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Chapter Resources
Tip: Click on each link to expand or collapse its content.
Chapter 1. Diversity in the United States: Questions and Concepts
- Flashcards
- Web Quizzes
- Internet Activities
1. Updating Data on Diversity: Update Exhibit 1.1, "Groups in U.S. Society." Visit the Web site of the U.S. Bureau of the Census http://www.census.gov to get the latest estimates on the sizes of minority groups in the United States. Good places to begin the search for data include "Minority Links," "Statistical Abstract," and the list at "Subjects A to Z."
2. How Does the U.S. Government Define Race? In this chapter, I stressed the point that race is at least as much a social construction as a biological reality. Does the federal government see race as a biological reality or a social convention? Search the U.S. Bureau of the Census Web site for information on the federal definition of race. How was a person's race defined in the 2000 census? How does this differ from previous censuses? Who determines a person's race, the government or the person filling out the census form? Is this treatment of race based on a biological approach or a more arbitrary social perspective? Given the goals of the census (e.g., to accurately count the number and types of people in the U.S. population), is this a reasonable approach to classifying race? Why or why not?
3. Population Statistics: This exercise allows you to explore what percent of the U.S. population describes themselves as various ethnic groups. The goal of this exercise is to understand the proportions of the U.S. population in different ethnic groups at the present with the latest available data.
Instructions:
- To get the numbers for the first two rows, go to the U.S. Census Bureau Table on Race (based on American Community Survey data).
- To get the numbers for the last two rows, go to the U.S. Census Bureau Table on Hispanic or Latino Origin.
- You need to compute and enter the percent of the population represented by each group by dividing the number for that group by the total U.S. population. Write the percent of total population into the chart below.
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Number in 2000 |
Percent in 2000 |
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| TOTAL POPULATION |
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| White alone |
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| Black alone |
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| American Indian and Alaska Native alone |
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| Asian alone |
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| Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone |
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| Hispanic |
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| White alone, not Hispanic |
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- Repeat the table using the 2010 Census data found at http://www.census.gov. What significant changes in the compositions of these racial groups has there been in the past decade? What factors account for these changes?
4. Ethnic and Racial Categorization: For a growing number of people, the racial and ethnic categories on census forms and other surveys inadequately describe their racial or ethnic heritage. To learn more about the difficulties faced by multiethnic Americans when they fill out school data questionnaires, census forms, and other questionnaires that ask them to indicate to what one racial or ethnic group they belong, log onto the Association of MultiEthnic Americans Web site (http://www.ameasite.org). Select "Classification Issue"; then, on the right, select "AMEA Testimony Before House Census Subcommittee 6/30/93." Read through the testimony and summarize the issues that arise when a single-race classification system is used in the following arenas:
- public health
- public schools
- Video Links
- Audio Links
- SAGE Journal Articles
- Handbook and Encyclopedia Articles
- CQ Researcher Articles
- Additional Resources
Chapter 2. Assimilation and Pluralism: From Immigrants to White Ethnics
- Flashcards
- Web Quizzes
- Internet Activities
1. Language and Assimilation: Update and supplement the debate on language and assimilation presented at the end of the chapter. You might begin with the Web sites of prominent national newspapers, such as the New York Times or Washington Post, and search for relevant items within them or perhaps do a general search on the Internet itself, using key terms such as "English first" or "language diversity." Search for a variety of opinions and, to the extent that they are relevant, analyze the data you find in terms of Gordon's model of assimilation and the concepts of Americanization, the melting pot, acculturation, integration, pluralism, and human capital theory.
2. Wealth: One way to assess how the distribution of wealth is changing in society is to measure how much of the wealth is controlled by different segments of the population at different points in time. Visit the Inequality.org Web site (http://www.inequality.org) and select the "Facts & Figures" index on the left side of the page. Use the graph and table under "Part 1: Wealth Patterns" to answer the following questions.
a. Which group experienced the biggest gain in wealth between 1995 and1998?
b. In 1998, how much of the nation's wealth was controlled by the top 10 percent of the population?
c. Between 1983 and 1992, which groups increased their share of wealth? Which groups saw a decline in the share of wealth they controlled?
3. Historical Trends in Immigration – 1878 to 2010: Go to the US Census Bureau website for statistical abstracts, at http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab.html. Here you can access several aggregate data sets covering the period 1878 to 2010. Beginning with the 1878 data set, look for the data on immigration. Make note of the categories of immigrants: what are the sending countries? What trends can you see in terms of where migration to the United States is originating? Who are the largest populations numerically? Second, go to the Population section, find your state (or select an alternative state near to your own if yours had not yet achieved statehood) and look at the population trend data for this period. What percent of that total population does the immigrant stream coming into the country for that year represent? Next, select several representative years in between 1878 and 2010 and compare these same data sets. What trends in immigration and population can you observe as having occurred over this 132 year period?
4. Labeling Immigrants: Much attention has been paid to immigration to the United States, both legal and illegal. While the media refer to a single category of "immigrants," people migrate to the United States under a number of different definitions. Go to the Department of Justice's Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Web site Here . From the menu bar at the left, select "Glossary"; then look up the following terms for categories of people who enter the United States.
- Parolee
- Permanent Resident Alien
- Asylee
- Refugee
- Naturalization
- Nonimmigrant
- Which category is the most restrictive in terms of allowing individuals into the U.S.?
- Which category is the least restrictive?
