bai giang american culture 6611

The context of traditional American values: racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity century Native Americans North American continent Spanish settlers Southwest, Florida F

AMERICAN CULTURE

A course for 3rd year-students in TMU

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION

1. The American Religious heritage

2. The world of American business

3. Government and politics in the United States

4. Presidents of the United States

5. Ethnic and racial assimilation in the United States

6. Education in the United States

7. Study in the United States for foreign students

8. Leisure time: Organized sports, recreation, and television

9. Holidays and festivals in the United States

10. The American family

11. Social relationships; male-female relationships in the United States

12. American values at the crossroads: The United States in the 21st century

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

“ Culture hides much more than it reveals, and strangely enough what it hides, it hides most effectively from its own participants Years of study have convinced me that the real job is not to understand foreign culture but to understand our own.”

Questions for discussion

What do you think about Americans?

What do you know about the ethnic diversity of the

American population? Where did they originally come

Life in the United States

 Popular questions to ask about a different culture:

What do people believe in?

What do they value most in life?

What motivates them?

Why do they behave the way they do?

 2 things to consider when answering these Qs about USA:

The immense size of the United States

Great ethnic diversity

A nation of immigrants

 1815: 8.4 million people in the US

 1882: 40,000 Chinese immigrants

 1900 – 1907: 30,000 Japanese immigrants

 The largest number of immigrants: from central,

eastern, and southern Europe

 First 2 decades of 20th century: 1 million

A nation of immigrants

 21st century immigration patterns – change the color and the

ethnic mix of the American population

Percentage of white Americans of European descent: smaller

More than half of all new immigrants: from Latin America

 => large concentrations of Spanish speakers around the country (California,

Florida, Texas, etc.)

More than ¼ of first-generation immigrants: from Asia

Minority nonwhite population – grow >< majority white

grow smaller

Cultural Pluralism in the United States

 Historically, many children of immigrants - be

“American” by nature (not speak the language of the old country)

 However, established communities with common language or culture: bilingualism and biculturalism continue

Cultural Pluralism in the United States

 At the close of 20th century: rise in consciousness of

ethnic groups and a sense of pride in what makes

them unique

New names to symbolize each group’s identity

People – more sensitive to the language used to describe

them

Black Americans – prefer African-American to Black

Spanish – prefer Latinos to Hispanics

Cultural Pluralism in the United States

 Inspite of important differences, a tie binding Americans together

The tie = a sense of national identity – of “being an American”

Making Generalization About American

Not all Americans hold basic beliefs

Not all believe these things to the same degree

Way Americans pratice their beliefs differ => great

variety of lifestyles

American Beliefs and Values

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men

are created equal, that they are endowed by their

Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among

these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”

The Declaration of Independence

Questions for discussion

the United States?

best thing about their country?

The context of traditional American values: racial,

ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity

century)

Native Americans (North American continent)

Spanish settlers (Southwest, Florida)

French missionaries and fur traders (Mississippi River)

Black slaves (from African countries)

Dutch settlers (New York)

German (Pennsylvania)

The British colonists -> language, foundation for political

and economic system

The context of traditional American values:

racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity

 Americans:

 Recognize the diversity (as a fact of life)

 See strength in the diversity

 America – historically viewed as ―the land of opportunity‖: set

of values (reasons to attract immigrants)

 The chance for individual freedom (-> self-reliance)

 Equality of opportunity (-> competition)

 Material wealth (-> hard work)

Individualism and Self-Reliance

continent:

Purpose: To establish colonies free from the controls

existing in European societies (placed on by kings,

governments, priests and churches, noblemen and

aristocrats)

Individualism and Self-Reliance

Actions:

 Overthrow the King of England

 Declare: the power to govern would lie in the hands of the people

 1776, British colonial settlers:

 Declare independence from England

 Establish a new nation: The United States of America

 -> free from power of the King

 1789: write Constitution for the new nation:

 Separate church and state -> no government-supported church -> limit the power of the church

 Forbid titles of nobility -> no ruling class of nobility

 Effect on the shaping of the American character

Limiting government’s power and the church

Eliminating a formal aristocracy

=> create a climate of freedom (emphasis on the individual)

=> USA – associated with the concept of individual freedom

 Freedom = desire and ability of all individuals to control their own

destiny without outside interference from the government, a ruling

noble class, the church, …

-> desire to be free of controls = basic value of the new nation

Reason: individuals rely on themselves OR risk losing freedom

Desire: achieve financial and emotional independence from parents as early as possible (18 or 21)

Actions:

 Take care of themselves

 Solve their own problems

 ―Stand on their own two feet‖

―They owe nothing to any man, they expect nothing from any man;

they acquire the habit of always considering themselves as

standing alone, and they are apt to imagine that their whole destiny

is in their own hands.”

