Racism and Other Injustices Present Obstacles to the Latino Community

It is evident that the Latinx population in the US faces more inequality and discrimination in government institutions than the Quechua population in Peru. To understand the situations in the two countries regarding discrimination, one should understand the definition of discrimination. According to the Royal Spanish Academy, discrimination occurs when an institution or an individual “gives unequal treatment to a person or community for reasons of race, religion, politics, sex, age, physical or mental condition.” This theme could be seen in a very clear way within a poem titled “La Discrimination” by Kenkibari, a Peruvian writer. His literary work deals with racism in institutions around the world. His point of view can be summarized as follows: “discrimination has no flag, country, or race, nor is it only of the poor or the rich, nor of religions, nor of atheists.” According to his poem, racism harms people who are below others in the social strata. In his opinion, racism is part of being human and everyone discriminates and is discriminated against by someone. Still, according to Kenkibari, racism is part of being someone’s patron, something natural to human beings. For this reason, Kenkibari does not care where it comes from because racism and discrimination are part of “this cursed land.” In any case, it could be said that discrimination is a serious problem that affects the lives of many people for everyone.

According to an article from the year 2017 of the Ministry of Culture in Peru, it could be ensured that discrimination against the Quechua people in Peru exists and affects many people. According to studies, “81% of Peruvian respondents agree that discrimination happens all the time and nobody does anything.” To remain silent in the face of discrimination, one could conclude that discrimination in Peru is something very serious. In addition, according to another study in the article, “59% of Peruvians perceive that the Quechua and Aymara population is discriminated against because of their way of speaking, their clothing, and the language they speak.” This problematic fact negatively affects the Quechua people and deprives them of many opportunities for employment and security. However, the Quechuas are not the only ones who are discriminated against in Peru. According to another study in the article, “57% perceive that the indigenous or native population of the Amazon is discriminated against because of their way of speaking, their clothing, and their physical features.” In any case, discrimination against the Quechua population has damaged the lives of many people in a very unfair way.

Furthermore, it is clear that Americans also face serious problems about racism. With regard to discrimination in the US, another perspective could be understood when looking at a US film called Wanting to Succeed. This film takes place in a school with lower class Latino students in Los Angeles. The school does not receive enough funds for Latino students to be successful. Although the situation is quite tough for the students who attend this school, the “AP Calculus” teacher gave them a lot of hope and discipline so that the students could move forward and achieve their goals in life. Actually, the teacher wants his students to do well in the final examination of the course. Therefore, the teacher gave them difficult assignments and difficult exams. His dedication and his high expectations for his students results in success for the students. However, the College Board leaders who grade the AP Calculus exam believed that the students had cheated on the exam by doing so well in such a poor district. Through this film, one could notice the inequality in the education system and the racism regarding the values ​​of the College Board, an educational institution in the United States.

The painting by Lucia Ippolito and Tirso Araiza deals with the rise of youth and the effects of police brutality in the US against the Latino community. In his artwork, you see a Latino neighborhood in San Francisco, California. At the center of the image, it is very clear that the police are arresting a Hispanic boy. Others in the community continue their activities because, in the United States, the incarceration of Hispanic youth is a social norm. In addition, according to several studies, the number of Hispanic youth incarcerated in the US has increased over the last ten years. So, the Latino population in the US faces more discrimination and a lack of opportunities to live a good life compared to the unfair policing system in the US.

Based on a compilation of all the data and evidence, the discrimination Latinos face in the US is even worse than the discrimination they faced in Peru. Although it is very clear that the government of Peru should work with social workers to take clear measures to protect the Quechua population, according to the evidence, the US government has not helped the Latino people because if the government worked for the Latinx people , as its laws do not seem to protect Latino people against the injustices of government institutions. For this reason, the United States government should maintain its principles of equality and take the necessary action to confront the injustices in its own society. In any case, the United States, the country of freedom, should reform itself in regard to these serious problems to perhaps become “the model country” for Peru, a country that also has a long way to go to value equality.