historical report on race

Week 5 assignment
Heather Rafferty
ETH/125
7/27/2014
University of Phoenix
Week 5 assignment
Associate Program Material

Racial Diversity: Historical Worksheet

Answer the following questions in 100 to 250 words each. Provide citations for all the sources you use.

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

I think whites were the majority of the race throughout the U.S. history. This included Hispanics and non Hispanics. I think the common ancestral background is European or British decent. European and British people traveled here to learn new things. It was common for people from the Middle East to travel to the U.S. What was very common was these people were also sent back to their original country.

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?

I think some of the larger racial minorities in the U.S. history were African Americans. The common ancestral background is Africa. They became a significant group when they were captured from their homes and brought here and sold as slaves. Another group is Native Americans. Their common ancestral background is Eurasian groups. Their significant minority group became when their land was stolen from them from the early European settlers.

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

A law that I can think of after research and reading all the chapters is the Jim Crow Law. This was employed in the South just after Slavery. This law prevents Blacks from obtaining equality in American society. African Americans had a hard life because their rights were limited from this law. This law supported African American’s going to their own churches, uses different restrooms, going to different schools, and often was not welcomed at restaurants with white people.

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

I think laws have attempted to eliminate discrimination for many years. Some of these laws make it illegal to refuse people of getting loans, or housing. Many of these laws prohibit not only discrimination based on race, but gender, age, religion, and other factors. Even though discrimination still exists, these laws have helped to create equality among different races. Some races do not agree with all of them.

Reference page
Schaefer, 2012, Chapter 6
Schaefer, 2012, Chapter 7
Schaefer, 2012, Chapter 10
Schaefer, 2012, Chapter 11
Schaefer, 2012, Chapter 13
Schaefer, 2012, Chapter 14