(De Tocqueville)

Traditional basic value

Most difficult character to understand

Profoundly important

and respect) -> self-reliant

controls -> better chance for personal success

Historical effects:

formal class system

-> belief in Equality of opportunity

Equality of opportunity and Competition

Uniformity of conditions of life in the USA

(1830s) expressed by De Tocqueville:

―The more I advanced in the study of American

society, the more I perceive that … equality of

condition is the fundamental fact from which all

others seem to be derived.”

Equality of opportunity: Each individual should have an equal chance for success

Equality of opportunity and Competition

Equality of opportunity and Competition

belief (1860s)

―We … wish to allow the humblest man an equal

chance to get rich with everybody else When one

starts poor, as most do in the race of life, free

society is such that he knows he can better his

condition; he knows that there is no fixed condition

of labor for his whole life.”

Price for equality of opportunity: competition

compete with others

that of others in a competitive contest for success:

Like to compete, more successful -> honored winners

Not like to compete, not successful -> dishonored losers

Equality of opportunity and Competition

Equality of opportunity and Competition

 Feel useless and unwanted

 Not have as much honor and respect as in other societies

Material wealth and hard work

Incredibly abundant natural resources ->

America – ―a land of plenty‖ (millions could come to seek fortunes)

standard of living

from rags to riches ‖

Material wealth and hard work

material possessions: great importance to

most Americans

measure of success and social status

Reason: reject system of hereditary aristocracy and

titles of nobility -> find a substitute for judging social

status

Price for material wealth: Hard work

resources but undeveloped -> hard work: convert natural resources into material possessions (-> more comfortable standard of living)

Material wealth and hard work

Material wealth and hard work

Americans throughout history

-> material possessions: natural reward for hard

work (tangible evidence of work and ability)

Late 1700s, James Madison (father of American

Constitution) stated: the difference in material

possessions reflected a difference in personal abilities

Material wealth and hard work

Fact: economic decline -> many workers suffer: longer working hours but less money -> no longer believe: hard work -> great material rewards

Till, most Americas believe in value of hard work

 Some better chance for success than others

 Those born into rich families – more opportunities than those born into

poorer families

 Inheriting money = an advantage

 …

Many: believe in, strongly affected in everyday lives

Easier to understand what Americans are thinking and

feeling if understand values and the influences

The world of American Business

The business of America is business

Questions for discussion

1 Why do you think business has high prestige

in the United States?

2 Why do people want to go into business for themselves? Would you want to be your own boss?

3 What does it mean to “go from rags to riches”?

4 How is the workforce of the United States changing?

The characteristics of American Business

“Business directly/ indirectly owned by

private individuals to make a profit ”

The prestige of Business

more prestige in American society than any other kind of organization, including the government

The Prestige of Business

and the Ideal of Competition

of competition than other institutions in the

society

prosperity -> competitive business institutions

respected

American values (individual freedom, equality of

opportunity, hard work) protected

monopoly of power

Business >< Government

More supportive of freedom

The Prestige of Business

and the Ideal of Competition

 Strengthen the ideal of equality of opportunity

 Business competition = a race open to all

 -> Business = the idea of equality of opportunity than

the aristocratic idea of inherited privilege

 Encourage hark work:

 In competition, who works harder is likely to win

 Business people must continually compete against each

other -> must develop the habit of hard work -> not to

fail

The Prestige of Business and the Dream of Getting Rich

To rise from poverty/ modest wealth to great

wealth (usually accomplished through successful business careers)

-> Careers in business offer the best opportunity for the ambitious individual to become wealthy

Alexis de Tocqueville observed: great

attractiveness of business careers as early as

1830s

offered the opportunity to get rich more quickly)

for a profit than in farming it

The Prestige of Business and the

Dream of Getting Rich

The Prestige of Business and the Dream of Getting Rich

 Competition -> more people gain wealth -> socialistic system of production and distribution of goods:

Two kinds of American Business Heroes

example of basic American values

Two kinds of American Business Heroes

(the purest kind of business hero)

