Bias and Prejudice

Bias and Prejudice

Introduction

Prejudice and Bias is a thought, concept or visualization about the lifestyles, clothes or any activity of a person or a group of people, which may not reflect reality. When stereotyping about the person, it may negatively influence the perception of people about others. A Prejudice and Bias can be about a person's cloths, attitude, behaviour, racial, social, religious and even on a gender (Harrison, 2012). These assumptions and ideas affect the society and individuals while creating the mindsets in the people about certain groups or individual.

The rate of immigration to the United States has been on the incline for many years. The magnitude of what is popularly known as the post-1965 wave of immigration has surprised both policy makers and experts alike. The 1965 amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act was made to eliminate the national origin quotas enforced in the 1920s, which had divided many families especially from Eastern and Southern Europe. Initially it was thought that the spike in immigration would be small, and not long lived. Surprisingly, however, the U.S has experienced a constant flow of immigrants since then. It is estimated that about 5 million immigrants came to the U.S. during the 1970s. The number of immigrants coming in to the country sharply increased during the 1980s and 90s. Not only were these numbers higher than what anyone had expected, but what was more surprising was that the immigrants were not coming from Europe, but rather Latin America and Asia (Hirschman and Massey, p. 1).

Economic instability of countries of origin and increased wages promised by the U.S economy creates constant pressure for immigration, both legal and illegal (Hanson and Silimbergo, p. 1). Little does the immigrant population know that achieving the “American Dream” is not as easy as they think. Learning the language and adjusting to the new environment are not the only challenges immigrants face. Often they also have to deal with not viewpoints of majority in the host country. It because of these reasons that many immigrants latch onto people of their own ethic group. This need to find a foster group of people belonging to immigrant's own country, further retards their ability to quickly adjust in the new setting and makes assimilation difficult.

Impact of Prejudice and Bias on Society

Prejudice and Bias s are developed when the person had an experience or one listens to the group of people which develops the mindset about certain people which may not reflect reality. They have powerful influence within a society where the person who develops the Prejudice and Bias and the one who suffers under it both are affected adversely. Society often sometimes distorts reality by accepting or even exaggerating the Prejudice and Bias s (Dyer, 1999). In this way the people are disvalued and discouraged in the society and lose their genuine value which often keeps them from making contribution in the society. It affects the relationships, working environment and also the environment in educational ...