrimination.

Therefore, it is not racial discrimination but racial supremacy and the utilization of racial status.

Racial Status

Behind racial discrimination, one may say there is the idea of racial status.

This reveals that to understand racial discrimination, it is necessary to look at racial status.

This understanding should enrich our understanding of race.