Alphabet of Discrimination: Letter I--Income inequality, immigration, interracial marriage stigma

One day, a member of our community asked a member of Equity Buckfield “What’s happening in our country right now that’s so bad? Give me one example.” Our member thought to themself, “I could probably think of something for every letter of the alphabet.” And so they did.

Income inequality

There are many reasons for income inequalities in the United States, and race plays a big part. Check out this video for a simple and informative explanation:

Immigration

Opposition toward United States immigrants has, sadly, persisted throughout history. In 1894, three Harvard University alumni established the Immigration Restriction League in response to an influx of European immigrants. Upset by the fact that many of these immigrants were settling in the cities, the League attempted to implement a literacy test to determine who would qualify for residence in the US. Read more here.

Today, Maine has a vibrant immigrant community. Check out Equity Buckfield's FAQ page for some commonly-asked questions about these "new Mainers."

Interracial marriage stigmas

First, the good news: In September of 2021, Gallup reported that 94% of adults in the US approve of interracial marriage. That number was only 87% in 2013 and 4% when they first polled on it in 1958.

But interracial couples still encounter hate and discrimination, and many have to constantly communicate about their different racial experiences. In this article, six interracial couples describe their experiences. One couple described their anxiety at large gatherings: 

"The fear wasn’t that someone was going to say the N-word or anything like that, but more the microaggressions, the coded language,” Redwood said, referring to subtle racism in the form of comments that often perpetuate racial stereotypes.

Other couples describe fears when a Black spouse encounters police and one couple even describes being attacked at their on their wedding night. 

Being aware of these realities can help us support interracial couples in our communities. We need to understand that interracial couples must constantly communicate about their racial experiences and understand how to support each other in this way.