IndexRacism: Essay on Cause and EffectRacism in Born A CrimeConclusionWorks CitedRacism: Essay on Cause and EffectWhat is racism? Racism can be defined as where one ethnic race considers another ethnic race inferior, as they are seen as marginalized due to a different skin color (adl. org). Racism can date back to when society was forming. International markets were forced to participate in the slave trade in the development era which was the root of racism in the world. There are many stories of individuals going through the struggles of racism in their lives, but none of these individuals capture the moment quite like Trevor Noah in his book Born A Crime. His story talks about his difficulties in being born mixed, which means having both parents of two different ethnicities, in a South American society that did not forgive that type of child. To discuss the causes and effects of racism, this essay analyzes Trevor Noah's book, Born A Crime, and the representation of racism in it. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayRacism in Born A CrimeRacism does not arise magically, as every action has a reaction. One of the main causes of racism is stereotypes. What are racial stereotypes? It is where an individual judges another individual's character, morals, and actions based on their appearance without actually meeting the person. For example, in Born A Crime, Trevor Noah talks about a time when he stole a car from a junkyard to go looking for discount cell phones (Noah, 229). He has not broken the law, but describes the police by saying: “The police in South Africa don't give you a reason when they stop you. They stop you because they are police and have the power to stop you; it's that simple” (Noah,229). The officer then asks, “Do you know why I stopped you? " (Noah, 229). Trevor Noah responds, "Why are you a cop and I'm a black person? " (Noah,229) The officer then says, "That's right. License and registration, please” (Noah 229). Trevor Noah even wanted to call the officer out for racial stereotyping, but he knew it wouldn't get him out of trouble, and this is where the humor of this book shines the brightest (Noah, 229). Stereotypes are a dangerous mindset to have, because it leads to taking away an individual's identity just at first glance instead of judging them by their personality. One of the consequences of stereotypes is especially found in the criminal justice system, as some ethnic groups are reduced to a single reputation that in no case represents each unique individual. German Lopez conducted a study on the consequences of this behavior in the American criminal justice system. He had many great examples of how dangerous serotyping can be. For example, he writes: “In Baltimore, a September 2014 report by Mark Puente of the Baltimore Sun found that the city had paid about $5. 7 million since 2011 to more than 100 people – most of them black – who said they were beaten by officers. Vox's Ezra Klein explained some of the deplorable allegations following Freddie Gray's death from a fatal spinal cord injury suffered while in police custody” (Lopez). This is a clear indicator that those who work in the criminal justice department have a stereotype for certain ethnic groups which, as can be concluded, determines how an individual is treated. However, this is not the cause-consequence event that can be found in the book Born A Crime by Trevor Noah. The worst emotion an individual can feel is fear. Individuals do all of thiswhat they can do to live their lives without fear, because fear is an aspect of the mind that no one can escape. How does this affect racism? Individuals fear what is different in their character. For example, university psychologist Elizabeth Phelps conducted a study on how fear interacts with race (Balter). They tested individuals on how the brain reacts to images of different ethnic groups (Balter). Michael Balter concluded Phelps' findings by stating, "Phelps' team concluded that racial prejudice was linked to a deeply held fear of people perceived as members of a different social group, a connection that some researchers had suspected but for which lacked solid data" (Balter). This fear of being different can be seen from the birth of Trevor Noah in Born A Crime. For example, Trevor Noah reports that having intimate relationships with a mixed race in South Africa was one of the worst crimes (Noah, 21 years old). This is a perfect example of what can happen when fear drives one race to force all other races to remain in their segregated position. Trevor Noah then describes how serious the crimes are. He talks about how the South African government made all races register their ethnicity to keep them separate (Noah, 22). Trevor Noah delves into the weight of the consequences of how some races were not allowed to mix or leave designated living areas stating: “The government went to great lengths to try to enforce these new laws. The penalty for anyone who broke them was five years in prison” (Noah,21). He couldn't even call his father "Dad" because that would make the police ask questions about his illegal birth (Noah, 104). This fear of the outsider has many consequences, but one of the consequences that can be found in Born A Crime