Minorities in Usa
US Minorities
Background to Immigration
1. Which groups of immigrants made up the American nation at the end of the 18th century? Which waves of immigrants were there in the 19th century? Where did they come from?
• English colonists, "Pilgrims", who set sail in 1620 on the Mayflower • Swedes began their migration to America in 1638 as an organized group of colonizers sent by the Swedish Government to establish a colony in Delaware • In 1655, the colony was lost to the Dutch. • During the colonial era (1680-1776) most of the immigrants came from Northern Europe. • In the mid-1840s, Swedish migration began and continued up to World War I. • During this wave (1820-1890: “old immigration”) immigrants from Germany and Ireland came to the U.S, as well as groups, from England, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, the Scandinavian countries, and Eastern Europe. • In a third wave (1890-1930: “new immigration”) more immigrants came from southern and eastern Europe and from Mexico, Canada and Japan
2. Characterize immigration from 1900 to 1948.
• In 24 years the volume of immigrants rose up to 15.5 million • Americans became afraid of losing their culture, which lead to a more frequent occurrence of racial issues • In the 1920s the Federal Government restricted immigration, what soon led to a decrease of it
3. Which percentage of the American population is non-European in origin today? Which are the largest minority groups and how many members do they comprise?
• 35% of the American population is non-European in origin • 35904000 black people make up the largest minority group with 12,8%
4. What is meant by the terms “melting pot” and “salad bowl”? What evidence is there for racial tension? Give reasons for this.
• They describe the American society along with its cultural and ethnic diversity. • Melting Pot: all ethnicities and their cultures have blended to form a single,
Background to Immigration
1. Which groups of immigrants made up the American nation at the end of the 18th century? Which waves of immigrants were there in the 19th century? Where did they come from?
• English colonists, "Pilgrims", who set sail in 1620 on the Mayflower • Swedes began their migration to America in 1638 as an organized group of colonizers sent by the Swedish Government to establish a colony in Delaware • In 1655, the colony was lost to the Dutch. • During the colonial era (1680-1776) most of the immigrants came from Northern Europe. • In the mid-1840s, Swedish migration began and continued up to World War I. • During this wave (1820-1890: “old immigration”) immigrants from Germany and Ireland came to the U.S, as well as groups, from England, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, the Scandinavian countries, and Eastern Europe. • In a third wave (1890-1930: “new immigration”) more immigrants came from southern and eastern Europe and from Mexico, Canada and Japan
2. Characterize immigration from 1900 to 1948.
• In 24 years the volume of immigrants rose up to 15.5 million • Americans became afraid of losing their culture, which lead to a more frequent occurrence of racial issues • In the 1920s the Federal Government restricted immigration, what soon led to a decrease of it
3. Which percentage of the American population is non-European in origin today? Which are the largest minority groups and how many members do they comprise?
• 35% of the American population is non-European in origin • 35904000 black people make up the largest minority group with 12,8%
4. What is meant by the terms “melting pot” and “salad bowl”? What evidence is there for racial tension? Give reasons for this.
• They describe the American society along with its cultural and ethnic diversity. • Melting Pot: all ethnicities and their cultures have blended to form a single,
References: • Bernard, William S. (1998), “Immigration: History of U.S. Policy”, in: David Jacobson, ed., The Immigration Reader. America in a multidisciplinary perspective, Oxford, 48-91. • Bromhead, Peter (1988), Life in Modern America, Essex. • Kleinsteuber, Hans J. (1984), Die USA. Politik, Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft, Hamburg. • Mauk, David, John Oakland (20023), American Civilization. An Introduction, London – New York. • Wersich, Rüdiger B., Hrsg., (1996), USA-Lexikon. Schlüsselbegriffe zu Politik, Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft, Geschichte und zu den deutsch-amerikanischen Beziehungen, Berlin. http://www.usa-green-card.com/GC_FormShell.asp?Action=Questions#QuestionWhatIsGreenCard http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/01hate.pdf http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html