Sociology – The Process of Racialization – Construction of Identity

Cultural transition as a result of physical movement is perhaps one of the most pressing issues for Africans immigrating to the United States. The process of racialization makes it possible for human persons to merge with foreign cultures, nationalities, and identities. In above process of cultural consolidation [or merging of ethnicity and races] there stem multiple challenges falling under different umbrellas; social, ethnic, national, and gender identification. This essay is an exploration of the process of racialization based on experience. The paper seeks to develop an analysis of personal experience with national, racial, social class, and gender identification. The essay subscribes to the concepts and theories discussed in class work material to determine the construction of my identity based on the cultural forces of a foreign nation.
One of the greatest cultural and national challenges presented itself as a cultural shock. The shock can be termed as the feeling of disorientation caused by changing of one’s culture to another particularly through travel to a foreign nation. I am of the Liberian identity a nation located in the West Africa part of the world. Travelling to the United States created a fundamental challenge of cultural shock that was majorly characterized by a feeling of discomfort due to subjection to an unfamiliar culture, set of attitudes and the American way of life. It is mature supposition to note that a majority of Americans dine in a systematic manner, the dressing is defined by well-engraved norms and traditions, and the communication is quite implicit.

Personally, I believe that cultural mismatch between the background of Liberia and that of America presented a fundamental obstacle that attracted the feeling of segregation, oppression, and overall discrimination from the mainstream society.
The general setting of the United States is majorly determined by the economy. Given there is a majority of jobs and employment opportunities, the medium household income is relatively higher than that of Liberia and virtually any country in West Africa. The household income in the United States when I arrived 7 years back was ranging at $50,000. The above economic capacity was instrumental in defining the overall lifestyle and the social status of American citizens. The economic mismatch between the home country and the United States affected by economic standing; particularly when I converted Liberian currency into U.S dollars. Not only was it financially constraining to obtain clothing, accessories, and household utilities – I found it limiting to interact with persons I believed had a better social class. Personally, I believe that an important part of racialization is to achieve a balance of financial standing because social life is partly influenced by the household income (Murji 12).
The issue of black anti-intellectualism is real from a personal perspective and viewpoint. The experience in a foreign nation revealed the issue of black-intellectualism whereby the whites were perceived as intelligent and academically competent than black students. In specific encounters with instructors and tutors, it was clear that they determined a person’s intelligence and academic competency based on racial and ethnic affiliations. The societal construct and perspective that whites are brighter, intelligent, and talented surfaces a range of issues the most common being black anti-intellectualism. Personally, I believe above issue challenged my self-esteem, it limited the ability to interact with fellow ‘brighter’ students, and it barred overall academic accomplishment. Living in a society that undermines and questions the potential to academic achievement by specific persons presents a significant challenge in both the social and school life.
It follows from scholarly articles and academic literature that the American language is more explicit as opposed to specific nations like India, China, Arabia and West Africa (Das 22). In Liberia for example, the culture favors personal relationships and one-on-one interactions are deemed as significant in many spheres of life; whether in the workplace, at home, or in school. The first experience of talking and interacting with Americans revealed the language as implicit. Provocative words, negative feedback, direct and precise language characterized the people. Sometimes it was obvious to get direct and implicit feedback that triggered the thought that ‘these people’ do not appreciate the African background. Personally, I believe that using explicit language can potentially affect personal relationships and above was one of the most instrumental challenges faced by Africans moving to the United States.
The issues of segregation and radicalization are real. Social segregation is seen as the process of separating a class, race, and ethnic group(s) through voluntary residence or limitations to social intercourse (Murji et al. 11). Segregation is underpinned by a range of factors among them; separate facilities of social consumption like; educational facilities, healthcare facilities, special treatment, and general observation of others. An exploration of American households revealed the separate existence of black and white neighborhoods. Asian-Americans, Latinos, African-Americans and Muslims were located in specific estates and neighborhoods. The separation of social places and neighborhoods created the feeling and attracted the attitude that some residences were better and well-positioned than others. Social segregation was, therefore, a first-hand experience that troubled existence in the United States for the first two years; from 2007 – 2009. I would later come to accept the above form of residential classification as a norm in the nation and therefore conformed to the above way of life.
It is important to note the West African culture is well defined by the clothing, the food, language, and the general lifestyle. One of the most common foods and dishes include; meat stew, country chop [consisting of greens, fish, and meats fried in palm oil], fufu [served with palava sauce and palm butter], rice bread, sweet potato, and ginger beer. The Liberian dressing is further characterized by Tubman for men and women traditionally are adorned in long skirts wrapped around the waist called Lappa. Immigration into the American society challenged my dressing because contemporary Americans dress in jeans, t-shirt, sweatshirts, shirts, and related wear. The experience continued to criticize my view about dressing. Watching girls and women dressed scantly challenged view about morality and decency in clothing. As such, other than cultural shock and cultural mismatch under the realm of dressing and dining are principal social and ethnic challenges encountered through the first-hand experience.
Conclusion
The process of racialization is significant in the construction of identity. The diversity of cultures attracts beliefs, values, and principles all of which are different but which classify particular ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The Liberian culture, for example, is defined based on cultural standards of food, dietary, relationships, and dressing codes. United States culture, on the other hand, is defined by the nation’s language, dressing, values, and the overall social landscape. It, however, follows that transition from culture to culture attracts significant limitations in the form of ethnic and cultural mismatch. Above mismatch occurs because a person’s behavior, beliefs, and conducts are dictated by the cultural norms of specific backgrounds. The essay has examined my experience in the United States as an African from Liberia. The experience has been explored under the realm of class, racial, social status, and ethnic affiliations and identifications. Some of the issues identified based on a personal experience include; cultural shock, variations in language, social exclusion and segregation, the societal perspective of black anti-intellectualism, and cultural mismatch. The above analysis surmises the essay adding knowledge and creating insight on the process of racialization and the construction of identity.
Works Cited
Das, Gupta T. Race and Racialization: Essential Readings. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press, 2007. Print.
Murji, Karim, and John Solomos. Racialization: Studies in Theory and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Print.