Why Are White Ethnic Groups Considered A Minority?

When you hear the word minority, what ethnic group do you think of? Most people when they hear the word minority they automatically think of Hispanics or African Americans. But, there are white ethnic groups that are also considered minorities. Some examples of other minorities groups are Germans, Norwegians, Swedes, Welsh, French, and Irish. There are white ethnic groups that are considered a minority. To better understand why white ethnic groups are considered a minority, this essay will examine the reasons why white ethnic groups are seen as a minority, the immigration patterns of white ethnic groups, the factors affecting the mobility & assimilation o f white ethnic group, and contemporary immigration.
There are five reasons to better understand why white ethnic groups were a considered a minority. First, descendants of the European immigrants continue to identify themselves in ethnic terms (Morra, 2018). People preferred linking themselves to their home country. Secondly, prejudices against them still persist, even though in a weakened form and stereotypes of various groups still exist (Morra, 2018). Jewish individuals were categorized as cheap and the Irish were branded as always drunk. Next, each white ethnic group experienced assimilation different. Certain groups integrated by escalating
through the mainstream institutions and organizations of society while others relied on separate ethnic communities to propel their rise to equality (Morra, 2018). Furthermore, white ethnic groups rose because of discrimination. European American immigrant groups protected their growing social class positions by aiding to perpetuate the exclusion other minorities (Morra, 2018). Lastly, The experiences of European immigrants started a set of expectations and understandings about immigration and assimilation (Morra, 2018). White ethnic groups started as a minority but turned to assimilation to better fit in the US society.

There are numerous white ethnic groups that immigrated to the US that all had different experiences. For example, immigrants from Germany moved to US open farmland. Later immigrants settled in urban areas with less land available and most immigrants were skilled workers who found work as laborers in the rapidly expanding industrial sector (Morra, 2018). Another white ethnic group that immigrated to the US were the Irish. Irish immigration to America for work and most were peasants or unskilled laborers with few resources (Morra, 2018). This group experienced a lot of discrimination as they had different religious perspectives and not much skill. An interesting immigration pattern is the Jewish experience. Unlike other white ethnic groups that traveled to America as workers, Jewish immigrants were fleeing religious persecution and arrived as family units intending to permanently settle and become citizens (Morra, 2018). Additionally, Jewish immigrants came to the US with urban skills and good job experiences, which made it easier for them to find work. Furthermore, Jewish immigrants joined the urban working class, acquired manual labor and unskilled jobs, and women and men were involved in the garment industry (Morra, 2018). Each white ethnic group experienced immigration differently. Some groups adapted well to the US while other were welcomed with discrimination.
Moving on, there are three factors that affect the mobility and assimilation of white ethnic groups. The first factor is degree of similarity between the immigrant group and the dominant group. The second factor deals with ethnic succession and the last factor is industrialization. In terms of degree of similarity, the amount of resistance, prejudice and discrimination encountered by the different European immigrants varied by how they differed from the dominant group (Morra, 2018). If you were part of a group that was similar to the dominant groups you were discriminated against. Ethnic succession indicates the number of ways European ethnic groups inadvertently affect each other’s place in the social class structure of a society (Morra, 2018). Immigrant groups that arrived later boosted European immigrant groups higher in the social class giving them a better economic status. Lastly, industrialization brought changes to the economy, workforce, and social structure of society. Industrialization caused the nature of work to evolve and change creating opportunities for the upwardly mobile white ethnic groups (Morra, 2018). Additionally, an effect of industrialization is structural mobility. Structural mobility is the product of the constant mechanization and automation of the workplace (Morra, 2018). During this time, machines began to replace people in the workforce, which meant fewer jobs for white ethnic groups. All three factors aided in the integration of white ethnic groups to the US society.
Immigration is not a thing of the past.
It is still happening today and it is known as contemporary immigration. Current immigrant entered the US are labeled as illegal immigrants. Some people view this type of immigration as harming our society while view it as improvement. Unlike white ethnic groups, contemporary immigration is non-European and much larger. In addition, illegal immigrants complement skilled laborers in the workforce. In addition, illegal immigrants typically find work in trade jobs like construction, agriculture, and manufacturing. In the workforce with illegal immigrants, there is a lot of learning going on whether that’s work or culture
related.
In conclusion, for a period of time white ethnic groups were considered a minority. Germans, Norwegians, Jewish, French, and Irish are all examples of groups that experienced discrimination and prejudice when they arrived to the US. Prejudices and stereotypes still existed but in a subside custom. White ethnic groups were noticed for differences in religion, language, and cultural values which led to the continued prejudices. In addition, immigration is still present in our culture. Nowadays, immigrants come to the US in higher numbers and are able to find work easier than before. All in all, white ethnic groups were considered a minority as newcomers to the US were treated differently based on evident disparities.