Eth125 Final Paper

Bolingbrook, Illinois has a very diverse population but this alone has not meant that racial or ethnic tensions are not apparent and as changing as the weather. It is not unusual for police to stop minorities, particularly African Americans, for unjustified reasons because of stereotyping within our community. There is also a great deal of tension between African Americans and those members of the Hispanic community because of gang rivalries and violence. Both groups face discrimination from many of the Caucasian population who view them as bad for the city, just like they view anyone but themselves as “wrong” or bad. It is not a well mixed Melting Pot, within some parts of town, though there are many officials and people of power that are minorities.

The city of Bolingbrook has 46,546 residents (Census: Bolingbrook Fact Sheet). Of that number approximately 63% are Caucasian (like me), 21% are African American, and 3.6% are Asian (Census: Miami Fact Sheet). Of this total number of persons, 14.2% of them are Hispanic (which is not a race, but an ethnic group that refers to persons whose countries of origin or ancestors speak or spoke Spanish, and who can be of any race) (Census: Bolingbrook Fact Sheet).

Bolingbrook has a Caucasian dominant population, but I live in one of the older sections of town. Because of this, the section is less expensive and has a larger percentage of minorities than Caucasians. When I look around the streets of Bolingbrook, I see people who both look like me and people who look nothing like me, but I do not forget that we are all human and that there really is not much of a difference between us.

I have also seen very negative and improper treatment of those who are African American in this city, as well as other “minorities.” The police in Miami, which seems to be mainly Caucasian, seem to particularly stop African Americans and Hispanics just because they bear resemblance to a fugitive. In our town, and even in nearby...