MINORITIES

322 million inhabitants

Hispanics and Caribbeans

Hispanics and Caribbeans

Hispanics and Caribbeans•The fastest growing minority today (more than 12.5% of the American population.•Mexicans Puerto-Ricans and Cubans (20 different countries)

HispanicsCubans

• Anti-communist Cubans of the first wave: Asylum seekers and political refugees.

Hispanics Puerto Ricans

• Recruitment of Puerto Rican workers facilitated by their citizenship status and the rapid expansion of commercial air traffic routes connecting Puerto Rico to the United States.

Most Puerto Ricans were looking for better economic opportunities

Hispanics Mexicans

• Up to the 1960’s Mexican Americans were mainly agricultural workers .

Largest immigrant group motivated by labor demands in the United States and political unrest in Mexico

Heterogeneous Socio-Economic Profile

• First Cuban immigrants: most successful Hispanics as most of them skilled professionals & managers

• Puerto Ricans disadvantaged in education (worse situation than African Americans)

• Mexican Americans stand in between.

HispanicsCommon cultural features

• Linguistically: Spanish is the most widely spoken foreign language in the US

• Religiously overwhelmingly Roman Catholic• Geographically: most live in the Sunbelt States (50% in

California and Florida)• Socially: They have more stable family structures (70% of

household headed by married couple) & higher birth rate (18% more than 3 children)

• Professionally: Majority belongs to the working class. Jobs in agriculture and textile industries, catering and domestic work.

• Illegals => many work in the Underground economy.

Patterns of integration• Many Hispanics do not wish to apply for American

citizenship• Some never learn English. (US: 5th Spanish speaking country

worldwide). • Retain an exile mentality. Cubans who fled Fidel Castro in

the 60’s never expected to remain in the US.• Many Mexican-Americans do not regard themselves as

immigrants but feel they are settling on a territory that formerly was theirs.

• Hold on to their language and traditions, said to be building a “nation within the nation.”

Asian Americans

ASIANS

•Before Chinese exclusion act (1882) , many Chinese came to the west to build railroads, work in gold mines or as domestic servants.•They are Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese + Refugees from Laos Cambodia Thailand and India.

Work Ethics

They share similarities:• Excellent academic achievements • Spectacular assimilation. • Integrate well, learn English quickly • Ask for American citizenship. • often outperform whites at school and university

especially in science: 30% of Berkley students, 20% of MIT and 15% of Harvard and Stanford.

Confucian view of the world

Confucius a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopherHis principles: strong family loyalty, respect of elders and the cultivation of knowledge.

“It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.”“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Confucian view of the world

• The reasons for success are cultural:high premium on education, discipline and strong

family ties. Asians therefore fully embrace the American work ethic and

competitive spirit. • The success of this “model minority” generates

animosity among whites and other minority groups. As in Los Angeles riots of 1992

• Disguised discrimination: universities accused of imposing quotas to curb Asian presence.

American Indians/Native Americans

• 2 million American Indians • 500 different tribes: Cherokees, Navajos,

Sioux, Chippewa’s, Choctaw, Pueblos, Apaches, Iroquois, Lumbees, Creeks

• Most of them live in the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Nevada)

• Often live in reservations (100).

A history of struggle• Native Americans were slaughtered in the 18th

and 19th century by frontiersmen • Whites disregarded treaties signed between

Washington and various tribes. • Those that did not die in the battles were

moved to reservations.

Contradictory policies

• Elimination by military means (the battles of little Big Horn 1876 and Wounded Knee, 1890);

• Assimilation as with the Indian reorganization Act in 1934.

• All Indians were granted citizenship only in 1924

Precarious conditions

• Predominantly rural population living below the poverty line outside the mainstream of American society.

• High unemployment rate.• Work in low-skill, low-wage branches. Others live

off their local crafts.• many social ills: inadequate housing, disease, poor

schooling and health and a high rate of alcoholism and suicide especially among the young.

Assimilation

• Today, between the need to adapt to modern American society and to keep their identity and tribal customs.

• These are the goals of the National Congress of American Indians (1944) and the National Indian Youth Council (1961) both of which refuse assimilation.

Assimilation

• This is Tom Torlino. He attended a special boarding school for Native American students. Here he is both before and after his time at the school.

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