-> like heroes of the early frontier days

Two kinds of American Business Heroes

Made so much out of so little,

inherited social title or inherited money ->

“self-made” millionaires

-> perfect examples of the American idea

of equality of opportunity in action

Two kinds of American Business Heroes

authority

without taking orders from anyone above them)

my own boss”

Two kinds of American Business Heroes

financial risk necessary to start their own

small business

Apple Computers, Bill Gates – Microsoft), risk –taking

entrepreneurs still launch their business

with high hopes of “making it big”

Two kinds of American Business Heroes

The organization man/woman as Hero

(leaders run business organizations)

businesses started by others)

Two kinds of American Business Heroes

 Lee Iacocca: took over Chrysler Corporation ( on the verge

of bankruptcy) in 1979, turned the company around and

made it profitable

 Self-made millionaires have the right to as much money as

they can get

 Organization man/ woman: under severe attack for

multi-million-dollar-a-year salaries

American business in the Global Marketplace

much larger global economy

world: as consumer society looking for goods from all over the world

American business in the Global Marketplace

labor countries

create new opportunities and new markets

sufficient if it is to compete successfully in

the global marketplace

The changing of American Workforce

Tradition:

White males dominated American business

for the rest of the working population

The changing of American Workforce

Women

 1960s to 1980s: rose steadily

 1990s: leveled off

ceiling” (subtle form of discrimination)

less money than men for doing the same work)

The changing of American Workforce

Currently, twice as many new business in

US started by women as by men

Some believe: easier for women to be successful as entrepreneurs than as

“organization women” in male-dominated organizations/ corporations

The changing of American Workforce

Many jobs in corporate America: fast track (requiring

that both men and women put their job first and their family

second)

-> a number of women are choosing to drop out of

the workforce and stay with children or to find work

they can do at home

following the dream of the entrepreneur

The changing of American Workforce

than white workers with similar jobs)

other workers

 More women and members of minority groups would

be entering the workforce than white males (recent arrival of new immigrants)

 5/6 of the net additions to the workforce in 2000 – nonwhite, women and immigrants

 15%: white males

The changing of American Workforce

-> ultimately help US compete in the

microcosm of the world)

remained the most prestigious

institution in US

business

The American Religious Heritage

Questions for discussion

1. What do you know about religion in the US?

2. Do many Americans believe in God?

3. What religion is most popular in the US?

4. Do Americans have a national religion?

5. How has religion shaped American values?

Freedom of religion in the US

 What influence the practice of American religion?

 The fundamental American beliefs in individual freedom

 The right of individuals

 Religions ever existed: religious pluralism produced by great diversity of ethnic backgrounds

 Believe in God: 93%

 Christian: 87%, including 59% protestants, 27% Catholic, 1%

Eastern Orthodox the overwhelming majority to make

important contribution to American culture

 Jewish: 2%

 Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu: 4%

Religion in the US

 Asian immigrants: brought with Taoism,

Confucianism, Shintoism & Buddhism

 Native American religions still practiced & studied

today: living in harmony with nature

The development of Protestantism

 Protestant branch (of Christian faith): broke away from the Roman Catholic church in Europe in the 16th century because

of important differences in religious belief

 The Eastern Orthodox branch separated from the Roman Catholic church in 1054

 Protestants insisted: all individuals must stand alone before God

 If sinned seek for forgiveness directly

 Substituted “priesthood of all believers”: every individual was solely responsible for his or her own relationship with God

 Due to disagreement among themselves about many things:

formed separate churches called denominations

The development of Protestantism

 1600s: Catholic church not recognized the rights of such

protestant churches Protestant denominations experienced

religious persecution many protestants left home countries

to seek freedom to practice their particular religious beliefs,

among the first settlers to America (seeking religious freedom)

 A large number of protestant denominations established in

America

 According to 1789 Constitution:

 Forbid government to establish a national church

 Church remains separate

variety of different protestant denominations developed

 Ex: Some forbid dancing, playing cards, dirking alcohol

 Reasons: Protestants' belief: the individual, not the organized church should be the center of religious life

 American religious tradition: encourage the development of numerous denominations + tolerance & acceptance of all faiths, expressing the religious preferences of different individuals

a favorable climate to strengthen the development of cultural pluralism in the US

The Protestant Heritage:

Self-Improvement

 Despite many Protestant denominations, all share a

common heritage: a powerful force in shaping the

values and beliefs of Americans

 The most important value: self-improvement:

 If sinned: not go to priest for forgiveness of sins but let

alone before god to improve themselves or suffer eternal

punishment by God => encourage a strong & restless

desire fir self-improvement

 Countless books called self-help books explain how people

can be happier & more successful in life by improving

everything

The Protestant Heritage:

