Throughout American history, there have been some very unsettling events and traditions that has proved America is an extremely racist country. Back when we first declared independence from Britain, only a few men were allowed to vote and had power in the country. All of these men had one thing in common: they were white. For centuries, African Americans were enslaved and even when they were emancipated, they were segregated and treated even worse. Anyone taking an American history class can look at groups such as the KKK and how American’s disrespected Native American’s in their conquest for the West and classify America’s history to be extremely racist. But has anything changed? Has hundreds of years improved life for those who aren’t white? The answer is no.

America has not improved at all when it comes to white supremacy. If you do not believe me, look at President-elect Donald Trump and tell me that a land full of racists did not elect that guy. Among the terrible statements he has made, he has referred to Mexican-Americans as “gangbangers” and called for a wall to be built so that there are not anymore Mexican citizens coming into America.

In American history, we are taught that this country is a melting pot. That anyone from anywhere can come to this country to achieve their own “American Dream.”

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.

I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

Emma Lazarus wrote that sonnet for the Statue of Liberty. Those words say that anyone was welcome in this country, no matter who you are or the color of your skin. This is supposed to be a place for anyone, but the president electt wants to build a wall because he can not handle someone being a different color than he.

If you are not convinced that America is racist yet, take a look at the Dakota Access Pipeline. White Americans who are more interested in making money than being decent human beings wanted to take sacred Native American land to construct a pipeline that would pose a threat to millions of people’s well beings. Did white people not take enough from Native American at the Battle of Wounded Knee or any other time they encountered tribes when they tried to pursue the West Coast?

A Cree Indian Prophecy says, “Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money.”

It will not be until there is nothing left that we realized how awful we were to other people. We will realize that the money we have is nothing. We will realize that this life is not about what kind of car you drive or what kind of house you live in, but how you treated the person sitting next to you whether they are white or black or any other race.

In history class we were taught that America a melting pot. We are told that this country is a place for anybody. But time and time again we prove that we are racist. We treat anybody who is a different color like their life is not important. In elementary school, we are taught to treat others how they want to be treated. We learn words such as diversity, and how everyone is different and that is okay. Somewhere along the way, people lose that knowledge. They consider anyone who is different a nuisance. It is time to treat everyone with the same respect no matter the color of their skin.