Paper Example on Racial Profiling of Asian Pacific Americans

The government has the role and mandate of bringing law and order in the society through the law enforcement department alias the police. In all its activities, the police dependent on the trends of crime and other social vices from which they argue or make suggestions that a certain aspect or characteristic of the population renders them susceptible to criminal offense (Museus & Park, 2015). The same judgment has found its way in the corridors of justice from which the court system also uses the same approach to make final judgments. In return, the government has responded through public policy whereby arrests are being based on the race, ethnicity, religious and origin of individuals and as such, has led to racial profiling, a common practice evident in the Americas law enforcement department and the court system. For the paper, the emphasis will be to discuss the topic with respect to equality. The Asian Pacific communities form the basis of this discussion because to a greater extent, they have been attributed to specific terms like permanent foreigner (Singh & Bawa, 2016). In some instances, the identity of the Asian Pacific Americans has been a major concern because to some, they are referred to as the model minority. In this case, the model minority myth has led to the Asian Pacific Americans being excluded from the everyday discussions of the racial profiling which is inherent in the American society (Museus & Park, 2015). Of particular emphasis is that the group is often seen and regarded as least oppressed and as such, regarded as the most assimilated group among the minorities in America.

The discussion of racial profiling cannot ensue without having a clear and concise definition of the term. To some, racial profiling is a product of ignorance and fastidious judgments about the new people that one interacts with both in the private and public sphere (Singh & Bawa, 2016). However, the primary concern is that high levels of misunderstands can lead to serious implications on the race relationships and as such, has been attributed to racism or racial categorization. In fact, when taken to higher levels, such can lead to hate crimes. The Asian fraternity, although assumed to have good race relations, has all been attributed to racism and targeted prejudice because they have limited political participation and from this, the inequality leaves room for the government to enact laws that segregate them from the mainstream citizens (Nakanishi & Lai, 2003). Accordingly, the group has been on the target for racial slurs, ultimate attacks and threats but there ordeals are not covered because of the presumption that they do not face racial profiling. Racial profile targeted at the Asian Pacific American community is more prone in the campus and other public institutions (Museus & Park, 2015).

However, within the law enforcement and the judicial system, the public policy is creating more room for the racial profiling of the Asian Pacific Americans. Of particular concern is that there is biased law enforcement when it comes to the maintenance of law and order. As such, research evidence is indicated how there is the disparity in police searches, stops, detentions, arrests as well as the prosecutorial decisions on the Asian Pacific Americans (Singh & Bawa, 2016). Initially, the problem was confined to the African American communities but evidence is increasingly showing that the Asian Pacific Americans are currently the target of racial profiling by the law enforcement department.

As of currently, racial profiling has been apparent in the Asian Pacific Americans of which they are unfairly targeted during police arrests and general or normal security screening. An excellent example includes the efforts and incentives by the government to end racial profiling especially through the transport sector institutions (Museus & Park, 2015). Particularly, there is the current call against racial profiling with the TSA recommending a shift or a change in the screening practices to address the incessant cases of racial as well as religious profiling. For example, the current and inherent issue is that a larger percentage of the Sikh, Muslims, South Asians and Arab passengers are ever exposed to unfair security screening and this is due to the fact that the public policy has labeled them as being more inclined towards terror threats or committing crime in the country. For example, a major concern is that even babies are currently being searched and screened (Singh & Bawa, 2016). In this case, a major concern is that despite the current incentives towards addressing security issues and concerns in the country, it is equally imperative to avoid discrimination and targeting of the Asian Pacific Americans. Racial profiling, from the security experts, has been identified as not making the country or the populations that safe. Of particular emphasis is that the approach or strategy is currently considered as an ineffective approach to public policy (Museus & Park, 2015). In this case, there is the inherent call that the government and policy formulators should put incentives for ensuring that the policies are being carried in a particularly neutral manner such that there is limited profiling of the targeted groups like the Asian Pacific Americans.

