Ethnocentrism: Still a Present Problem

 A neighborhood in North Portland 

Relation/Description: People like to think that ethnocentrism is no longer a problem that we no longer need to worry about.  We are supposedly highly evolved now and more open-minded then in the past. However it is still plays a very big role in our world. In our Anthro book, it describes in Chapter 2 about the white Europeans pushing out the Natives in the Americas out of their homelands. Land that the Natives had called their home for thousands of years, all because the Europeans felt superior to the people that they viewed as inferior based on skin color, different language and culture. 

  In the present day, ethnocentrism plays out in everyday life. For instance in my hometown of Portland, Oregon, there is still a vivid segregation of where different races live. In the North side of town, is where the African Americans live in a destitute environment where there is more likely to be a convenience store with poor nutritional food then a grocery store with healthy food. In contrast, the Southwest side of town has much more affluent and generally white people living there with much better environment that includes health food stores, better access to health care and better education system.

Commentary/Analysis:  The history of segregation in the United States based on race/income level has been prominent ever since the Europeans set foot here. The segregation has a big sociocultural influence on the people that are living in the more poor parts. They are more unlikely to have access to healthy food, which will affect their physical and mental health. They are also more likely to have inadequate health care so they suffer more health problems. Lastly, their education systems for their kids are more prone to be feeble compared to richer school districts. These feeble schools do not help prepare children for life after high school or give them sufficient enough education to get them into good colleges. Students do not get the help they need due to school’s low budgets, so they become frustrated and drop out.

              Change needs to happen so that society as a whole can become better and we can give every person the opportunity (and their right) to have the best life possible.