Eth 125 Week 5 Appendix E

University of Phoenix Material

Appendix E

Part I

Define the following terms:

|Term |Definition |
|Racial formation |The process by which social, economic and political forces determine the content and importance of |
| |racial categories, and by which they are in turn shaped by racial meanings. |
|Segregation |Setting apart or separating things or people. |
|De jure segregation |Segregation imposed by law. |
|Pluralism |A state in which people of all racial and ethnic categories have about the same overall social |
| |standing. |
|Assimilation |The process by which minorities gradually adopt cultural patterns |
| |from the dominant majority population. |

Part II

Answer the following questions in 150 to 350 words each:

Throughout most of U.S. history in most locations, what race has been the majority? What is the common ancestral background of most members of this group?

Throughout most U.S. History in most locations, White Americans have been the majority race. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, White Americans makeup 72% of the U.S. population. It has been from from research that most White Americans are of European or British decent.

What are some of the larger racial minorities in U.S. history? What have been the common ancestral backgrounds of each of these groups? When did each become a significant or notable minority group?

Hispanic and Latino Americans makeup 15% of the U.S. population, making this group the largest ethnic minority. Hispanic and Latino Americans are of Latin American and or Spanish decent. Though this group is the minority, they are a fast growing population due to immigration.

In what ways have laws been used to enforce discrimination? Provide examples. These laws were intended against which racial minorities?

The Jim Crow Laws are perfect example of how laws were used to enforce discrimination. The Jim Crow laws were states as well local laws that enforced segregation, this was de jure segregation. The Jim Crow laws were set in place to continue and ensure the unfair treatment of African Americans. African Americans were treated as less than human by white people. Examples of the Jim Crow law de jure segregation are the segregation of places like schools, restaurants, stores, and public transportation systems. African American were not allowed to be near or interact white people.
The Jim Crow laws were used to enforce discrimination and racial in-equality on the African American group.

In what ways have laws been used to eliminate discrimination? Provide examples. Did the laws work to eliminate discrimination?

Brown vs. The Board of Education ended the segregation of the school systems. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 put an end to segregation of public places. Both of these movements allowed African Americans to feel more included and a little more equal in society. These new changes did not work to eliminate discrimination. African Americans still to date face discrimination and racial inequality when it comes to education and employment. Though there are Affirmative Action laws set in place, they are still not totally enforced as they were created to eliminate discrimination in the workplace. But they do, when used properly provide an opportunity for African Americans or any other minority a chance at an employment opportunity that would not normally receive when applying alone. Though there are many laws created to eliminate racial discrimination, they do not always work as intended. Discrimination does still very well exist in the United States.