Running Head: RACISM IN POLITICS

Racism in politics
Mildred Rivera
The University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract
Racism is an issue that has resurfaced in the united states and is affecting
many Americans. According to many authors racism is not what it used to
be, it has changed and it is what we now call modern racism. This type of
racism not only is affecting the way people perceive each other but it is also
affecting politics. Ever since the 2008 elections with the first black candidate
to run for president, politics have been greatly affected by racism. This is
seen in the upcoming elections with the running of Donald trump and Hillary
Clinton for president.
Key Words: Racism, politics, Modern Racism, Elections

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Introduction
Racism began many years ago, it can be traced back to Charles Darwin
and his theory of evolution. Darwin believed that evolution was divided into
various species, according to his theory humans would evolve differently
because of natural selection. He
described that white humans were the
dominant species because of natural
selection, while other races or species
were not considered fitted enough for
natural selection which resulted in a
lower or less advanced species. It is
believed that these lower species are
any specie that is not of the white
race. The following visual

Description of the evolution of humans according

to Charles Darwin. Retrieved from Bishop, S.
(2015) B2.8 Speciation. [slide 5]

demonstrates how evolution works but it is also showing how it is not known
exactly where the rest of the other species in the theory of evolution are, this
is where Darwins theory comes in place.
Background
Racism as shown in the past paragraph began early in time, but racism
in America didnt begin until the early 1700s with the colonization of America
by Europeans. As Europeans began to colonize America they began to take

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advantage of native Americans and began to take their land. Racism

continued to happen all throughout the 1700s and part of the 1800s. People
did not believe in racism until the 1800s when white people began enslaving
African Americans and using them to their own advantage. This treatment
continued until 1865 when slavery was abolished but this did not bring a
stop to racism, it only brought a stop to slavery. Racism has never
disappeared; it is still happening but the difference is that slavery is not what
we know it as anymore. There is a new form of racism which is not only
affecting one race now, but it is also affecting many other races.
Modern racism
Modern racism is a new form of racism which millennials are most used
to seeing. This type of racism is not only targeting a certain race but it is
affecting individuals no matter their race. Modern racism targets anyone who
is different or has different beliefs, this means that now racism is not only
coming from the dominating race but it is also coming from other races.
Examples of modern racism are the discrimination of the LGBT community,
discrimination towards immigrants and even discrimination towards
conservative Americans. Modern racism has no boundaries and anyone can
be a victim no matter your race, beliefs or values. Many authors have gone
out so far as to call modern racism colorblind Racism the reason to this is
because racism now sees no races, and all races can be victims. Racism has

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changed causing huge changes in the country, one of the biggest being in
politics.
Racism in Politics
A great example of the way racism is affecting politics is the 2008
elections, and the election of the
first black president. It is
believed that the elections could
have ended racism, but this has
not yet been proven. Another
factor that many people believe
might have contributed or
affected the elections is sexism,

2008 statistics for Black participation retrieved

this is because of the defeat of

pp. 9951022

from Public opinion quarterly Vol.73, No. 5 2009,

Sarah Palin. According to Philpot

T.S., Shaw D.R., McGowen E. B., (2009) Winning the Race: Black voter
Turnout in the 2008 Presidential Election, Vol. 73 No.5, p.995-1022. They
believe that the 2008 elections were greatly influenced by the black voter
turnout. According to the data collected in the survey they directed, it is seen
that indeed the turnout was larger but it was not because of the black
candidate. It is also seen that the 1984 election turnout might have been
about the same as the 2008 elections, the only difference being that the
voters in 1984 maybe had more knowledge about the elections.

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2016 Presidential elections

Racism has not only affected past elections but it is now affecting the
current elections. Americans are being manipulated into taking sides on
these elections. On one side, we have Donald Trump a conservative
republican who wants to make America great again by restoring or getting
rid of many aspects that have been changed throughout the years by
different presidents, making America more of a democrat country. This
candidate is bringing racism into these elections making people believe that
by getting rid of immigrants that are not contributing to the economy
America will be restored and everything will be better. By doing this he is
influencing Americans to dislike immigrants and think of them as bad people
or people who are affecting the economy causing these Americans to
discriminate and be racist against immigrants. On the other side, we have
Hillary Clinton a democrat who is running for president a second time after
being defeated four years ago by president Barrack Obama. The way she is
affecting these elections is by taking side with the immigrants and promising
to help them, but that is not the only way she is affecting the election, she is
also using sexism to help her win the elections. She is counting on Fellow
American women and feminist to vote for her because shes a woman.
Conclusion/Recommendations
In conclusion, it is proven that racism in any form greatly influences
politics. It has influenced politics in the past and it is still happening. As long

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as racism exist politics will continue to be affected by this factor and racism
will continue to change and adjust to the way of living and thinking of the
Americans.

References
Bishop, S. (2015) B2.8 Speciation. [slide 5] Retrieved from
http://www.slideshare.net/sbishop2/b28-speciation
Bonilla-Silva, E. (2006) Racism without racists: Color-blind racism and
the persistence of

racial inequality in the United States.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Dwyer, C. E., Stevens, D., Sullivan, J. L. and Allen, B. (2009), Racism,
Sexism, and Candidate Evaluations in the 2008 U.S. Presidential
Election. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, Vol 9 pg.
223240.
Hannan, A. (1987). Racism, Politics and the Curriculum. British Journal
of Sociology of Education, Vol 8(2), Pg.119-133.
Jayasuriya, L. (1998). Opinion: Old Racism, New Racism. AQ: Australian
Quarterly, Vol 70(5), pg. 4-5.

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Philpot, T. Shaw, D. McGowen, Ernest. (2009) Winning the Race: Black

voter Turnout in the 2008 Presidential Election, Vol. 73 No.5,
p.995-1022
Steele, J. (2009). Election 2008: A Mortal Blow to the Politics of Racism?
New Labor Forum, 18(1), 8-17
The Evolution of Racism. (2015, March 12) Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com