What if you were racially profiled against because of your ethnic background, something that is beyond your control? Racial profiling, according to civil rights.org, refers to the targeting of particular individuals by law enforcement authorities based not on their behavior, but rather their personal characteristics. Many minorities are unnecessarily stopped thus showing the lack of education in law enforcement. The fact that minorities are also constantly stereotyped against in media doesn't help.
In 2002, police made under 100,000 stops in New York and in 2011, police made around 700,000 stops. 87% of the people who were stopped in 2011, were African-American or Latino. NYC officials say that the reason they stop and frisk so often, is because it reduces crime; but in 2002 there were 587 homicides. In 2011, there were 532 homicides, proving that there is no real depletion. The New York Times has even stated that crimes have decreased in cities that don’t use stop and frisk methods. Even though some law
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Many movies and TV shows depict Latinos as drug dealers, illegal immigrants, and maids. According to huffingtonpost.com and nytimes.com, Latina actress Lupe Ontiveros felt that she played a maid in films 150 times and that some directors only wanted her if she didn't speak perfect english or if she put an accent on. In movies and TV shows starring African-Americans, they are often shown as thugs/ gangsters and violent and many African-American women are very often depicted as loud, rude, and bitter. Even many Disney movies are culprits of racial stereotypes such as Aladdin showing negative connotations of Arabs being villains and thieves and Pocahontas showing Native Americans being extremely violent. These stereotypes can lead people to believe that minorities are violent and untrustworthy. They are also not only non applicable to every person, but very offensive as