Self-Improvement

 One of the most popular: the power of Positive Thinking:

self-confidence is the key to self-improvement & success

 God helps those who help themselves

 Reading the Bible like doing regular daily exercises to help improve one’s self-confidence & success

 buy hundreds of millions of self-help books a year

 Attend thousands of self-help seminars, support group meetings to help them stop smoking, drinking, lose weigh, be better parents, have happier relationships, develop self-confidence

Volunteerism & Humanitarianism

 The Protestant idea:

achieving material gain through hard work & self-discipline

Helping others by contributing some of their time, money

to charitable, educational or religious causes designed to

Individual get tax credits for money given to charity

Born-Again Christians and the

Religious right

 The idea of born-again: when being hopelessly lost

in sinfulness, people open their hearts to God & to His Son, Jessus Christ their lives completely change

A number of Christian radio & TV shows led by born-again evangelists

 16% born-again Christians: belong to Protestant churches with political conservative idea, acting in conservative political movements to oppose legalized abortion and ban on prayer in public schools

A National Religion

 Americans developed a number of informal practices

combined by between national patriotism & religion, referred

as “the National Religion” by scholars

 Main function: provide support for the dominant values

 Patriotism mixed with religious ideas in songs & ceremonies

that proclaim God’s blessing on America, its basic values & its

actions as a nation

 Can be seen in many occasions: national holidays, political

conventions, especially sport events (national anthem, prayer

A National Religion

 Some observers of America regard the national religion with harmful effects

 Create climate of disagreement or excessive conformity

 However, the national religion

 helps to answer the need of feeling continuing to succeed, maintaining their national self-confidence in a rapidly changing world

 Help to unite different religious groups without requiring any to abandon their faiths

 Create a context of tolerance that further strengthens the American reality of many different religions living peacefully within a single nation

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of

industry and improvements”

Thomas Jefferson

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What do you think is the most important role

of a government?

2. In the United States, what is the relationship

between the president and Congress? Who has

more power?

3. What are the two major political parties in the

United States? What is the main difference in

 G is the natural enemy of freedom

 The bigger and stronger the G becomes, the more dangerous most Americans believe it is to their individual freedom

evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one” – Thomas

Paine

The organization of the

American Government

 The national government is divided into 3 branches:

1 The Congress: make laws

* Consists of 2 Houses: the Senate & the House of

Representatives

2 The President: Take responsibility to carry our the laws

3 The Supreme Court: make up the judicial branch, settle disputes

about the exact meaning of the law through court cases

 Balance of power among these 3 branches are remained

through a system of checks & balances, stipulated by

provisions in the Constitution

The Congress & the President

 Have almost complete political independence as

The president: a Democrat

The Congress: Republicans

 Seem to speak conflicting voices

The Ideal of the Free Individual

 1700s – 1860s:

most favorable to the development of the free

individual

Before the Civil War: the American ideal of the free

individual was the frontier settler & the small farmer

who relied on no-one but themselves

development of a nation of free, self-reliant farmer

citizens

The Ideal of the Free Individual

Great Depression of the 1930s: successful business replaced the farmer & frontier settlers

 Gov should not interfere in the activities of business, not threaten the development of free individuals as their competitive spirit, self-reliance & hard work were to develop the US into land of greater and greater material prosperity

 Gov remained small & inactive; some Gov regulations were born but had small impact on business practice

The Ideal of the Free Individual

 was more powerful than their rivals

 provided means to maintain the dominance of business

organizations

The development of big government: the Welfare State

Weakened the business people’s position Saw widespread unemployment and economic hardship Created need for emergency gov action to help the needy as individuals could not rely only on themselves

helping individuals meet their daily needs

The Ideal of the Free Individual

 See the growth of gov’role in helping to provide economic

security for individuals

Especially expanded during the presidency of a Democrat Lyndon

Johnson (1960s)

 New ideal: “welfare State”: to pay for retired persons,

support dependent children, healthcare for the poor &

elderly, benefits for the needy

 However, warfare state has never been fully accepted by

many Americans with their old belief

The role of Special Interest Groups – new form of American individualism

 Reasons to establish Special Interest Groups: to take advantage of, or to protect Americans from the actions of gov

 Special Interest Groups (or lobbying groups): Americans with similar interest to more effectively influence the actions of Gov

