Du Bois, Pratt on Race/Ethnicity Essay Example

Souls of Black Folks, African-Americans can view themselves, including their soul and body, by looking through a veil. This concept is based on Du Bois' personal experiences in American society.

Du Bois’ first chapter, titled “Of our Spiritual Strivings,” opens with a question: “How does it feel to be a problem?” Meanwhile, Rauhut defines determinism as the belief that the future is predetermined by the past. In his book Ultimate Questions: Thinking About Philosophy, Rauhut asks, “How much power does the past have over the future?” (Rauhut, 86). He argues that if the connection between the past and the future is strong and there is only one past, there may be only one future. According to hard determinists, the past completely determines the future since all future events are caused by past ones. Therefore, the future is causally determined.

Indeterminism posits that free will is an illusion, meaning individuals cannot shape the future. This philosophy rejects the notion of significant past influence on the future, asserting that certain future events are uninfluenced by prior occurrences.

A libertarian believes that the uncertainty of what lies ahead makes determinism impossible. They assert that agents, such as humans, possess unique causal capabilities and can instigate events on their own. This enables them to shape the future freely. Conversely, soft determinists contend that free will can exist alongside a predetermined future. If an individual's actions stem from appropriate causes, they remain accountable and autonomous for their decisions.

Soft determinism can be classified into two categories. The first type corresponds to the conventional compatibilism, which asserts that an individual's will is accountable for their actions and those actions are considered free as long

as they are not compelled. The second type is affiliated with deep self-compatibilism.

Deep self-compatibilism asserts that true freedom of actions requires a genuine possession of authentic desires. When examining race and ethnicity, I personally contemplated my own identity and level of self-awareness, ultimately identifying as Hispanic-American. This group includes those with Hispanic ancestry who strongly connect with the culture, including subsets like Mexican-American and Cuban-American.

As a member of the Cuban-Mexican-American sub-group, I have studied knowledge and identified with Du Bois' challenge of dealing with a dual identity. Being Hispanic-American, I observe my community's struggles to achieve social and political recognition in America - a land full of opportunities. However, poverty is one of the obstacles that hinder our advancement towards achieving recognition in America from a metaphysical viewpoint.

With a population accounting for 14% of the US, the Hispanic community in America faces numerous challenges including substance abuse, violence, and limited education opportunities. Despite being the largest minority group demographic-wise, they hold less influence in academia as well as socio-political and economic structures which can adversely affect their mental well-being. Language barriers lead to isolation and psychological distress among Latinos in America. Du Bois's question "Why did God make me an outcast and a stranger in mine own house?" (Du Bois, 45) reflects his feelings of alienation. However, there are several Hispanic leaders such as Cesar Chavez, Romualdo Pacheco, Loretta Sanchez, Jorge Ramos who positively impact American society.

Approximately half of the residents in the United States are believed to be immigrants.

Although not all Hispanics desire complete assimilation into American society, a significant number place great value on education and employment. Ultimately, the Hispanic community seeks to

make valuable contributions to society.

Although, I concur that the Hispanic community is cognizant of their potential contributions to America. From an economic standpoint, corporations are promptly recognizing the significance and profit potential of this substantial market since Hispanics now possess greater purchasing power in comparison to African Americans and are increasing at a more rapid rate than non-Hispanic groups. Consequently, diversity in currency now encompasses various hues like brown, black, red, yellow and white.

Despite encountering social and economic challenges and experiencing a higher poverty rate, Latinos are presently at the forefront of the diverse American consumer economy. Nonetheless, Latino teenagers between 16 to 19 years old have a dropout percentage of 21%, which is over three times greater than that of non-Hispanic whites.

Despite the emphasis on religion, family, entrepreneurship, and patriotism as values by neo-nativists such as Pat Buchanan and Samuel Huntington, they argue that Latin Americans who do not speak English will harm the United States. Nonetheless, a survey by TIME magazine reveals that 72% of Hispanics prioritize moral concerns like abortion and faith. Furthermore, the government recognizes that undocumented workers significantly contribute to Social Security and Medicare without obtaining benefits. At present, there are 27,000 U.S. troops serving.

Latin America is the primary source of non-US citizens in the armed forces, and Mexico contributes significantly. Despite their diverse racial, national, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds, members of the Latino community share a common bond with each other and all Americans as they aspire for America's future. Du Bois' race concept helps to clarify this sense of unity among them.

The diversity of U.S. Hispanics cannot be easily defined, as although Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Argentine

Americans share a common language, it is challenging to classify them into specific cultural groups since they may not identify with each other.

The classification of Hispanic people, created by the U.S. Census Bureau back in 1980, differs from other classifications as it is based on language and culture instead of race. It's worth mentioning that not all members of this group speak Spanish nor do they necessarily have European heritage.

According to a Time poll, although an increasing number of Hispanics in California and the Northeast prefer to be referred to as Latino, 42% of Hispanic adults still choose to identify as Hispanic. Only 17% opt for the term Latino while 34% have no preference. This lack of differentiation frustrates some members of the Hispanic community since they consider themselves a distinct race with a blend of Iberian, Native American, and African heritage from Latin America. Nevertheless, Spanish has emerged as the de facto second language in the United States while Nuevo Latino cuisine and Latin music genres like rock en Espanol and Reggaeton are gaining popularity. Additionally, Latinos are not just assuming leading roles but also owning and managing major league baseball teams.

Despite having a purchasing power amounting to nearly $600 billion, Madison Avenue is not giving Hispanics the proper marketing attention or political influence they deserve. As America's largest ethnic minority, they have the potential to reshape the country's future like African Americans did in the past century. Du Bois' perspectives on race and ethnicity still resonate with modern minority groups. Ultimately, I consider Du Bois an indeterminist.

Despite what many critics may believe, the past has limited influence on our future, according to Du

Bois. Du Bois' ideas on race and ethnicity extend beyond the African American community and apply to other minority groups. His message to minorities is to raise awareness and strive forward as a collective unit, rather than as individuals. Du Bois promotes unity and encourages minorities to stand together and overcome obstacles together. Citation: Du Bois, W.E.

B. The Souls of Black Folks, published in 1903, is discussed in Scott L. Pratt's work Race, Education, and Democracy.

The second edition of Nils C. Rauhut's book, "Ultimate Questions: Thinking About Philosophy," was published by Pearson Longman in 2007.