Racial Segregation - Essay
Racial Segregation
Introduction
The great nation of America is one of the most racially diverse countries in the world today. Practically all races in America can trace their roots from different parts of the country. From the African-American to the Korean- Americans, and the Hispanic to the Irish people, all these represent the different faces of American people. However, the co-existence of these different races has not been smooth sailing. They have experienced racial discrimination, mostly from white Americans, who felt threatened by the increasing influx of the ‘foreigners’ in America.
Following Ronald Takaki view in his book ‘A different mirror’, this essay tries to explain the nature of discrimination the slaves, Mexicans and the Irish experienced from the white American people. It captures events that happened before the civil war in relation to racial discrimination, and how the affected groups responded to such actions.
Discussion
The African American race was first introduced in America as servants. They were remarkably few in number and served the white masters who were the Anglo Americans “…rather, like most of the white laborers, they were probably indentured servants” (Tikaki, 2008). Later on as their numbers increased, most of them were transformed to slaves. It is not clear though how and when this transition took place Nonetheless, in the nineteenth century, there was uproar by the citizens over the abolishment of slavery. It is this uproar that resulted to future civil rights movements and affirmative action that has been associated by the African American people. They have been the biggest minority group in the United States and have been on the forefront in spearheading the civil rights movement, with African American leaders such as Martin Luther King Junior leading the pack.
The Mexican immigrants were mostly dominated by the Chinacos, a group among the Hispanic people. Their population in America supersedes that of the African
Introduction
The great nation of America is one of the most racially diverse countries in the world today. Practically all races in America can trace their roots from different parts of the country. From the African-American to the Korean- Americans, and the Hispanic to the Irish people, all these represent the different faces of American people. However, the co-existence of these different races has not been smooth sailing. They have experienced racial discrimination, mostly from white Americans, who felt threatened by the increasing influx of the ‘foreigners’ in America.
Following Ronald Takaki view in his book ‘A different mirror’, this essay tries to explain the nature of discrimination the slaves, Mexicans and the Irish experienced from the white American people. It captures events that happened before the civil war in relation to racial discrimination, and how the affected groups responded to such actions.
Discussion
The African American race was first introduced in America as servants. They were remarkably few in number and served the white masters who were the Anglo Americans “…rather, like most of the white laborers, they were probably indentured servants” (Tikaki, 2008). Later on as their numbers increased, most of them were transformed to slaves. It is not clear though how and when this transition took place Nonetheless, in the nineteenth century, there was uproar by the citizens over the abolishment of slavery. It is this uproar that resulted to future civil rights movements and affirmative action that has been associated by the African American people. They have been the biggest minority group in the United States and have been on the forefront in spearheading the civil rights movement, with African American leaders such as Martin Luther King Junior leading the pack.
The Mexican immigrants were mostly dominated by the Chinacos, a group among the Hispanic people. Their population in America supersedes that of the African
Bibliography: Takaki, Ronald T. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. New York: Back Bay Books/Little, Brown, and Co, 2008. Print