 Examples: The national Rifle Association (NRA), Labor Unions, African-Americans, Native Americans, Mexican-Americans, Jewish American (ethnic groups)

 Also Interest Groups wanting gov support: for rights for women, a clean environment, greater protection for consumers

 Generally, the size of both Interest Groups & Gov increase

The New Individualism Vs the

Old Individualism

 Claim success obtained not by their own but partly by a tool

of forming interest groups to influence the Gov

 However, individuals still have their own rights, interests &

ambitions

 Many experts believe that interest group government is

harmful to the US as it emphasizes on people’s ability to

influence Gov rather than their ability to produce goods &

services to enrich the country

The New Individualism Vs the Old Individualism

 Democratic Party: more supported by the poor, women’s right group, the less privileged like Blacks & nonwhite minorities

 Become more racially & ethnically diverse than its rival

 Example: 1992: Democrat Bill Clinton was elected president

& his cabinet had a diversity of America with 6 women, 4 blacks & 2 Hispanics

The New Individualism Vs the

Old Individualism

 Continued to stress anti-gov and pro-business ideas

 Their best hope: reduce the number of things gov does &

to give more freedom to American business from gov

taxes, rules & requirements

 Observers: questioned whether both parties

 serve truly the needs of the country

 meet the common problems facing the Americans at the dawn of

the 21 st century

Questions for discussion

1. Why is there such a division in the American national government?

2. How are operations of national gov branches run smoothly?

3. Why do people often get confused in understanding American political system?

4. How have views about the gov’s role changed over the years?

5. What is considered the major cause to the biggest change in the view of Americans on gov’s development?

6. If you were an American, which party would you stand for?

The ethnic & racial

assimilation in the US

― So in this continent, the energy of Irish, Germans, Swedes, Poles and all the European tribes, of the Africans, and of the Polynesians – will construct a new race, a new religion, a new state.”

Questions for discussion

create the “American culture” in the US?

shaping the dominant American culture?

to the American culture more than others?

Americans in the US?

Assimilation

― The process by which these many groups have been made a part of a common cultural life with commonly shared values is called assimilation ‖

Melting pot or Salad Bowl

 The US is described by scholars as

A melting pot: various racial & ethnic groups have been

combined into one culture

A Salad Bowl: various groups have remained somewhat

distinct & different from one another, creating a richly

diverse country

 The truth: lies somewhere bet these 2 views

Melting pot or Salad Bowl

Since 1776:

 An enormous amount of racial & ethnic assimilation has taken place

(whites from different national & religious backgrounds have gradually been assimilated into the larger American culture)

 Some continue to feel a strong sense of separateness from the culture

as a whole (Hispanic & Latinos have taken a special pride in maintaining their cultural traditions & the use of Spanish)

 Many are bicultural: consider themselves Americans, but wish to retain the language & cultural traditions of their original culture (Jews have strong feeling of ethnic pride, along with strong sense of being apart of the larger American culture)

The establishment of the Dominant

culture

Western European, Protestant & middle class

Had the greater numbers, money & political power, thus

shaped the dominant culture, defined the traditional

values: freedom, equality of opportunity & desire to work

 Were Catholics or Jews in large number

 Americans at this time: fearful of this new flood of

immigrants as they

 Were used to lives of poverty & dependence

 Not understand such traditional American values

 Even might change the basic values in undesirable ways

The assimilation of Non-Protestant &

Non-Western Europeans

To offer English instruction for the new immigrants &

citizenship classes to teach them basic American beliefs

American teachers disapproved of the traditions of their homeland

This learning gave them little help in meeting their most important needs like employment, food & place to live

The assimilation of Non-Protestant &

Non-Western Europeans

Political bosses of the Northeastern US:

accepted their different homeland traditions

these bosses in power by voting for them in

elections

The assimilation of Non-Protestant &

Non-Western Europeans

 Many Americans strongly disapproved of this fact as these bosses

 Were frequently corrupt

 Destroying basic American values such as self-reliance &

competition

 Teaching immigrants to be dependent on them, not on themselves

 Buying power in big cities, destroying completion for political office

the larger American culture, and in turn

accepted by the great majority of Americans

larger culture than of a separate ethnic groups

The African-American Experience

 Americans of African descent have had the greatest difficulty

in becoming assimilated into the larger culture as

 African-Americans were brought to the US against their will, sold as slaves, while others came to it voluntarily for better life

 The enslavement of African-American was a contradiction of traditional basic American values (freedom, equality of opportunity)

