The idea of a national community is an idea that is changing as we as members of this national community change as well. Technology continues to become more advanced and is affecting the way people choose to live their lives. The definition of a community is “a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.” National can be defined as “of, pertaining to, or belonging to a nation. Peculiar or common to the people of a nation.” When understanding these two words and combining them, the definition of a national community can be defined as a large community of people who live within the same region, and share a common culture with everyone surrounding …show more content…
Takaki highlights these ideas in his book A Different Mirror. Takaki recounts U.S history in the voices of Native Americans, Irish Americans, African Americans, Asian American, Latinos and others. Takaki challenges the idea of what it really means to be an American. Throughout the first chapter, Takaki talks about the idea of being an American, and how we have been taught in a way where we see our national identity as being “white” and anything other then that would be considered different. If you were not a white American back in the day, you were considered less of a person in the eyes of many people. This is what white American people considered a “national community” back in the day. Because of this, the minority groups were forced to work the same jobs and almost become apart of their own community themselves. Takaki states in the first chapter that “Despite antagonisms, minorities also had much in common: labor experiences, hopeful dreams, and, above all, values.”(Takaki, 11) Takaki is stating here that although they were of different heritages, they were apart of a community of minorities. African Americans were cultivating cotton, which was then sent to New England where Irish factory workers were operating the machines, and then Jewish women would sew the clothes. There were connected in their own separate community apart from the “national community”. Another example of this comes when “In 1903, Mexican and Japanese farm laborers went on strike together in California.”(Takaki, 13) This is another example where these minorities came together and formed a common interest and created their own labor community. These examples go to show how even in our history, the idea of a national community has only been an idea and that our nation consists of many different. Individual
Since they lacked certain physical and/or cultural characteristics needed to belong in the American nation, they were not considered worthy enough to receive the same rights and privileges they deserve. Therefore, Takaki hopes that with his book, people would acknowledge how America developed a society centered to benefit only white people with the creation of laws hindering these racial groups from receiving the same and equal rights they deserve.
A community is comprised of a group of goal oriented individuals with similar beliefs and expectations. Currently the term is used interchangeably with society, the town one lives in and even religion. A less shallow interpretation suggests that community embodies a lifestyle unique to its members. Similarities within the group establish bonds along with ideals, values, and strength in numbers unknown to an individual. Ideals and values ultimately impose the culture that the constituents abide by. By becoming part of a community, socialization...
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 (...
Gary Gerstle argues America followed a path both civic and racial nationalism throughout the 20th century in his book American Crucible: Race and Nation in the Twentieth Century, and that America is a melting pot of different cultures due to the accumulation of immigrants in the twentieth century. He uses Theodore Roosevelt as a support base for his arguments. Civic nationalism is the idealized understanding of America as an ethnic and cultural melting pot based on civil rights, and on the values of equality and liberty no matter the race and ethnicity of one another. Civic nationalism claims a nation can still grow stronger and better based solely on civil rights and citizenship.
In D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation the interactions between black and white characters represent Griffith’s view of an appropriate racial construct in America. His ideological construction is white dominance and black subordination. Characters, such as the southern Cameron’s and their house maid, who interact within these boundaries, are portrayed as decent people. Whereas characters who cross the line of racial oppression; such as Austin Stoneman, Gus and Silas Lynch, are portrayed as bad. Both Lynch and Lydia Brown, the mulatto characters, are cast in a very negative light because they confuse the ideological construct the most. The mixing of races puts blacks and whites on a common ground, which, in Griffith’s view, is a big step in the wrong direction. Griffith portrays how the relationship between blacks and whites can be good only if the color line and positions of dominance and subordination are maintained. Through the mulatto characters he illustrates the danger that blurring the color line poses to American society.
During the time of World War II, there was a dramatic change in the society of America and its way of life. Men were needed at war, and the women were left at home. People were mistrusted and were falsely accused of something they didn’t do. Some people were even pushed away because they were different. These people are the minorities of America.
