Verified Document

Multicultural America Has Been Multicultural Term Paper

"The 'White' race was obeying the 'divine command, to subdue and replenish the earth,' as it searched for new and distant lands." They were proud of their progress.

They believed they were bringing civilization to races and people who would otherwise be primitive heathens. If they couldn't convert them, they killed them. They were destroying "savagery." Houses replaced wigwams. White women replaced Indian squaws. And all of it was done in the name of God. They were really doing it for money, but rationalized the evil of it by calling it progress. This attitude, that whites were a civilizing influence, extended toward the yellow races also.

A chose this section because it is another example of how capitalism lacks a social conscience. The Chinese were brought here for cheap labor and were exploited for profits.

To paraphrase: Annexing California led to bringing Asian workers here to build a transcontinental railroad. The railroad would make it possible for America to export goods to Asia. The Chinese workers were also used to clear the land and cultivate farms in California. They were found to be very good workers and talented at growing things. Civilizing other races really meant exploiting them for cheap labor and bigger profits.

In a plan sent to Congress in 1848, shortly after the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, policy-maker Aaron W. Palmer predicted that San Francisco, connected by railroad to the Atlantic states, would become 'the great Emporium of our commerce on the Pacific'" (p. 192).

At first the Chinese were welcome in California, but within a couple years a "California for Americans" slogan signaled a changing climate and discrimination against them began (p. 195).

4. In 1890 a cult of "ghost dancers"...

They danced for God to come to them, save them, and destroy the whites. The movement quickly grew and whites became alarmed. When the government heard about it, they went after the leaders such as Sitting Bull and Big Foot. Something like what happened at Waco more recently occurred. Soldiers in a panic killed everybody, men, women, and children at Wounded Knee. They massacred them. I chose this section to try to understand better America's policies toward Native Americans. The belief in white superiority is evident in the government's dealings with Indians. Indians were considered savages.
To paraphrase: The commissioner of Indian affairs, Francis Walker, had very little experience with Indians. He believed the government should be in charge of the lives of Indians. His plan was to put them on reservations and teach them to work at industrial jobs. According to him they were not used to manual labor because they rode horses to hunt and had no self-discipline. They would be forced to stay on the reservation and leave only by special permission.

If they tried to run, they could be arrested. Walker claimed this would prepare them to enter civilized society. They had to be civilized because there was no more frontier and no place for "wild Indians" to go anymore. So once white America had taken away all the Indian's land, then they had to find a place, away from white society, to put them and keep them under control. Like blacks, Indians were victims of stereotyping:

Seclusion was necessary, Walker explained, because Indians were disposed toward the 'lower and baser elements of civilization,' and whenever they became 'restive under compulsion to labor,' they were inclined to break away and resume their 'old roving spirit'"(p. 233).

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Multicultural Newsletter What Is Multicultural Literacy Approaching...
Words: 1411 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Multicultural Newsletter What is Multicultural Literacy? Approaching the subject of multicultural literacy for the first time a student might think it has to do with getting minorities to become literate -- to be able to read and write in English or in their native language. That would be wrong, albeit it is a good goal in terms of bringing all students up to speed in communication skills. What is important to remember

Multicultural Literature
Words: 2417 Length: 6 Document Type: Research Paper

Multicultural Literature what is multicultural literature? What are the characteristics of quality multicultural literature? Within the latter part of the twentieth century, a pattern referred to as multiculturalism acquired popularity in American education (Almerico et al., 2006). Gay (1994) within an intensive research of the very commonly used meanings of multicultural literature recognized 13 particular explanations involving the idea and mentioned that a number of factors had been typical out of all

Multicultural Marketing to a Multicultural Audience --
Words: 2956 Length: 8 Document Type: Essay

Multicultural Marketing Marketing to a multicultural audience -- Starbucks and McDonald's All businesses today must be multicultural to some extent (Makgosa 2012). The Internet has opened up new portals to multicultural, multinational consumer audiences. More foreign nationals in developing nations aspire to imitate the American, consumerist life they see portrayed in the modern media. America itself is growing increasingly diverse, which demands a more carefully-segmented approach to marketing. However, this creates a

Multicultural Children's Picture Books
Words: 1540 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

MULTICULTURAL CHILDREN'S BOOKS -- AN ANALYSIS Sociology Multicultural Children's Books -- an Analysis Multicultural Children's Books -- an Analysis Children's literature more accurately reflects the many histories that construct nations such as the United States. The perspectives of children's books should be included read for this week's session for continued analysis and interpretation. Multicultural perspectives were excluded in the past for several reasons. One reason is that the cultural perspective that had the most

Multicultural Education Is a Field
Words: 2350 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

The Metropolitan Report In 1996, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company produced a series of reports " to bring the opinions of teachers, students and parents to the attention of educators, policymakers and the American public." The fourth report in the series, the Metropolitan Life Survey of the American Teacher 1996: Students Voice Their Opinions on Learning About Multiculturalism,."..assessed students' opinions and interests in learning about multicultural topics." Lou Harris and Associates conducted

Multicultural Matrix and Analysis Soc/315 Version Criminal
Words: 1851 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Multicultural Matrix and Analysis SOC/315 Version Criminal Justice Multicultural Matrix and Analysis Worksheet Instructions: Select and identify six groups in the left-hand column. Complete the matrix. Write a summary. Format references consistent with APA guidelines. Matrix What is the group's history in the United States? What is the group's population in the United States? What are some attitudes and customs people of this group may practice? What is something you admire about this group's people, lifestyle, or society? Sioux The Sioux is a group

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now