 The US : divided into 2 sections

 The Southern States: black slavery became the basis of the economy

 The Northern States: chose to make slavery against the law

The African-American Experience

Whites’ view in the North:

 Slavery & freedom could not exist together in a free

country

 Demand that slavery be abolished even this meant war

with the South

 Freedom & equality of opportunity needed to be

protected for white only

 Afraid that black slavery would eventually take away

their economic freedom

The African-American Experience

 President Abraham Lincoln:

 Believed that basic ideals such as freedom & equality of opportunity had to apply to all people, black & white, or they would not last as basis American values

 1860:

 Abraham Lincoln won presidency

 A Civil War (the bloodiest & most destructive of all) happened when the southern states left the Union & tried to form a new nation of their own based on slavery

 The North won & black slavery ended in the US

The African-American Experience

 However, African-Americans were not readily assimilate into

the larger American culture:

 Most remained in the South & not allowed to vote & legally

segregated from whites

 Black children:

Not allowed to attend white public schools

Many received inferior education

Not given equal opportunity to compete in the white-dominated society

 Many former slaves & their families: became caught in a cycle of

poverty for generations

 Blacks continued to be the victims of strong racial prejudice in both

the North & South

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s & 1960s

 1954: the US Supreme Court declared: racially segregated public schools did not provide equal educational opportunities for black Americans illegal

 Black leaders: greatly encouraged => try to end racial segregation in all areas of American life

 Martin Luther King, Jr: a black Protestant minister, the most important leader

 Led thousands of African-Americans in nonviolent marches & demonstrations against segregation & other forms of racial discrimination

 His goal: bring about greater assimilation of black people into the larger American culture

 Wanted greater equality of opportunity & freedom for his people (support basic values)

 1968: assassinated by a white gunman

The Civil Rights Movement of the

1950s & 1960s

complete separation of blacks from the white

culture

 American values: nothing more than ―white man’s values‖ used to

keep blacks in an inferior position

 Blacks must

 separate themselves from whites, by force if necessary

 build their own society based on their own values

 turned to a faith based on Islam because Christianity was a ―white‖

religion

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s & 1960s

1960s: passed 2 major civil rights laws

facilities in the South

from voting in that region

toward black people

Race Relation after the Civil Rights

Movement

 Since the civil rights laws of the 1960s: saw a dramatic

increase in the number of African-Americans

 Attending the nation’s colleges & universities

 Holding elective public office

 Earning higher incomes

 Examples:

 1988: Jesse Jackson, a black leader became 1 st African-American

to run for president of the US

 African-Americans are now mayors of major cities & members of

Congress

 They are sports & entertainment heroes, professors, medical

doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, …

Race Relation after the Civil Rights Movement

 However: still exists a gulf between the races as

African-Americans (13% of the population)

working full time)

Residential patterns: create largely segregated neighborhood schools in many urban areas

Half the whites live in the US, but only a fourth of the blacks

Race Relation after the Civil Rights

Movement

 Many blacks: now trapped in cycles of poverty, unemployment,

violence & despair in the inner city => seen as the cause of many

social problems

 Violence: the most frequent victims of crimes

 1 in 5 young males now have criminal record

 Over 40% of all black children live in poverty

 70% are born to unmarried women, & many have only one

parent

 Some African-Americans: give up on ever having equal

treatment within a society dominated by whites

 A renewed interest in Malcolm X

Race Relation after the Civil Rights Movement

 According to de Tocqueville:

― These two races are fastened to each other without intermingling; and

they are unable to separate entirely or to combine Although the law may abolish slavery, God alone can obliterate the traces of its existence‖

 Nathan Glazer’s view (an expert on assimilation):

 Blacks in the US have had more difficulty being accepted by the white majority than other racial and ethnic groups such as Hispanics, Native American Indians, and Asians

 Therefore, racial and cultural separatism is a stronger force with them than with other minority groups

 However, people both black & white with good faith, are

working together to achieve harmony & equality b/w the races

A Universal Nation

mass immigration to reduce the number of new

immigrants to a trickle

The new immigrants did assimilate to life in the US

They enriched the cultural diversity of the nation

They did not cause major changes to its system of

government, its free enterprise system, or its traditional

values

A Universal Nation

come, entirely eliminating the older laws’ bias in favor of white European immigrants

Now confronted with a new challenge:

taking in large number of new non-white & non-European immigrants

 about 90% from Asia, Latin America & the Caribbean

For 1 st time the US has significant number of illegal immigrants