Nonetheless, the dangers of racial profiling against the Asian Pacific communities have been well documented with the current reports outlining the implications and how it bring challenges to the society, especially on the areas like social cohesion as well as the well-being of the community. Particularly, there is the current outcry from the communities as they decry the extent to which the government currently relies on the race, ethnicity as well as the religious affiliation of individuals in conducting arrests, engaging in investigations as well as detention institutions (Museus & Park, 2015). Mainly, the racial profiling against the Asian Pacific Americans adds to the incessant cases of targeted racial arrests and as such, is being regarded as being on the rise within the past few decades. In fact, the racial profiling being targeted towards the Asia Pacific Americans is currently being done under the guise of the government enforcing its immigration laws as well as anti-terrorism policies (Singh & Bawa, 2016).

Despite the increased cases of racial profiling, the effects are apparent. For example, racial profiling has made the community afraid to even take their children to school or even going to buy foods in the groceries to feed their families institutions (Museus & Park, 2015). On the other hand, the racial profiling has made the Asian communities much reluctant in calling the police after having witnesses or survived a crime. In this case, racial profiling has led to the communities and individuals to view the police as a problem. In return, the police that is supposed to ensure safety of the community is less trusted and from this, the community is plunged into further ordeals of insecurity and as such, witnessing a surge or increased incidence of crime and violence within the community (Singh & Bawa, 2016). Hence, racial profiling among the Asian Pacific Americans is leading to the negative relationships between the community and the police. Instead of cooperating with the police in bringing law and order in the community, the individual have distanced themselves from the law enforcement department thereby leading to more crime and violence.

Conversely, racial profiling has led to negative or adverse effects on the families of the Asian Pacific individual. Of particular emphasis is that the families have been torn apart due to the discriminatory policies implemented by the government. For example, the individuals may call the police when reporting crime but in the end, they are the ones who end up arrested, bundled in jail cells and even facing deportation proceedings. From this, the individuals will end up losing their families including children and partners thereby indicating how racial profiling is negatively impacting on the lives of the Asian Pacific Americans. According to Singh and Bawa (2016), racial profiling has had profound effect on all the people of color but the Asia Pacific Americans have been the worse hit by the immigration enforcement programs. On the other hand, the adverse effects of racial profiling among the Asian Pacific Islanders, especially the Muslim and the South Asian communities, increased after the 9/11 attacks institutions (Museus & Park, 2015). The implication is that the origin, physical identity as well as the religious identity of the community has been used in targeting them with arrests. The community is currently being seen as criminals, suspects and enemies of the state thereby leading to be poorly treated by the police and even by their neighbors. In fact, the Asian community has put incentives towards addressing the incessant cases of racial profiling of which the members of the community are hoping to end the unjustified targeted profiling by the police because the ordeal has unprecedented costs to the community. For example, Nakanishi and Lai (2003) indicated that the community is seeking increased voice in the public sphere to ensure public participation and as such, help in airing the issues of the Asian Pacific communities.

In summary, the paper has explored the ordeals currently facing the people of color, especially the Asian Pacific Americans, who have been faced with the dangers of racial profiling. Apparently, the initial cases of racial profiling in the United States of America has been discussed from the perspective of the African American community from which racial profiling debate has always taken the center stage. However, limited emphasis has been given to the Asia Pacific communities that have equally faced the adverse effects or implications of racial profiling. The paper has outlined how the Asian communities living in America are currently the target by the police and the judicial system. They are currently branded so as targets for criminal offense, especially with the increased dangers of terrorism. However, the ordeal is happening despite the negative impacts on the community. The unjustified arrests leads more to the corridors of justice, separating the families and increased crime rate or safety concerns in the communities because they always fear reporting to the police since this poses further danger of being incarcerated or even facing deportation.

References

Museus, S. D., & Park, J. J. (2015). The continuing significance of racism in the lives of Asian American college students. Journal of College Student Development, 56(6), 551-569.

Nakanishi, D. T., & Lai, J. S. (2003). Understanding Asian American politics. Asian American Politics: Law, participation, and policy. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 1-18.

Singh, N., & Bawa, J. K. (2016). Suspicious people: Profiling and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. AAPI Nexus: Policy, Practice and Community, 14(2), 49-62.