Immigration is, and has been, never a fair game for the people who do not possess certain privileges. Broadly for the poor and for the people of color, but specifically for people of color, immigration (and perhaps life thereafter) was a site of struggle, then and now. It is not an imagination; however, it is a daunting truth that many of the immigrants live by, both during the turn of the twentieth century and the immigration in the later twentieth century until now. At both times, some were able to assimilate and fully achieve the American status, while some did not, and people who were allowed full incorporation were people with certain privilege: the racial privilege. In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, race was …show more content…
Despite being a fundamental piece of ethnic studies, the authors mainly focus on the Black Americans and how slavery and consolidation of whiteness produced the modern day race relations in the United States; in other words, they only did far enough to explain the classic dichotomy between the whiteness and blackness. But there is much more to get out from the theory: the societal interactions mentioned by the authors indeed include immigration, since it impacts demographics and race relations among the other races and ethnic categories, such as Latino, Asian, and sub-white …show more content…
Socially, those immigrants, especially Asian immigrants, were frequently the target of raids, boycotts, and scapegoats by the white mainstream. Legally, through formal denial of citizenship of Asians through Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Japanese Internment Camp during the World War II, Ozawa v. United States (1922) and United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind (1923), the Asian American communities were ripped out of their possessions and properties. The message of the government and Supreme Court was clear: membership to the U.S. was available for those who are both scientifically and commonsensically ‘white’ (What is an American?). One dimensionally, the decisions impacted the definition of whiteness, and fixed the racial relation of the U.S. to be between whites and African Americans; furthermore, the decision racialized Asians as unauthorized, inassimilable, and
One particular ethnic group that suffered severe discrimination was the Chinese people. They first came to America for several reasons. One of them was the gold rush in California in 1849, in which they were included in a group of immigrants called the “Forty-Niners” (179). From gold mining, they switched to other jobs with resulted in the rise of anti-Chinese sentiments. People felt that Chinese people were taking the jobs away from them, because Chinese people worked for much smaller salaries that businesses preferred. This mindset gave way to the creation of The Chinese Exclusion Act passed in 1882, which prohibits more Chinese immigrants from coming to America. In addition, the act states “no State or court of the United States shall admit Chinese to citizenship”. Like the Naturalization Act, the Chinese Exclusion Act was created to hinder Chinese people from becoming citizens so that America could remain homogenously white (186). It also aimed to stop Chinese people from establishing a bigger community in the country in hopes of eliminating the threat of competition to their white counterparts (186). Like African-Americans, Chinese people were considered racially inferior and have struggled to prove that they were worthy to be called true Americans, rather than
Although Americans vary widely in ethnicity and race and minorities are far from sparse, racism has never been in short supply. This has led to many large scale issues from Irish immigrants not begin seen as Americans during the Irish famine, to Mexican-American citizens having their citizenship no longer recognized during the Mexican Cession, all the way to Japanese internment camps during World War II. Both Dwight Okita and Sandra Cisneros Both give accounts of the issue from the perspective of the victims of such prejudice. Rather than return the injustice, both Okita and Cisneros use it to strengthen their identity as an American, withstanding the opinion of others.
The English immigrants are given a brief introduction as the first ethnic group to settle in America. The group has defined the culture and society throughout centuries of American history. The African Americans are viewed as a minority group that were introduced into the country as slaves. The author depicts the struggle endured by African Americans with special emphasis on the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement. The entry of Asian Americans evoked suspicion from other ethnic groups that started with the settlement of the Chinese. The Asian community faced several challenges such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and the mistreatment of Americans of Japanese origin during World War II. The Chicanos were the largest group of Hispanic peoples to settle in the United States. They were perceived as a minority group. Initially they were inhabitants of Mexico, but after the Westward expansion found themselves being foreigners in their native land (...
In reading chapter 1, of the “Ethnic Myth”, by Stephen Steinberg, explains how the U.S. has a dominant society. In the U.S. class structures, unequal distributions of wealth, and political power vary between certain racial and ethnic groups. A main idea in this reading is ethnic pluralism which is defined as a particularly diverse racial or ethnic group that maintains their traditional culture within a broader more common civilization. Throughout history, race and ethnicity have caused conflict and the struggle of dominance over land. In reading chapter 2, of Drawing the Color Line, by Howard Zinn, explains how early in history inferior statuses of races which lead to mistreatment lead to racism. The very start of slavery began when african american slaves were brought to the north american colony called Jamestown.
Winant, Howard. 2000 "Race and race theory." Annual review of sociology ():-. Retrieved from http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/faculty/winant/Race_and_Race_Theory.html on Mar 17, 1980
In Racial Formation, the two authors Michael Omi and Howard Winant develop the foundations for understanding the implications of race. Both authors delve into how the construction of racial relations has permeated into society, been contested, and changed over time. Omi and Winant attempt to display the oppressive actions in social structures, as well as the ideas and meanings that form their theory of race and racism. These theories are demonstrated in the brutal reality of Douglass’ life as a slave in My Bondage and My Freedom. Douglass recounts his efforts to educate himself, and ultimately, his resolve to escape to freedom. Society views race as a function of biology rather than a socially constructed method to differentiate human beings.
