Information regarding racial discrimination needs to be find, both international and local (Indonesia). The process started with searching the journal articles as reference. The search uses a few main keywords: race, discrimination, and public services. After finding the articles needed, they're being selected to find two main references for the review.Â
The two main reference, Racial discrimination in local public services: A field experiment in the United States (2017) and Kajian Tindak Pidana Diskriminasi Ras Dan Etnis Ditinjau Dari Undang-Undang Nomor 40 Tahun 2008 Tentang Penghapusan Diskriminasi Ras Dan Etnis (2021) then being analyze using KWL and reading log methods. Findings from the two as follow:
A study conducted by Corrado Giulietti from University of Southampton and his team shows that emails signed by distinctively African American names to the public services (school district, local libraries, sheriff offices and more) are less likely to get a reply than identical emails that signed by distinctively white (people from European descend) names (Giulietti et al., 2017). As a result of such discrimination the community have disadvantaged position. The discriminations affect their educational achievement, economic status, health and overall living conditions. This resulted in racial disparity.
As for the racial discrimination on public services that can be found in Indonesia, is one of Special Region of Yogyakarta local law. Somad (2018) rightfully call it the "discrimination letter". Surat Instruksi Wakil Kepala Daerah (Wagub) DIY No K.898/i/A/1975 Tentang Penyeragaman Policy Pemberian Hak Atas Tanah Kepada Seorang WNI Non-Pribumi openly discriminates non-natives residents by stated that every land purchased by them will directly own by the government. The practice is the opposite of the Undang-Undang Nomor 40 Tahun 2008 Tentang Penghapusan Diskriminasi Ras Dan Etnis's purposes- to stop racial and ethnic based discrimination.
Historical event as a factor
Discrimination often starts with assumption (Kamang et al., 2021). Assumption can happen from the lack of familiarity about the "other side", from here emerged generalization. History plays a big part on how the future is shaping up to what it is now, and racial stereotypes are one of its ugly products. We will be focused on examples that cause racial discrimination to the African American community in the US and the Chinese-Indonesian in Indonesia (specifically in Special Region Yogyakarta) because of stereotypes and assumptions.
In the US, slavery played big part on racial discrimination targeted to the African American community. Slavery resulted not only in lost incomes and, as a consequence, lost inheritances, but it also resulted in lost opportunities to accumulate capital, lost freedom, as well as pain and suffering that, if compensated at the time, would have had major wealth implications for African American descendants of the enslaved living today (Craemer et al., 2020). All the disadvantages resulting in assumptions of the community, often non-African American individuals/groups assume that a person from the community are poor and academically inferior.
As for the discrimination Chinese-Indonesian in Special Region Yogyakarta faces, it almost comes from a 180 backstory. The "discrimination letter" that is Surat Instruksi Wakil Kepala Daerah (Wagub) DIY No K.898/i/A/1975 Tentang Penyeragaman Policy Pemberian Hak Atas Tanah Kepada Seorang WNI Non-Pribumi is a product of assumptions that the Chinese-Indonesian is a villain in the colonial era. Puspa et al (2020) argued that the hate towards the Chinese-Indonesian is a man-made social construct by the Dutch. The Dutch used them as a business partner and seemingly gave them special treatment to portray them as the bad guy too therefore can't be trusted by the natives.
Living inconveniently: trials and errors
The side effects of getting less out of the standard are definitely unpleasant. The disadvantage comes in all sizes, it can be socio-economic, education, as a matter it affects overall living conditions. Seen as the-less-worthy of service means that the community is not going to be a priority.Â
Professor David R. Williams argue on an interview published by CBS NEWS (2021), that in the US African-American are treated with less respect and receive poorer services. His study found that the higher discrimination rate can negatively affect health conditions. It predicts high blood pressure. It predicts the onset of diabetes. It predicts the incidence of cardiovascular disease. It predicts poorer mental health.