American minorities made up a significant amount of America’s population in the 1920s and 1930s, estimated to be around 11.9 million people, according to . However, even with all those people, there still was harsh segregation going on. Caucasians made African-Americans work for them as slaves, farmers, babysitters, and many other things in that line. Then when World War II came, “World War II required the reunification and mobilization of Americans as never before” (Module2). They needed to cooperate on many things, even if they didn’t want to. These minorities mainly refer to African, Asian, and Mexican-Americans. They all suffered much pain as they were treated as if they weren’t even human beings. They were separated, looked down upon, and wasn’t given much respect because they had a different culture or their skin color was different. However, the lives of American minorities changed forever as World War 2 impacted them significantly with segregation problems, socially, and in their working lives, both at that time and for generations after.
This essay will discuss the intrinsic relationship between diversity conceptualization and social integration presenting a response against David Brooks’ essay entitled “People Like Us.” In order to do this I will discuss four crucial elements: the influences of different definitions of diversity in cultural unification, Brook’s ideas about social groups working together and social groups coexisting together, the importance of diversity, and the influence of diversity in social changes. I will examine why some people have the perception that our American society ignore or see as unworthy diversity. Thus, I will dispute Brook’s view stating that our society disregards diversity, and Americans just pretend that it is important to them.
Community is defined as a group a people living in an area under the same conditions. Realistically, a community is so much more than this definition. It is people and their different beliefs that form a community. In the town of Milagro, Amarante Cordova, Ruby Archuleta, and a town coming together to rescue a fellow community member from jail exemplify the true spirit of what community is.
a community sees national issues says a great deal about their identity and the same goes for
He mournfully tells his audience he has “moved away from the periphery and toward the center of American life, [he] has become white inside” (Liu 1). As a young chinese boy growing up in America, he was taught the way to assimilation was to abandon the language, culture, and traditions of his ancestors, and his essay is a remorseful reflection on the consequences of his sacrifice. Despite giving away so much, despite doing it all to ‘become white’, he will always be an outsider – race and skin color can never be the uniting factor of a community. Eric Liu goes on to talk about how “the assimilist is a traitor to his kind, to his class, to his own family” (Liu 2). Why does it need to be this way? The ‘a-word’ (assimilist) need not be a negative one, if only assimilation meant adapting to an ideology rather than one race’s culture. If that were the true meaning of assimilation, the idea that to assimilate is to betray would be eradicated. The current method of naturalization to American culture is unacceptable: The only thing that will unite Americans will be a common goal to promote good values and hard work within
Community is defined as a group of people living in the same area. Although accurate, it misses out an important point. What makes a group of individuals a community is them interacting and helping each other. I grew up in a small town in India with a strong sense of community. Growing up in a place where I knew almost everyone by their first name, helping people became a second nature. Consequently it was not a big surprise when I was drawn to family medicine from the very beginning of medical school. I remember as a child, seeing the same friendly face of my primary care physician every time anyone in the family used to get sick. Now after 15 years, although the small town has become a city and I don 't know the name of every person living there, my family still sees the same doctor and he always has the same smile ready to greet us.
In the 1971 Webster Dictionary the last part of the definition reads, or region linked by common interests. In today’s society most people living in a community aren’t linked by common interests. A lot of people have different interests, beliefs, and way they go about living their lives from their neighbors. A more accurate definition, is, a group of people living in the same locality and under the same government (Dictionary.com). Now wouldn’t that definition be more suitable? It probably best describes most of today’s community actually. Take for example here at Michigan State. There are people most all different cultures, backgrounds, and sexual preferences (please don’t take to offense). Communities are just, for the most part, made up of people who live around each other. They may not like each other, or be like each other but one common interest they do same is they all have dreams.
A Community can be defined as a group of people who don’t just live in the same area, but also share the same interests, experiences and often concerns about the area in which they live. Often when individuals have lived on a street or in an area for a while they become familiar with each other and the issues surrounding them. Children often attend the same schools and grow up together, again sharing similar experiences. In some instances adults may work together, and quite commonly all community members will share the same doctors, dentists, hospitals, health visitors and other public services and facilities.
Everyone has their own perception of an ideal community. For each person the factors of an ideal community will vary depending on their upbringing. My understanding of a community is a place where a group of people live, and socialize. Everyone is caring, thoughtful, and respectful. In my community people take care of each other they think before they act, and are respectful to one another keeping in mind equality.