Answer the following discussion questions: 400 Words each
1) Beginning with the 2000 U.S. Census, respondents could choose to identify themselves as members of more than one race. When certain people identity as multiracial, why does society not see them as such? Past U.S. president Obama had a white mother and a black father, but he is often called the nation’s first black president, while George Zimmerman (shooter of Trayvon Martin, 2012) has a white father and a Hispanic mother and has been variously described as white, Hispanic, or multiracial in the media. How does society decide whether persons of mixed-race parentage are white, people of color, or both, and is the logic consistent? what factors seem to affect these choices?
2) Analyze the complex interplay among public opinion, data on the causes of a social problem, and the creation of public policy about immigration. Why have politicians been successful at using the “immigrants cause crime” argument to garner support for recent changes in the law even when evidence suggest otherwise? Are average voters fact-checking their politicians? Is this even easy to do? What social changes might facilitate this process?
3) What are some common media messages about racial/ethnic minorities, such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans, and how might internalized racism based on such stereotypes play out specifically for these groups in real life?
