Discrimination

Discrimination in America ARE YOU PART OF THE PROBLEM?

WHAT IS DISCRIMINATION? --unfair treatment of a person or group on the basis of prejudice -- to treat differently on the basis of sex or race --being biased or having a belief or attitude formed beforehand

Your religion, race, height, nationality, and even your gender are factors that most people make quick judgments about. Unfortunately, many of these judgments are based on biases and assumptions.

Answer the Question: Have You ever made an assumption about a person or thought you had an idea about a person because they looked, spoke, or had a different opinion than you?

That is Discrimination.

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION In 2006, there were 1,305 victims of hate crimes motivated by ethnicity/national origin. Of those, the large majority (819) were against Hispanics.

The most recent FBI Hate Crimes report reveals that in 2006, there were 5,020 victims of racially motivated hate crimes. Of that, more than half (3,332) were African

Gay Pride and the Gay Movement in the U.S.

The most socially acceptable, and probably most widespread, form of hate crime among teenagers and young adults are those targeting sexual minorities. In fact, 75% of students have no state laws to protect them from harassment and discrimination in school based on their sexual orientation and 97% of students report regularly hearing homophobic remarks from their peers. Despite much progress for the LGBT community, there is still a long way to go to truly reach equality.

DISABILITY RIGHTS About 600 million people in the world experience disabilities of various types and degrees.

About 1 in 10 children has dyslexia, a learning disability that manifests primarily as a difficulty with written language, particularly with reading and spelling.

 Dwarfism, a medical or genetic condition that usually results in an adult height of 4'10" or shorter, affects over 1.5 million people in the U.S.

Cerebral palsy, which permanently affects body movement and muscle coordination, is one of the major causes of childhood paralysis.

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN One in three teens experience some kind of abuse in their romantic relationships, including verbal and emotional abuse 40% of teenage girls, ages 14 to 17, known someone their own age who has been hit or beaten by their partner. 1 in 4 teenage girls in relationships say they have been pressured to perform oral sex or have sex when they don't want to.

1 in 4 teenage girls in relationships say they have been pressured to perform oral sex or have sex when they don't want to.

RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION Most religiously motivated hate crimes are acts of vandalism (like swastikas spray-painted onto synagogues and tombstones), but personal attacks are not uncommon. According to the FBI, the overwhelming majority of religiously motivated hate crimes (64.3% in 2006) are directed against Jews. Two 2005 polls reveal that 34% of Americans believe that mainstream Islam encourages violence and 44% say some curtailment of civil liberties is necessary

The FBI reported a seventeen-fold increase in anti-Muslim crimes nationwide during 2001, largely due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Muslims were also victims of harassment in the period immediately following the bombing of the Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City.

IMMIGRATION Immigrants are an essential element in keeping the American economy strong. There were an estimated 34.2 million immigrants in the United States in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Of these, 18.3 million came from Latin America, 8.7 million from Asia and 4.7

According to hate crime statistics published annually by the FBI, anti-Latino hate crimes rose by almost 35% between 2003 and 2006, the latest year for which statistics are available.

ENVIRONMENTAL DISCRIMINATION People of color make up the majority of those living in neighborhood s located within 1.8 miles of the nation’s hazardous Recent studies have shown that children of color who live in poor areas are more likely to attend schools filled with asbestos, live in homes with peeling led paint, and play in parks that are contaminated.

Native Americans also experience environmental racism in their communities. Many Native Americans who live in communities where most people are below poverty level face some of the worst toxic pollution problems in the

Sources Dosomething.org Kids Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Little People of America Gay Life Seattle Pi National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Diversity Web HUD Civil Rights Project