American Ethnic Culture
What is an American?
It is clear that Progressive era Americans from different backgrounds differentially defined precisely what being an American actually meant. Stephen Meyer wrote in the work entitled "Efforts at Americanization in the Industrial Workplace 1914-1921 that Americanization
"…involved the social and cultural assimilation of immigrants into the mainstream of American life…" but that the process was of the nature that was comprised of "a unique and distinctly American method for the resolution of a key industrial problem -- the problem of work-discipline and of the adjustment of new workers to the factory environment." (p.323)
The Americanization campaign is stated by Meyer to have been one that was "voluntary, benevolent and educational." (p.323) However, the programs emerged from within the factories and had negative connotations as well. It was not so much an issue of the diversity represented by the national or ethnic cultures but as well was represented by the "pre-industrial and industrial cultures, and even class cultures…" (p.323) Americanization is stated by Meyer to have been an important movement for the adjustment of immigrant workers to a new industrial environment" and to the conditions in urban America and conditions of industry. (Meyer, nd, p.323) The work ethic of America was based on the ideal of coming up in the world as a form of reward for the worker's "patience, self-denial, and hard work." (p.324)
Meyer writes that the Ford Americanization program resulted in new methods and techniques of production which are stated to have "drastically diluted the skills necessary for factory operations." (p.324) Furthermore, the complications were compounded by the immigrant's styles that were not American as well as the non-American work-habits and discipline. As well it was the belief of older Americans that the immigrants work habits were inefficient as it was discovered the productivity in the factory under actual conditions was short of the hoped for and desired levels of production. The Ford workforce was dramatically changed by modern mass production.
The work of Gjerde relates the story of Josiah Strong, a Protestant Clergyman who reflects on the 'perils' of immigration and specifically on the influence the immigration had on the morals of American society. Gjerde held immigration to be "demoralizing" on America and states that the roots of a man cannot hold that man upright simply "by the strength of his own roots" in that the branches of a man's roots join with the roots of other men forming society which is inclusive of laws, customs and force of public opinion. (Gjerde, 1998, paraphrased) Gjerde also speaks of the crimes of immigrants stating that the better pay results in "larger means of self-indulgence" and notes that "the hoodlums and roughs of our cities are, most of them, Amerian born of foreign parentage…" (1998)
Gjerde also notes that alcohol is a problem and that immigration "has fed fat the liquor power, and there is a liquor vote." (1998) Furthermore, he notes that immigrants fail to honor Sunday as a day of worship. In addition Gjerde states that the largest part of Mormons are comprised by immigration and that socialism is fed by immigration. The problem according to Gjerde is the fact that many citizens in America are not 'Americanized" and notes the unfortunate nature of the preference of foreigners to their native language and customs and how they carry their nationality "as a distinct factor" into the political sector of America. This results in a "mass of men" who are not accustomed to American institutions and who will act together controlled by "their appetites and prejudices." (Gjerde, 1998, p. 310)
II. The Return of European Immigrants to Their Homeland
The reasons for the return of immigrants from Europe to their homeland during the Progressive era are varied. Following 1880 most immigrants went to the larger industrial cities with urban immigrants being mostly Jewish, Italian, and Slavik tending to "cluster together in neighborhoods along with their fellow countrymen where they could be at east with a familiar language and customs. In 1920 New York workers were stated to be as follows:
Jewish women -- the garment trade
Italian women -- comprised 93% of individuals doing hand embroidery
Slovak males -- 69% of these were coal miners (Mujica, nd)
The work of Mujica (nd) entitled "American Immigration: An Overview" writes that most immigrants to the U.S. had intentions to stay only temporarily desiring to work several years and save enough of their wages to make the return trip to their homeland ultimately improving their family's socioeconomic status. While the largest part of the new immigrants remained permanently in the United States, there...
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For example, the ethnic client who paints a huge red heart with an arrow piercing its center is communicating a universally understood message: I have been affected by love/passion/emotion. Natalie Rogers, founder of the Person Centered Expressive Therapy Institute is a strong proponent of expressive art. In this form of art therapy, the ethnic client is encouraged to "express inner thoughts by creating outer forms." When treating a client with art therapy,
Hawaiian Ethnic Cultures When people think about Hawaii, they tend to think in terms of its island people. Polynesian or Asian perceptions often come to mind because of our familiarity with the influence of the Japanese, Chinese and Filipino peoples. But the fact is that Hawaii is very much flavored by other national and ethnic influences too, including the those of two distinct Hispanic groups, the Puerto Ricans and the Portuguese,
" Additional Information on Irish-Americans: The U.S. Census 2000 reflects that there are approximately 34,688,723 Irish-Americans presently living in this country, which is quite a bit down from the 1990 Census of 40,165,702. There is only one group (ethnic group) in the U.S. that is larger than the Irish-American group, and that is German-Americans. Irish-Americans are both Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants; Irish Catholics are concentrated in large cities throughout the north
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