The advent of World War II saw and end of the period of economic turmoil and massive unemployment known as the Great Depression, and thus was a time of increased opportunity for many of the nation's citizens and immigrants, but the experiences of some groups during and following the war were far less positive than others. Some of this was due to the different histories that different immigrant groups had in the country, as well as the different roles that various nations played in the war itself, but often the source for the treatment of different ethnic groups was all too similar and all too simple -- racism and ethnocentrism that made the white Americans "true" citizens while others were labeled as outsiders, and those that didn't belong.
The Japanese suffered the worst during World War II; even families that had been in the country for generations and many decades were viewed with a great deal of suspicion and mistrust, and this eventually coalesced into the creation of Japanese internment camps where families were forced to leave their homes and business (Takaki 2008). Many Japanese-Americans dies in these camps, as hygiene and healthcare was poor, living space was incredibly cramped, and access to food and clean water was severely limited (Takaki 2008). Chinese-Americans fared slightly better, though a general suspicion of all Asian-Americans and Asian immigrants was typical during this period, and employment opportunities outside of the ethnically Chinese pockets that existed in many major cities were severely limited due to overt racist practices, even after the immigration limits enacted in earlier decades had been largely rescinded (Takaki 2008).
Blacks, Mexicans, and Native Americans -- groups that were more traditionally and more prevalently (if only due to their larger numbers and longer history in the country) labeled as "outsiders" to mainstream American culture and society -- were also impacted significantly by World War II. Blacks actually achieved greater levels of equality, showing a great reluctance to take part in the war and being quite outspoken in their demands...
U.S. History Midterm Exam Essay questions, two (2) questions, 10 pts. each, for total of 20 pts. Answer everything in bold! Reflecting back on Units 1 through 11, describe America's incredible industrialization and urbanization from 1865 to 1945. What were the key elements of this change and what were the costs of such rapid industrialization (i.e. environmental and human costs and the Great Depression)? How did activists and politicians respond to these
Far from being contrite, Southerners more emphatically held to the perceived, innate superiority of their race and breeding, comparing themselves to Biblical patriarchs as a means of validating these perceptions and justifying slavery (432). If Perry's journey had demonstrated Northern hubris, Stowe's novel generated its Southern equivalent. Then, there was an ironic unification of the British and the Americans in the development of Samuel Colt's revolver in these years. While
" (Lindsey, 2004, p.1) it is interesting to note that one of the young protestors stated: "[the world leaders] are sitting over there on Sea Island having their little party only talking about how to fix things, but we are over here actually doing something to make things better" -- Laurel Paget-Seekins (Lindsey, 2004, p. 1) the U.S.A. Patriot Act has been touted to do just this - or to
In this case there are differences due to the income level of the person who is replying. The Americans who are making more than $34,000 a year generally say that the persons getting aid from welfare could manage their own lives without help from the government if they really tried, while the replies from the lower income groups feel that they could not manage. This continues on in the opinion
Further, while some upward mobility did exist, competition among small business entrepreneurs and economic instability caused by depression and financial panics created just as much downward mobility (Ibid. At 58). Housing among the poor in the cities usually consisted of multiple families (as many as 8) living in homes designed for just one. The price of rent was disproportionately high because the numbers of immigrants in the teeming cities kept
S. were Protestant and that 18% of them mostly converted from Catholicism (Weiss and Solis 2007). The Hispanic population increased by 28% from 2000 to 2005. The survey identified the reasons why Hispanics would not assimilate and integrate easily or smoothly into the non-Hispanic religious culture in the U.S. Many Hispanics have a different approach to religion. They are generally more devout than non-Hispanics. This attitude derives from a mystical
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