is economic equality. Trevor Noah describes a time in his life when he and his family were so poor that they ate caterpillars for dinner (Noah, 260). Race is not the only cause of economic equality, but it certainly plays an important role. Other researchers also find that in America some ethnic groups initially have little or no chance of escaping poverty. Raj Chetty, for example, talks about the statistics behind economic equality. Chetty states, “American Indian children and black children have much higher rates of downward mobility than other groups…In contrast, white children born in the top quintile are nearly five times more likely to stay there than to fall into the lowest quintile” (Chetty ). Economic equality clashes heavily with race because it is buried in the fear of being different and that some ethnic groups want to keep other groups under their control, so to speak. However, economic equality is not the only consequence resulting from racism. Teachings about the social environment have such a profound impact on how other individuals treat others. Paulette Parker writes an article explaining why this is true. He quotes David Kirk, who conducted a study on the mentality of Americans in different places, saying: “Where you live profoundly shapes who you are. “They fear that when poor people move next door it will inevitably result in crime, drugs, blight, bad public schools and higher taxes. They fear that the value of their homes will decrease and that the image of their city will suffer. It doesn't help that the poor are disproportionately black and Latino…I would go so far as to argue that what is truly American is not so much individual inequality but neighborhood inequality” (Parker). This study means that if an individual grows up in a community that only likes mayonnaise suisandwiches, then that individual will know nothing about the taste of a sandwich without mayonnaise. Accordingly, this individual will discolor those who do not like mayonnaise. This can be seen in Born A Crime where Trevor Noah, being a mixed boy, talks about how he didn't fit into any white or black community (Noah, 120 ). He tells where he lived in a confusing way because the community was made up of people of color because other ethnic groups did not claim them, so they were seen as outcasts of the outcasts (Noah, 119). This made Trevor Noah deeply confused because he couldn't figure out where he belonged on the latter social. His teachings on the environment were meant to stay with his peers. You can see this where Trevor Noah states, “For centuries, black people have been told: Black people are monkeys. Swinging from the trees like them. Learn to walk upright like the white man" (Noah, 120). These teachings can be dangerous because, in the case of Trevor Noah, they can lead to further segregation of other ethnicities. The consequences of the teachings on the social environment go hand in hand with the housing of these ethnic groups. Housing problems occur exclusively when social teachings teach individuals where they should belong. A New York Times editorial board wrote an article on this topic outlining the disadvantages of keeping groups separate. They state: “African Americans were essentially excluded from early federal programs that promoted homeownership and financial well-being…This missed opportunity to accumulate wealth that white Americans took for granted is evident to this day in a huge wealth gap between blacks and whites and poorer health, living conditions and educational opportunities for African-Americans” (Editorial Board). Ilyce Glink also conducted a study on how race affects the real estate market. He states: “In almost every case, whether renting or buying, minorities have been told and shown less ownership than whites. Blacks were told and shown about 17% fewer homes than whites, while Asians were told about 15.5% fewer homes and shown nearly 19% fewer properties... agents rental agencies don't allow minorities to know or see all the properties available to them, they may end up assigning their children to worse schools, reducing their overall safety and limiting their job opportunities (Glink). It highlights the fact that numbers don't lie when it comes to housing it links directly to housing. The impact that housing can have on racial issues is vital to the push for segregation. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion In conclusion, Trevor Noah's book contains many stories that show the causes and consequences of racism. First, this book shows how serotyping leads to injustices in the criminal justice system. The situation might have been different if Trevor Noah had been white, because the officer might not have even stopped him. Secondly, Trevor Noah emphasizes to his audience how fear of different people leads to greater racism which in turn can lead to economic inequality. Third, Trevor Noah talks about where he grew up and his socio-environmental teachings about “blacks” that shaped his view of “blacks” at an early age. These teachings led to people thinking that it was normal to be housed separately because they thought they “didn't belong” to other races. All in all, many causes and consequences of the can be seen in Born A Crime.