Free Essay on the Inequality by Way of Income and Discrimination in the United States

Discrimination has always been a prevalent issue in most societies around the globe. However, it is also highly practiced in income distribution in the United States primarily by race, gender and other factors (Rotman 1). Many people show their judgment that this kind of discrimination brings about income inequality amongst so many people and hence it should be highly discouraged so that a country's economy may stabilize with equal incomes for every citizen regardless of their distinguishing factors. This kind of discrimination is also known to be inherent in a country that has its roots from a capitalist perspective. For example, in the United States, the Africa Americans were highly discriminated against especially during the slavery period, and this led to most of their incomes being lowered and those of the whites were always high.

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Wealth is known to be the primary source of income for most American families. It also provides other job opportunities that enable them to earn a living and have at least average living standards. The revenue obtained allows people to make any transitions they would like, may it be from one job to the other or from one neighborhood to the other. Income also has additional importance as it is what makes most life objectives to be achieved without any problems (Ghosh 5). Through attainment of a stable income, a parent can pay their children's school fees as well as provide for their daily needs and lead a comfortable life. However, lack of a stable income leads to the poverty piling up, and many families end up struggling with so many needs which they are not able to provide for. Hence, income inequality in America is highly caused by the high rate of discrimination by gender, disability, race and societal situations such as being a single mother.

In the year 1979, a white American citizen earned a wage of $19.62 hourly while an African American citizen received a salary of $16.07 regularly (Hanks, Solomon, Danyelle, and Weller 6). The difference is about 18.1%, and this represents the income inequality range between white people and the African Americans. In 2000, the gap between their salaries continued to expand and later stood at 26.7% (McCarthy 4). It is quite a considerable difference, and it shows that the African Americans were highly discriminated against merely because of their race. The wage gap was highly reflected amongst the fresh African American graduates and their counterparts who were whites. Hence the significant reasons for this vast wage gap were discrimination and growing earning disparities.

To reduce the income discrimination, America has always advocated for the implementation of anti-discrimination laws which will guide all citizens to have equal pay regardless of their racial construct. It means that earnings for the African Americans are likely to rise while those of the whites are slightly reduced so that an average rate may be achieved.

Education is also another cause of an increased rate of discrimination against African Americans. African Americans were still discriminated against even after obtaining opportunities to access education. It shows that they were yet awarded lower incomes because they were believed to have very few skills as well as experience when compared to the whites who were high and most of the times given the priorities (Dimico 5). Some of the African American struggled so much to gain their roots in obtaining education but were still discriminated against for the false belief that they were not as qualified for jobs as the whites.

The difference between men and women income gaps is quite vast and noticeable. Gender factors also contribute to income discrimination. For this reason, men have a higher income than women because they are the ones awarded with the more prominent positions which have higher income ranges than women. Women, on the other end, are granted the lower areas that have lower income ranges. This state is brought about by the belief that in the American society, men are more capable and have more skills and knowledge as compared to women. Hence, it shows that they are more qualified than women. For example in the 20th century, statistics showed that a woman earned barely 60% while a man received 160% of the same income. In the 1970s, an increase was realized, and now women gained 80% of what men earned (Rotman 3). Therefore, this is a proof that there is a massive difference in what men make and what women earn all based by discrimination.

So many Americans are on the lookout whether the growth of technology is increasing income inequality and discrimination or not. Poverty is an excellent sign of lack of technological growth. This state is because growth in technology brings about more job opportunities and creates employment to many people (Ghosh 6). The citizens can make a living out of the technological possibilities provided in various sectors of the economy. Hence, growth in technology in overall has profoundly contributed to the reduction of income inequality because more people are acquiring jobs and making a living.

Single mothers in America have struggled with income inequality and discrimination so much. This situation has been accelerated by some companies highly discriminating the single mothers with their belief that they do not have potential skill and knowledge as the non-single mothers. This situation has therefore led to income inequality because they lack many job opportunities thus enabling them to continue living in poverty (Hanks, Solomon, Danyelle, and Weller 8). The situation is even worse when it is between an African American woman who is a single mother. Women are now discriminated at work by race, gender and being a single mother. Their income, therefore, is quite low and this increases income inequality in America.

Disabled workers are also highly discriminated against because they are believed to have no potential or abilities to deliver their work skills because of their condition. Therefore, these kind of people have highly received too much discrimination, and this means that their income ranges are quite low and this, in the end, continues to increase income inequality in America (McCarthy 5). Furthermore, African Americas who are disabled may even not find a job opportunity because there is no company willing to provide one only by race and disability. Many companies and organizations have, for long, been reluctant to employ people with disabilities in the view of avoiding extra expenditures on special facilities required by these people for work.

In conclusion, the historical background of income and discrimination is rooted in the slave trade, and this has continued even to be reflected in the education inequality. During the slavery period, Americans were faced with a high rise of discrimination primarily by color, gender, and disability. For instance, an African American would be discriminated against even by obtaining educational skills and knowledge, and this meant that they were not qualified for the jobs.

Educational priorities were entirely given to the whites who attained more skills and knowledge and therefore had to secure most of the jobs. Thus, the African Americans who were lucky were able to have an average income which was lower than that of the whites. The older generations of African Americans were highly discriminated as compared to the current generations of the same race. Hence, this shows that income inequality has been reduced and therefore America is now in a better position economically.

Works Cited

Dimico, Arcangelo. "The Historical Roots of Inequality." Voxeu. 2010.

Ghosh, Jayati. "Inequality is the Biggest Threat to the World and needs to be tackled now." The Guardian. 2013.

Hanks, Angela, Solomon, Danyelle, and Weller, Christian E. "Systematic Inequality." American Progress. 2018. McCarthy, Niall. "Income Inequality Between White And Black Americans Is Worse Today Than in 1979." Forbes. 2016.

Rotman, David. "Technology and Inequality." Technology Review. 2014.