In almost every aspect of your life you will encounter people that are different from you. Whether you consider yourself a member of a cultural majority or minority, your success very likely depends on not only your mindset as a Creator, but also your ability to interact effectively with people who are different from you. This requires a lifelong commitment to valuing one another's differences. This is a skill that is vital to your success, especially in today's world with all of the civil, social, and racial unrest. It may seem like a lot to take on, but to start you can begin by understanding some historical context for the inequities we see in today's world.

In this assignment we will begin to learn about Systemic Racism and the effects it has on marginalized populations. So what is Systemic Racism? It DOES NOT mean that there are a lot of racists in the system. Systemic Racism is defined as a system of structures that have procedures or processes that disadvantage African Americans and other persons of color. There are many examples of Systemic Racism in America, but today you will learn about one of them often referred to as Red Lining.

Assignment:

1. Watch the video, The Disturbing History of the Suburbs.
2. Read the article, Redlining’s Mark On San Diego Persists 50 Years After Housing Protections.
3. Write at least two in-depth paragraphs regarding your reaction to both the video and the article. Dive deep, be specific, give examples from the video and article and discuss your initial reaction (either negative or positive). Address your thoughts and feelings regarding the video and article. Be sure to address the following questions in your write-up:
   • What have you learned from the video? Was this new information to you, or is it something you were already aware of?
   • What have you learned from the article? According to the 1936 map of San Diego from the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (see article or photo above), what is the color of the area you live in San Diego? If the area you live in is not listed on the map, make an educated guess about what color the area would be according to the current demographics of your neighborhood.
   • How have you benefitted or not benefitted from the racist policy of Red Lining?
   • Describe the inherent privileges you have in your life as a result of who you are. Keep in mind that everyone -despite your background- has an inherent privilege. For instance, my privileges are listed as follows: Highly educated, cis-gendered woman, Asian American, I qualified for financial aid support in college, my family valued education, socio-economically advantaged, I understand multiple languages, I live in a "good"/affluent neighborhood, learning new concepts comes easy to me, I am able-bodied, etc

Please view explanation and answer below.

Systematic racism has a significant impact on relegated populations. It puts structures and policies that make the African American race or other people of colour disadvantaged. One example of systematic racism is the Red Lining Policy.

The video explaining the disturbing history of the suburbs elucidates the racist housing policy created by the government, which still affects people today. In my opinion, explicitly racist policies designed in the past were the worst. We are well aware of this as we see them happing in our communities and through the media channels. Some rules and laws firmly directed that any person other than the Caucasian race must not occupy some homes. This is a racist rule as the Caucasians were given the advantage of getting access to loans from the banks compared to their African American counterparts.

The African American, in this case, people living in the red suburbs, protest this is not fair! I did not get to pick what colour I was when I started. This is an uproar to mean that they did not get to choose their skin colour during inception (Rice,1996).Furthermore, they cannot select suitable housing and other amenities like schools and hospitals because the government has segregated the population by denying African American fraternity loans to purchase or build houses which in turn attract business and growth of the areas in which they live.

From the article, the 1936 map of San Diego was coded with colours to determine which neighbourhood was at risk of defaulting loans and primarily, it was based on racial demographics. According to the study, the colour code for my community would be red.

The impact of redlining goes beyond individual families who were denied loans based on the racial background. Red neighbourhoods are still underdeveloped and lack proper services compared to the green and blue communities occupied by mostly the white race.

The government might have put an end to Redlining policies. However, some of these neighbourhoods have not yet recovered from the damage caused by the guidelines. Still, they lack essential services such as healthcare, lower job and business opportunities, fewer transportation methods, among others.

Some inherent privileges that have been observed during the amendment of racist policies include improved quality of education. I can now access financial aid from my college despite being of a minority race, awareness of the effects of racial policies and the changes they have brought into my society. I also believe that it is now possible for me to create acquaintances with persons of all races. I am privileged to live in an affluent, multicultural neighbourhood, and I interact with all my neighbours.

Reference

Rice, W. E. (1996). Race, Gender, Redlining, and the Discriminatory Access to Loans, Credit, and Insurance: An Historical and Empirical Analysis of Consumers Who Sued Lenders and Insurers in Federal and State Courts, 1950-1995. San Diego L. Rev., 33, 583.