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An unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially when formed without

enough thought or knowledge


Prejudice, in its ordinary and literal sense, is prejudging any question without
having sufficiently examined it, and adhering to our opinion upon it through
ignorance, malice, or perversity, in spite of every evidence to the contrary.
The absence of proof, instead of suspending our judgment, only gives us an
opportunity of making things out according to our wishes and fancies; It is
evident that the fewer things we know, the more ready we shall be to pronounce
upon and condemn, what is new and strange to us; that is, the less capable we
shall be of varying our conceptions, and the more prone to mistake a part for the
whole. What we do not understand the meaning of, must necessarily appear to us
ridiculous and contemptible; and we do not stop to inquire, till we have been
taught by repeated experiments and warnings of our own fallibility, whether the
absurdity is in ourselves, or in the object of our dislike and scorn. The most
ignorant people are rude and insolent, as the most barbarous are cruel and
ferocious.
Prejudice is the child of ignorance. William Hazlitt
In the Dominican Republic the cause is the consequence: you are Black
because you are Haitian; you are Haitian because you are Black. On December
2, 2011, the Supreme Court of the Dominican Republic upheld a racist law
denying citizenship to the children of Haitian immigrants born in the country.
Two days later, Sonia Pierre, the indefatigable activist for the human rights of
those Dominicans of Haitian descent denied citizenship under the law, died
suddenly at the age of 48. The Dominican anti-Haitianism that Sonia Pierre
fought her entire life has outlived her, and it will continue inflicting damage on a
long-hated segment of the Dominican population: its Black citizens.

Allegations that Dominican Republic is a racist country and violator of human


rights towards Haitian immigrants goes back to the end of the 1980s, although it
is as a result of the 168-13 decision of the Constitutional Court this type of
charges get coverage and notoriety at national and international level.
El Nuevo Diario gave a look at the reports of the United States Department of
State from 1989, discovering that since Dominicans are presented to the world
as "torturers" of Haitians and human rights issues.

The State Department treated Haitian as if Dominican Republic is a country of


white people, and as such the Dominicans reject and mistreat a black minority
posed by Haitians.

What are some of the most common ways that people discriminate against
each other? Some of the areas where people show their intolerance are wellknown, such as race. But others are less acknowledged, even if more common:

Age: Ageism is more common than you think, with both older and younger
people facing discrimination. One-fifth of working adults say they experience
ageism in the workplace.

Class: Classism usually takes the form of discrimination by wealthier people


against those who are less well off. However, classism goes both ways
people of lower economic status can see the wealthy as elite snobs who, while
monetarily secure, are morally bankrupt.

Color: Different from racism, colorism is discrimination based solely on the


color of a persons skin; how relatively dark or light they are. Colorism takes
place within and between races.

Ability: Usually called ableism, a less well-known form of prejudice is


discrimination against people with visible disabilities such as those in
wheelchairs or with a learning disability.

Sex/Gender: Possibly the most universal and long-running prejudice is that


based on a persons gender or sex. Historically, sexism has placed men in a more
advantageous position than women.

Weight/Size: In short, sizeism is discrimination based on a persons body size or


weight. Sizeism works with social standards of beauty and usually takes the
form of discrimination against the overweight anti-fat prejudice.

Religion: Religious discrimination and persecution has been common


throughout history. But prejudice based on religious affiliation doesnt end with
organized religion; atheists are prone to discrimination and being discriminated
against.

Sexual Orientation: Most commonly, prejudice based on sexual orientation


includes discrimination against those of a non-heterosexual orientation
homosexual or bisexual.

Country of Origin: Otherwise known as nativism, a common form of


discrimination is against immigrants to a country.
Prejudice can be stopped as well as prevented by helping people
learn about their own heritage and to share that heritage, teaching
people to be mindful of their words, and challenging stereotypical
remarks made by others. It is also crucial that classrooms discuss the
terms of racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-Semitism and bias in order to
help students learn what can and cannot be classified as prejudice.
Another option for classrooms and students is to invite motivational
speakers who are recognized human rights leaders to discuss their
experiences; this can be inspirational for the students. Schools can also
choose to designate a wall space on the school grounds for unifying and
positive graffiti art messages, and can organize essay contests on themes
of personal experiences with prejudice. The key to combating prejudice
is learning self-awareness and building connections with others from
diverse backgrounds.

Citation Information
Article Title: How is it possible to stop prejudice?
Author: ADL
Website Name: ASK
URL: http://www.ask.com/government-politics/possible-stop-prejudice-df164b54879a4ef4
Access Date: Jan-14-2016
Publisher: N/A
Original Published Date: N/A
Article Title: Most common prejudices
Author: N/A
Website Name: A Lofty Existence
URL: https://aloftyexistence.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/most-common-prejudices/
Access Date: Jan-14-2016
Publisher: N/A
Original Published Date: September 20, 2011
Article Title: Prejudice
Author: N/A
Website Name: Cambridge Dictionaries Online
URL: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/diccionario/ingles/prejudice
Access Date: Jan-14-2016
Publisher: N/A
Original Published Date: N/A
Article Title: On prejudice
Author: William Hazlitt
Website Name: Essays: Picked by blupete
URL: http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Essays/Hazlitt/Prejudice.htm
Access Date: Jan-14-2016
Publisher: Richards
Original Published Date: N/A

Citation Information
Article Title: William Hazlitt Quotes
Author: William Hazlitt
Website Name: BrainyQuote
URL: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/williamhaz107407.html
Access Date: Jan-14-2016
Publisher: N/A
Original Published Date: N/A
Article Title: The Dominican Republic Hates Black People
Author: Jemima Pierre
Website Name: Black Agenda Report
URL: http://www.blackagendareport.com/content/dominican-republic-hates-black-people
Access Date: Jan-28-2016
Publisher: Jemima Pierre
Original Published Date: Tue, 12/13/2011 - 23:44
Article Title: Accusation of racism against Dominican Republic originates from US
Department of State reports
Author: AlvaroM1969
Website Name: CNN iReport
URL: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1114400
Access Date: Jan-28-2016
Publisher: AlvaroM1969
Original Published Date: March 30, 2014

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