race diversity

Racial Diversity

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 believe that white Americans have been in the majority of U.S. history followed by African Americans. The Business Insider have indicated that the largest ancestry group or race is German Americans (L. O’Connor, G. Lubin, D. Spector, 2013). Followed by the (in order) Irish, English, American, Italian, Polish, French, Scottish, and so on. It is also indicated that Germans immigrated to United States because of their economical hardship during 19th century.

* 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?

Some of the larger racial minorities in U.S. history has to be Black or African Americans, Mexican, Native American, and Chinese. Each racial minorities’ ancestral backgrounds are, Africa, Mexico, America, and China. In my understanding, African Americans became a significant or notable minority gourp in 1928 when last state to end slavery in United States (Mrlincolnandfreedom.org, 2013). Mexicans have gained their minority group between 1990 and 2000, nearly doubling in size. Native Americans has always been in minority group since they were the first to arrive or lived in United States. Chinese have become a significant or notable minority group when Gold Rush sparked back in 1848.

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

One discrimination that I have found during my research was the Jim Crow laws which prevents blacks from obtaining equality in society. This Jim Crow laws prevented all blacks and women from voting. The Jim Crow laws operated between 1877 to min-1960s and I believe these laws are made of full of discrimination. This law states that, black make could not offer a hand shake with white male, blacks and whites were not to eat together, blacks were not allowed to show public affection toward one another in public, whites did not use courtesy titles of respect when referring to blacks, and white motorists had the right-of-way at all intersections (D. Pilgrim, 2000).

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

There has been many laws that have been used to eliminate discrimination that I can think of. Main law that we all know of is Emancipation Proclamation. This have freed many slaves from Americans, mostly blacks. Although it took many years to eliminate our slavery but it has worked and we are living in a slavery free nation. Also, there were laws established to make it illegal to refuse housing to people based on race and other factors which, also, did work in our society. There is Employment Discrimination Law which is to prohibit employers from treating workers differently based on their race, gender, age, religion, and disability. This is also a known issue that’s mostly eliminated in our society.

References:

L. O’Connor, G. Lubin, D. Spector, 2013, The largest ancestry groups in the United States, Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/largest-ethnic-groups-in-america-2013-8

13th Amendment, 2013, Retrieved from http://www.mrlincolnandfreedom.org/inside.asp?ID=56&subjectID=3

D. Pilgrim, 2000, Jim Crow museum of racist memorabilia, Retrieve from http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/what.htm

References: L. O’Connor, G. Lubin, D. Spector, 2013, The largest ancestry groups in the United States, Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/largest-ethnic-groups-in-america-2013-8 13th Amendment, 2013, Retrieved from http://www.mrlincolnandfreedom.org/inside.asp?ID=56&subjectID=3 D. Pilgrim, 2000, Jim Crow museum of racist memorabilia, Retrieve from http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/what.htm