Models of American Ethnicities Essay

In order for assimilation to occur a minority group becomes an integrated part of the majority group; this assimilation results in non-distinguishing of one group from another by cultural characteristics. In order for this process to be complete, it must entail, not only an active effort by the minority group to shed all distinguishing actions and beliefs, and also complete unqualified acceptance of that individual by the dominant society.

Matthew Frye Jacobson’s Whiteness of a Different Color offers innovative insight into the concept of “race” and the evolution of “whiteness” throughout American history. Jacobson focuses his analysis on the instability of racial identification over time and how race has been created and perceived throughout different stages of history. He states in his introduction that “one of the tasks before the historian is to discover which racial categories are useful to whom at a given moment, and why” (p.9) and while he is successful in some respects, his analysis is somewhat incomplete in providing a full scope of the power relations that created, altered and maintained racial identities in the United States. While Jacobson offers a detailed

Aguirre, Adalberto, and Jonathan Turner. American Ethnicity: The Dynamics and Consequences of Discrimination. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.

Midterm Question #1 part 1: Race and ethnicity have played major roles in American social history. How do these constructs relate to an explanation of what it means to be an American?

In my opinion, many people, especially foreigners, immigrants, etc also give their hope for the cultural pluralism which “is healthy and normal condition that does not preclude equal rights and the mutual understanding about civic responsibilities needed to sustain a democratic nation-state” (Fredrickson 455). While Fredrickson supports for a diversity society, Buchanan rejects it. His assessment seems to be obviously different, as he proclaims:

Lawrence W. Levine approaches the issue of ethnic relations in a slightly different light in his book, “The Opening of the American Mind”. He focuses on the two central components of the entire matter: One-way Assimilation (the melting pot ideology) and Cultural Pluralism, given that the two other models (Ethnic

We think that diversity nurses or intensifies pride of a country. But what diversity really does is nurses grudge. It brings fight among different people or races. For example, Ashley Thorne writing at the NAS (National Association of Scholars) reported that there were two textbooks on the war of Alamo. Freire’s book argued that the other textbook showed more sympathy on the Mexicans than the Americans. Even though assimilation oppresses diversity and cultures of races, it is a solution to civil rights. From the article, “multiculturalism” by duke Selwyn, a quote said, “Diversity divides countries” and that shows why assimilation is

Assimilation is “a process through which a minority group forsakes its cultural traditions and adopts those of a dominant group in society” (Tweedell, 2003, 2010, p.185). Example of this would be that many people see the United States has the “melting pot” because all of the different nationality blending together. On the other hand, we have segregation. Segregation refers to the separation of differing racial groups and ethnicities by law, guaranteeing that the majority group in society will have the most dominance. Prior to the civil rights movement, segregation was very prevalent. Blacks could not even use the same restroom or water fountain as whites. Although segregation is now illegal in the United States, segregation still exists in terms of housing, job opportunities, etc.

Rarely do these entities attempt to introduce new, more accurate points of view on cultural relations. The media’s recycling of present cultural attitudes stagnates cultural relations in America. Although we have seen progress in our country’s legislation granting suffrage to blacks and women and various other civil rights measures, our attitudes towards multiculturalism today are not far removed from popular attitudes during the reconstruction era.

This essay will be delving into the roots of race and ethnicity and will be discussing the advantages and disadvantages of racial and ethnic labelling and ways to overcome the negative things that are associated with racial and ethnic labelling and categorization. Race and ethnicity are two different things but yet have striking similarities. One focuses on the biological characteristics of a person the other focuses on the cultural practices of a group or

Fredrickson claims that of the four conceptions of ethnic group interaction that have been occurring throughout history, cultural pluralism, is the best method to achieve unity. The four conceptions Fredrickson mentioned were: ethnic hierarchy, one-way assimilation, cultural pluralism, and group separatism. Three of the four conceptions, are harmful to society and actually defy the idea of a cohesive society. Ethnic hierarchy can only make minority groups feel inferior because of how low they would be ranked. Minority groups such as African Americans already feel inferior today by living in undesirable neighborhoods, which proves that ethnic hierarchy exists today. One-way assimilation requires one group to conform to a more dominant group,

Race and ethnicity have been differentially used and deployed to create hierarchies of belonging and exclusion by who were given the most privileges, who were given the most rights, and even who were the better race of whiteness. Frye brings up the debate on Jews’ racial identity. It begins with the normative classification. He briefly insists that the American policy of becoming a citizen at the time was mainly based on whiteness. Jews were treated as “free white persons” who came to the United States through occupying the naturalization law. Over time whiteness has become the group called Caucasian. Races are classified into categories where whiteness is continuously on the higher rung of the ladder while all the other races followed. This

In America there has always been “racial” tension. Although it would be more accurate to state that there has always been “ethnic” tension in America. The term “race” can be used to target an individual’s differences in physical appearance, and while in the past this was commonplace practice, today, however, it is more apt to use “ethnicity’ to differentiate (Segregated America - Separate Is Not Equal). A person’s upbringing that helps shape who they might become (Persell 98-107).

Reading 1: Zelinsky, W. (2001). The enigma of ethnicity: Another American dilemma. Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa City Press. Pg 117 – 122.

Throughout my social life I’ve had many different experiences with different races and ethnicities that relate to the ethnic-related theories. I feel as if most of my encounters follow the assimilation perspective. I know specific events and encounters but, it’s easy to just observe these things happening in your surroundings. The pluralist theory is pretty much the complete opposite of the assimilation theory. In this theory the certain group doesn’t conform to society but, they celebrate their ethnic traditions. They are not ashamed of their culture; they are proud and want to display their enthusiasm about it. The last theory are the power and stratification theories. These are more of a structural problem that affects the whole ethnic group but; I know certain people that have to go through these struggles. My social life consists with different events that coordinate with some of the ethnic-related theories.