The Assimilation of Non-European Groups

The process of assimilation in the United States has been much more successful for white ethnic groups than for nonwhite ethnic groups. Of the nonwhite ethnic groups, Americans of Afri­can descent — "black" Americans— have had the greatest diffi­culty in becoming assimilated into the large culture. Blacks alone were brought to the United States against their will to be sold as slaves. Except for the native American Indian tribes who inhabited the United States before the first white settlers ar­rived, all other ethnic groups came to the United States voluntarily as immigrants in order to better their living conditions. The enslavement of blacks in the United States was a complete contradiction of each basic American values as freedom and equa­lity of opportunity. It divided the United States into two in­creasingly different sections: the southern states, in which black slavery became the basis of society, and the northern states, which did not allow slavery.

A minority of whites in the North Insisted that slavery and freedom could not exist together in a free country and demanded that slavery be abolished even if this meant war with the South, A much larger number of northern whites believed that freedom and equality of opportunity needed to be protected for the white man only, but they were afraid that black slavery would eventually take away their freedoms. If, for example, the slave system of the South were allowed to spread into the frontier regions of the West, the white man's freedom would be in danger. Poor and middle-income whites could no longer look to the western fronti­er as a land of equality and opportunity where a man could better his position in life. Rather, men would have to compete with ан-paid slave labor, a situation that would degrade their work and lower their social status.

Abraham Lincoln was able to become President of the United States by appealing to both the white idealists who saw slavery as an injustice to the black man and to the larger numbers of northern whites who saw slavery as a threat to themselves. Lin­coln's argument was that if black slavery continued to spread westward, the white man's freedom and equality would be threatened. Lincoln; also believed that basic ideals such as freedom and equality of opportunity had to apply to all men, black and white, or they would not last as basic American values.

When Lincoln won the Presidency in I860, the southern states left the Union and tried to form a new nation of their own based оn slavery, A Civil War between the North end South resulted, which turned out to be the bloodiest and most destructive of all the nation's wars, When the North was finally victorious, black slavery ended In the United States.

However, blacks were not readily assimilated into the larger American culture. Most remained in the South, where they were not allowed to vote and were legally segregated from whites in a man­ner "very similar to South Africa's apartheid system. Moreover, Blacks continued to be the victims of strong racial prejudice In both the North and the South.

This state of affairs remained unchanged until the U.S.Supreme Court declared in 1954 that racially segregated public schools did not provide equal educational opportunities for black Americans and were therefore illegal. Black leaders throughout the United States were greatly encouraged bу this decision. They decided to try to end racial segregation in all areas of American life.

The most important of these leaders was Martin Luther King, Jr. a black Protestant minister with a great gift for inspiring his people. Prom the late 1950s until his assassination by a white gunman in 1968, King led thousands of black people in non­violent marches and demonstrations against segregation and other forms of racial discrimination.

King's goal was to bring about greater assimilation of black people into the larger American culture. His ideals were largely developed from basic American values. He wanted greater equality of opportunity and "Freedom now” for his people. He did not wish to separate his people from American society, but rather to gain for them a larger part in it.

Some 'black leaders, such' as Malcolm X, urged a rejection of basic American values and complete separation of blacks from the white culture. Malcolm X believed that American values were noth­ing more than "white man's values" used to keep 'blacks in an in­ferior position. Blacks must separate themselves from whites, by force if necessary, and build their own society based on values which they would create for themselves. The great majority of American blacks, however, shared Martin Luther King’s beliefs and goals rather than those of Malcolm X, and looked to King as their leader.

Largely as a result of King's activities, two major civil rights laws were passed during the 1960s which removed racial segregation from public facilities in the South and also removed the barriers which had prevented black people from voting in that region.

The civil rights laws of the 1960s helped to bring about a significant degree of assimilation of blacks into the larger American culture. Most important, they helped to reduce the amount of white prejudice toward black people in all parts of the country. The number of blacks attending the nation's colleges and universities, holding elective public office, and earning higher incomes increased dramatically in the late 1950s and 1970s.

Nevertheless, the assimilation of blacks into American life has been only partly achieved. Significant differences remain between black and white earnings, black and white educational opportunities, and black and white social class standings. There­fore, black Americans are caught in a contradiction. like white ethnic groups, they feel that they are part of the larger Аmerican culture. Unlike white ethnic groups, however, they also have a strong feeling of being separate from it.

To a somewhat lesser extent, these contradictory feelings are also held by other Americana such аs Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Asian Americans, and American Indians. These groups also hare to contend with the racial prejudices of the white majority, but not to the same extent as black Americans.

The Assimilation of Future Immigrants

The greatest problems of assimilation that lie ahead for the United States are probably those concerning black Americans and the rapidly growing Hispanic, population of the United States. There are now approximately 8 million Chicanos, or Mexican Ame­ricans, in the United States. Thousands cross the Mexican border illegally each year to find Jobs in the United States. Many other Latin Americans are also entering the country handicapped by a lack of knowledge of the English language.

New immigrants had the opportunity to better their condition and, in the process, to become attached to American ways and va­lues. Assimilation will be more difficult during the rest of the twentieth century because the nation's economic growth and living standards have been declining, with no remedy as yet in sight. Material abundance has been the life blood which has sustained Americans in their basic beliefs and values. As has been shown in this chapter, this has been true for the early settlers, the disadvantaged white immigrants, and, to a somewhat lesser extent, the descendants of black slaves as well. As the material abundance of the nation ceases to grew, the nation' s capacity for as­similation, which has been great in the past, may decline. Every nation has its own limits as to how many different races, langu­ages, religions, and nationalities it can assimilate and still function as one society. Only the future will tell for certain whether the United States, after three centuries of assimilation of diverse groups, is now approaching its own limits.

READING COMPREHENSION CHECK

I. Define the following ethnopolitical terms used in the texts below

citizen

Immigrant

Emmigrant

Explorer

Colonist

Tenant

landowner

Alien

Displaced

Refugee

War bride

Nonquota (person)

ethnic group

Minority/majority group

Undocumented (person)

Native/foreign born

Disadvantaged minority

Rасе

II. Study the following list of ethnic groups residing in the USA. Recall what you know about their backgrounds

(Native) American

African-American

Asian

British

Chicane

Chinese

Cuban

Colombian

Dutch

Dominican

French

German

Greek

Hispanic

Hungarian

Irish

Jew

Latino

Mexican

Portuguese

Puerto-Rican

Pole

Russian

Spanish

Swiss

Scandinavian

Vietnamese

III. Answer the questions.

1, Who were the first American immigrants, and where did they come from?

2. What did British immigrants give to the U.S.A.?

3. What are the three main reasons that immigrants have come to the U.S.A.?'

4. What do you think are the two main ideas of this text? See if you and your classmates agree.

5. Before the Civil tar, what was life like for most Negroes in the U.S.A.?

6. What caused the American Civil War?

7. What were some of the main ideas and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?

8. How are black Americans doing today? Are they still second-

class citizens in the USA?

9. What problems does the process of assimilation of different ethnic and racial groups present? What does the term "assimilation" mean?

10. What are the metaphors commonly used to describe the USA, na­tional make-up?

ESSENTIAL Vocabulary

Date: 2015-02-03; view: 1201