Race And Socio-Economic Status Case Study

Race and socio-economic status should not define citizenship. Every individual has the right to exercise citizenship regardless his/her race, ethnicity, wealth, education, or social standing. Many have argued for the cause, yet to date, the reality seems bleak. In this essay, I will discuss on the tensions caused by race and socio-economic status and its relation to citizenship. To do this, I will provide a case-study, based on my observation of Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia.
Jakarta is a microcosm of Indonesia. Indonesians from all across the country dream of moving to Jakarta, which promises upwards socio-economic mobility. Based on a data from the Indonesia’s Central Bureau of Statistics, Jakarta’s contribution towards Indonesia’s GDP reached 16.9% in 2005, while another report projected an increase up to 20% in
A gini coefficient of 0.43 puts Jakarta as the city with highest inequality. The picture portrays this condition. Record-breaking skyscrapers stand proudly while right across the river, a network of slums houses the Jakarta’s poor. The poor does not even have the opportunity to see this disparity, the 46th floor restaurant charges $30 a plate. That price is astronomical for most Jakartans, mainly working in the informal sector, who make a paltry $1 per day.
Food, healthcare, education are just some of the basic necessities for an individual to climb out of poverty. For many Jakartans, these are privileges that they can only dream of. The free education provided by the municipality only allows them to attend second-rate educational institutions, while the upper-middle and rich class enjoy the benefits of attending private international schools with additional private tutorials on the side. Since Jakartan poor mostly work in the informal sector, many of them could not participate in the government’s social welfare programs. Then how does this relate to