Discrimination has a long history throughout the world. Most societies, especially the larger ones, have practiced some form and some degree of discrimination. In fact, a notable trend (though by no means necessarily an always true law) is that larger societies have had a larger propensity to discriminate. Why? Because of their achievements. Larger societies, to reach the size that they were, had to accomplish. They built extensive and complicated networks. Their engineering was on a scale and level enough to support a large society. Their art was complex. They had a formal language and writing system. All of these things were--and are--marvelous achievements. But couple with them the fact that for most of human history, people lived only within their societies and had almost no contact with peoples of different societies, and it becomes easy to see why discrimination occurred. They saw others as foreign and "backward," not having accomplished as much as they did.
From a list of all of the societies that ever existed, it is easy to pick out societies that discriminated. Spain used to discriminate heavily against the Jews, who were forced either to convert Catholicism or to leave Spain. The Spanish also created a body--called the Inquisition--to persecute who were not like them. So, people were persecuted for being Jews. If someone was thought to be a witch, the she or he was also persecuted. Likely, homosexuals were also persecuted.
History
In South Africa, Australia, and the Untied States, the black and indigenous populations have faced heavy persecution. Jim Crow laws in the United States, intentionally imitated by South African and Australia, persecuted blacks. Segregation was prevalent in all of these three countries. Blacks were illegally prevented from voting. Violence against blacks was common. In the Untied States, the native American population faced heavy discrimination. Their families were broken up, the children were forced to go schools that would eradicate their culture, and families were forced to abandon their original ways of life and live on reservations.
Fortunately, the world as a whole is less tolerant of discrimination today than it was in the past. Most nations have laws barring most, if not all, forms of discrimination (discrimination based on sexual orientation is an exception, though, and still faces a lot discrimination across the world).
One specific barring of discrimination in the U.S. involves employment practices. Employers are prevented by the law from discriminating against employees or potential employees (during interviews). If you feel you have been a victim of any sort of work place discrimination, contact the Orange County Employment Discrimination Lawyers of Perry Smith by visiting their website or by calling 888-356-2529.
History of Discrimination
Joseph Devine