Reflection About Race In America

Phuong Dung Ngo
Anchor 2
09/05/2013
Reflection Paper 1
Question 4: Race has always played a major role in the settlement of the Americas and the establishment of our differing cultures and institutions. What insights have you gotten from your readings and discussions in class about the differing Spanish and English attitudes toward non-European races and to slavery? How do you think North American attitudes today about Latino immigration have been shaped by our heritage of racism and slavery?
For a very long time ago, the word “race” has always be a hot topic that was discussed in social. In this essay, I want to discuss about what I have learned about the race in Americans, how different between Spanish and English attitudes toward non-European
When Arab, Muslims, and Indian became immigrate to the US, it affects the culture and mixing raced. “The long period of Arab domination left an indelible legacy of racial and cultural mixing that the Spanish immigrants carried to the New World.” (Juan Gonzalez, p.18) Although the race was mixed, it does not mean racial equality. Black and white people were separated into two parts. Black and white cannot marry each other. “The Crown’s administrative body for colonies banned all marriages between whites and free blacks or mulatos.” (Juan Gonzalez, p19) Moreover, African slaves were used in order to make more money for Europeans. “ African slaves harvested the new gold, sugar, as well as tobacco, cocoa, and indigo.” (Juan Gonzalez, p.23). In my opinion, white people think they have the power to control the people who are not like them. Some black people became slaves, no educated and no money. Because of no educated, they do not know there way how to fight back or stand up for them. “Color and status so deeply demarcated the English colonies, however, that the free colored class was considered and abnormality only barely tolerated.” (Juan Gonzalez, p.20) I
It is really a new knowledge for me. Although I am very confused and did not understand all of thing about Latino, I still enjoy and interested in their history. According to the book “Harvest of Empire-Juan Gonzales,” it said: “…Latinos numbered a mere 9.1 million and represented just 4.5 percent of the population as recently as 1970.” (Juan Gonzalez, p.16) In my opinion, when Latino immigrates to the US with a huge amount, they all bring to the US a new culture, new race, new physical characteristic, etc. For example, the popular music in the US at that time was Latin music. “But now Latino migrant, the product of those old relationships, have invaded the North American garden, kitchen, and living room. We are overflowing its schools, its army, even its jails.” (Juan Gonalez, p.18) In another side, Latino also brings immigrant different skin color in the US and that made them were treated not equally. In my own experience, people of color is not essay to find jobs, can not go to school or always left behind white people, they do not have the right to speak or the right to stand up for themselves. In addition, some of Latino became slaves in the US. Because of the skin color and different social class between people, it made American attitude have been shaped by our heritage of racism and slavery. In my opinion, when a country has immigrant, of course their culture and attitude will be impacted and changed. I can see very