Immediately following the turn of the century, immigration into the United States began to increase, which led to the creation of many laws restricting the individuals who could be permitted into the country. “The Immigration Act of 1917 was a law passed by Congress on February 5, 1917 that restricted the immigration of 'undesirables’ and required eight-dollar entrance fee and a literacy test for those under the age of sixteen” (Tucker 1). This act created limitations on who would be permitted to enter the United States, making it more difficult for individuals to come start new lives. “Those who were uneducated, poor, or disabled were discriminated against, for the sake of keeping America “pure”. The Immigration Act of 1917 also excluded immigrants from many Asian countries (the “Asiatic Barred Zone”), and was followed by the Immigration Act of 1924, which added Japan to the zone, and limited the number of immigrants permitted in a given year to 2% of the number of residents from that same country residing in the United States” (“Milestones: 1921-1936” 2; Marcus 1). Those within the Asiatic Barred Zone were not permitted to immigrate into the United States, while those in other countries faced quota limitations that restricted the number of persons who could immigrate each year. This two percent quota caused a great decrease in ...
Japanese immigration created the same apprehension and intolerance in the mind of the Americans as was in the case of Chinese migration to the U.S at the turn of the 19th century. They developed a fear of being overwhelmed by a people having distinct ethnicity, skin color and language that made them “inassimilable.” Hence they wanted the government to restrict Asian migration. Japan’s military victories over Russia and China reinforced this feeling that the Western world was facing what came to be known as “yellow peril”. This was reflected in the media, movies and in literature and journalism.4 Anti-Oriental public opinion gave way to several declarations and laws to restrict Japanese prosperity on American land. Despite the prejudice and ineligibility to obtain citizenship the ...
Following the 1890’s, the world began to undergo the first stages of globalization. Countries and peoples, who, until now, were barely connected, now found themselves neighbors in a planet vastly resembling a global village. Despite the idealized image of camaraderie and brotherhood this may seem to suggest, the reality was only discrimination and distrust. Immigration to new lands became a far more difficult affair, as emigrants from different nations came to be viewed as increasingly foreign. In the white-dominated society of the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the only way to truly count oneself as American was to become “white”. For this reason, the idea of race, a socially constructed issue with no real physical basis, has become one of the most defining factors which shape immigration and assimilation in the United States.
Race has been one of the most outstanding situations in the United States all the way from the 1500s up until now. The concept of race has been socially constructed in a way that is broad and difficult to understand. Social construction can be defined as the set of rules are determined by society’s urges and trends. The rules created by society play a huge role in racialization, as the U.S. creates laws to separate the English or whites from the nonwhites. Europeans, Indigenous People, and Africans were all racialized and victimized due to various reasons. Both the Europeans and Indigenous People were treated differently than African American slaves since they had slightly more freedom and rights, but in many ways they are also treated the same. The social construction of race between the Europeans, Indigenous People, and Africans led to the establishment of how one group is different from the other.
The case of United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind, had a profound detrimental impact in which all former Asian Indians prior to this case had their citizenships revoked. And as a result they lost everything, from their homes, to their business, to their very lives in which they were so accustomed to of living in. A devastating impact that severely crippled Asian Indians lives in America, until it was finally revoked and revised with President Harry Truman signing the Luce-Celler Act of 1946 that allowed Asian Indians and Filipinos to once more immigrate to America freely and become
The arrival of immigrants to the United States is often associated with fear. Immigrants are vulnerable to attacks if they are cast as threats to the way of American life. A deeper look into immigration policies reveals that immigrant restrictions are seated in racialized notions. Immigrants before the founding of the nation came for the opportunities of a better life. The immigrants who would continue to come thereafter came for much the same reasons. But government policies demonstrate repeated attempts to block the immigration of undesirable immigrant communities.
Millions of immigrants over the previous centuries have shaped the United States of America into what it is today. America is known as a “melting pot”, a multicultural country that welcomes and is home to an array of every ethnic and cultural background imaginable. We are a place of opportunity, offering homes and jobs and new economic gains to anyone who should want it. However, America was not always such a “come one, come all” kind of country. The large numbers of immigrants that came during the nineteenth century angered many of the American natives and lead to them to blame the lack of jobs and low wages on the immigrants, especially the Asian communities. This resentment lead to the discrimination and legal exclusion of immigrants, with the first and most important law passed being the Chinese Exclusion Act. However, the discrimination the Chinese immigrants so harshly received was not rightly justified or deserved. With all of their contributions and accomplishments in opening up the West, they were not so much harming our country but rather helping it.
Social Stratification in the African American community has changed over the years. Social stratification is defined as a rigid subdivision of a society into a hierarchy of layers, differentiated on the basis of power, prestige, and wealth according to Webster’s dictionary. David Newman in Sociology Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life describes stratification as a ranking system for groups of people that perpetuates unequal rewards and life chances in society. From slavery to the present, the African American community has been seen to have lower status compared to white people. Today, the stratification or hierarchy difference between whites and black are not really noticeable, but it is still present. However, during slavery, the difference in social stratification was noticeable. Whites dominated over the blacks and mulattoes (offspring of a white and black parent). The mulattoes were seen to have a higher stratification than an offspring of black ancestry. Because the mulattoes were related to the whites, they were able to obtain higher education and better occupations than blacks. For example, most slaves of a lighter skin tone worked in the houses and darker slaves worked in the fields. As the people of light skin tone had children, they were able to have advantages too. The advantages have led into the society of today. In this paper I will discuss how stratification has been affected in the African American community over time by skin tone to make mulattoes more privileged than dark skin blacks.
"Social Forces." The Skin Color Paradox and the American Racial Order. Oxfordjournals,org, 2007. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.