ETHNIC & RACIAL ASSIMILATION IN THE UNITED STATES

INTRODUCTION

There are a large variety of ethnic groups that come from many races, religions and nations in the United States such as English, Irish, German, Dutch, Italian, African, Asian and etc. It makes the United States has a unique culture that is interesting to be discussed. We will discuss how those races assimilate to the ‘Big Culture’ that is not that easy especially for the African-Americans. We will also discuss about the racial segregation and Civil Rights movement in the United States in this chapter.

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CHAPTER 8

ETHNIC & RACIAL ASSIMILATION IN THE UNITED STATES

A.    Assimilation

Assimilation is the process of many different ethnic groups had been made a part of common cultural life with commonly shared values.

Some scholars disagree as to extent to which assimilation has occurred in the United States. Some of them described United States as a “Melting pot” where various racial ethnic groups have been combined into one culture. Meanwhile, some described United States as a ‘Salad Bowl” where various groups remained somewhat distinct and different from another, creating a richly diverse country.

The truth probably lies between these two views. Since 1776 an enormous of racial and ethnic assimilation has taken place in the United States. Many of these groups are really bicultural that is they consider themselves as Americans, but they also wish to retain the language and the cultural tradition of their original culture.

B.     Dominant Culture

The first census of the new nation show the population of United States that dominated by White people. African-Americans took 20% of the population with 700.000 slaves and 60.000 “free Negroes”. Only a few Native American Indian that counted by the census, but the total Native American Population was probably about 1.000.000.

Not only had the larger number of population, the white people also had the greater money and power in the new nation and soon defined what dominant culture would be. At the American Revolution, their characteristics were largely English in Origin, Protestant and middle class. It became the standard for judging other groups. Those having a different religion or those speaking different language were in the minority unless they became assimilated.

The dominant culture that grew out of the nation’s early history was English-Speaking, Western European, Protestant and middle class. Immigrants with these characteristics were welcome because Americans believed that these newcomers would probably give strong support to the basic values of the dominant culture.

 

C.    Assimilation of Non-Protestant & Non-Western

Many immigrants came to United States who most of them came from poverty stricken nations of Southern and Eastern Europe. They didn’t speak English and most of them were Catholics or Jews.

Americans were very fearful of this new flood of immigrants. They afraid that these new immigrant might even change the basic values of the nation in undesirable ways. Then, Americans tried to meet the immigrants by offering English instruction and citizenship classes to teach them basic American beliefs. Moreover, learning about American values gave them little help in meeting their most important need such as employment, food and a place to live.

Far more helpful to the new immigrant were the “Political bosses” of the larger cities of the northeastern United States. The bosses were teaching the immigrants to be dependent on them rather than to rely on themselves. Then the bosses “buying” the votes of the immigrants. Even many Americans disapproved of these political bosses, many scholars believe that the political bosses gave an important  function because they helped to assimilate large numbers of new immigrants into the larger American culture by finding them jobs and housing, in return for their political support.

 

D.    The African-American

           The Assimilation processes in the United States of African-Americans were so difficult because they brought to the United States against their will to be sold as slaves. The enslavement of African-American in the United States was a complete contradiction. It divided United States into two increasingly different sections: the southern in which black slavery became the basis of the economy and the northern states which chose to make slavery against the law.

           Abraham Lincoln was able to become president of the United States by appealing to both white idealist and northern white. His argument was that if black spread westward, white freedom and equality would be threatened. He also believed that basic ideals  such as freedom and equality of opportunity to had to apply to all people. Black and white or they would not last as basic American Values.  

          

           Black slavery was ended in the United States after the North won the Civil War between North and South. However, African-Americans were not readily assimilated into the larger American Culture. Most remained in the South, where they were not allowed to vote and were legally segregated from whites. Also, black children were not allowed to attend white public schools.

E.     The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s

In the 1954, the United States Supreme Courts was declared that racially segregated public school did not provide equal education opportunities for Black Americans and were therefore illegal. It made the Black leader throughout the United States decide to try end racial segregation in all areas of American Life

The greatest leader of those Black leaders is Martin Luther King Jr. From late 1950 until his assassination in1968 he led thousand of African-Americans in nonviolent marches and demonstrations against segregation and other form of racial discrimination. His goal was to bring about greater assimilation of black people into the larger American culture.

Another Black leader was Malcolm X. He believed that American values were nothing than “white’s man values”. He also believed that black people must separate themselves from whites, by force if necessary. Because he saw Christianity as a “white’s religion” then he turned to a faith based on Islam, and he became a leader of Black Muslim.

As a result of King’s activities, two major civil rights laws were passed during the 1960s that removed racial segregation for public facilities in the south also removed the barriers that prevented black people from voting that region.

F.     Race Relations after the Civil Rights Movement

The Civil rights law in 1960s helped to bring about a significant degree of assimilation of blacks into the larger American Culture. More important, it helped to reduce the amount of white prejudice toward black people. The number of African-Americans attending nation’s school and universities, holding elective public office, and earning higher incomes.

Nowadays African Americans are mayors of major cities and members of Congress. They also have a good job for their life. Also, there is a sizable black middle class and there are a number of wealthy African-Americans. More than 80% of whites say that they would vote for a black president, and it finally happened when Barrack Obama won the election. The bad news is that there is still a gulf between the races. Although African-Americans represent about 13% of the population they are grossly underrepresented in Congress.

Although slavery was abolished in the 1860s, its legacy continues. Fortunately, however people of good faith. Both black and white, are working together to achieve harmony and equality between the races.

G.    A Universal Nation

According to Wattenberg, a respected expert on American Culture, something very important is happening in the United States: It is becoming the first nation where large numbers of people from every region on earth live in freedom under one government. This diversity will give the nation great influence and appeal to the rest of the world during the 21^st century.

United States probably can be described as a “mosaic” – a picture made up of many tiny pieces of different colors. If one looks closely at the nation, the individuals of different colors and ethnic groups still distinct and recognizable, but together they create a picture that is uniquely American. Like their motto “E plurius Unum” that means one composed of many.