- Video Links
- Audio Links
- SAGE Journal Articles
- Handbook and Encyclopedia Articles
- CQ Researcher Articles
- Additional Resources
Chapter 3. Prejudice and Discrimination
- Flashcards
- Web Quizzes
- Internet Activities
1. Test Your Individual Level of Racial Prejudice: Follow the links to the Race Implicit Association Test (https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/) and try some of the other tests as well. Be sure to explore the site and learn more about the test before signing off. What type of prejudice (personality based, culture based, or prejudice based on group competition) does the Implicit Association Test measure? Do you feel that the test produced valid results in your case?
2. Is American Prejudice Continuing to Decline? Go to the home page for the Gallup Polls (http://www.gallup.com) and search for poll results measuring prejudice. You might search using the key words "prejudice" or "African American." Compare your results with those presented in this chapter. Can you determine whether your results support the idea that racial intolerance in the United States is declining? How?
As an alternative, search the Internet for relevant survey results using key words such as "prejudice," "race relations," and "survey." Make sure that the information you find is from a reputable source before placing any trust in the results.
3. Search the Internet for Web Sites of White Extremist or Racist Groups: Two addresses with links to other sites are http://www.stormfront.org and http://www.kkk.com. Describe and analyze the content of the Web sites you visit and link the material to this chapter. What type of prejudice (personality based, culture based, or prejudice that results from group competition) is displayed on these sites? Do these Web sites contradict the idea that U.S. prejudice is declining?
4. Extreme Prejudice: Research indicates that subjective racism and prejudiced attitudes have moderated considerably in the United States over the past 50 years. However, extreme prejudice still exists in the United States. Go to the website of the Southern Poverty Law Center, http://www.splcenter.org/. Explore this website for evidence of the existence of ethnocentrism and prejudice in the United States today. On the basis of these investigations and your reading of the current chapter, write a short report on (1) the nature and extent of extreme prejudice in the United States, (2) the causes of such prejudice, and (3) what can be done to eliminate it or reduce its negative effects.
5. Language and Culture – the “N" word: The connections between language and culture were explored in part in chapter one (they will be further covered in chapter ten). One central idea is that language has a tremendous amount of power. Go to http://www.abolishthenword.com and examine why some groups are pushing for the removal of the “n” word from the discourse of everyday people.
- Video Links
- Audio Links
- SAGE Journal Articles
- Handbook and Encyclopedia Articles
- CQ Researcher Articles
- Additional Resources
Chapter 4. The Development of Dominant-Minority Group Relations in
- Flashcards
- Web Quizzes
- Internet Activities
1. Slave Narratives: The "slave narratives" are one interesting source of information about the nature of everyday life under slavery. The narratives were compiled during the 1930s in interviews with ex-slaves, and although they are limited in many ways, the interviews do provide a close-up, personal view of the system of slavery from the perspective of its victims. To use this resource, go to http://newdeal.feri.org/asn/index.htm and read the home page carefully, especially the cautions. Select several of the narratives and analyze them in terms of the concepts introduced in this chapter (e.g., paternalism, labor-intensive systems of work, the Noel and Blauner hypotheses).
2. Constructing the Images of “Negro” Life: W.E.B. DuBois was one of the most influential sociologists of the 20th century. He particularly focused on the “color line,” the term he used to describe racial disparities in the United States. Go to this website and view the material specially compiled by Du Bois. Look through enough of the 250 photographs to get a feeling for what message DuBois was intending to convey to the audience at the Paris Exposition of 1900. How would you describe “Negro Life” based on this exhibition? What can you see about the life conditions of African Americans at the turn of the last century? Remember, this marks 35 years since the abolition of slavery, do you see conditions that have significantly changed for people’s everyday experiences?
3. Manifest Destiny: Read the following: John L. O'Sullivan on Manifest Destiny, 1839 http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/osulliva.htm John O'Sullivan, the author of this text, coined the phrase "manifest destiny." What did he mean to convey through this slogan? What is his argument in this text? What does he use to support his theory? What does this text tell you about United States society of the 1840s? How are the relations between racial and ethnic groups, particularly the dominant majority with the subordinate minority, clearly defined in this document?
- Video Links
- Audio Links
- SAGE Journal Articles
- Handbook and Encyclopedia Articles
- CQ Researcher Articles
- Additional Resources
Chapter 5. Industrialization and Dominant-Minority Relations: From Slavery to Segregation and the Coming of Postindustrial Society
- Flashcards
- Web Quizzes
- Internet Activities
1. Everyday Life Under Jim Crow: The daily workings of the Jim Crow system of segregation are analyzed and described in a collection of interviews, photos, and memories archived at http://www.americanradioworks.org/features/remembering/. Explore the site, look at the photos, listen to the clips, and analyze them in terms of the concepts introduced in this chapter.
2. Slavery In the Americas: this assignment is designed to allow you to assess the ways slavery is constructed through digital discourse by evaluating websites dedicated to the issue.
- Locate two web sites on slavery. You can find these on American slavery, or slavery in the modern world, or slavery in the Americas.
- Explain how you found the site. Try not to go to the first ones you come across in Yahoo or Google. Most of the sites you encounter may be class websites which may or may not work for this assignment. One recommendation is trying to find a site dedicated to the history of slavery, and then checking out that site's links.
- Compare the approaches of the two sites you choose. What is the underlying "mission" of the site? Is the site clear on its purpose and intended use? Who do you think is the targeted audience of the site?
- 4How does the creator document his or her sources? Is it easy to locate the original sources of the sources used in the site?
- What conflicts can you see about how we interpret the history of slavery?
3. Slavery in America – the Rhetorical Positions: The American Anti-Slavery Society: Declaration of Sentiments (1833) (http://usa.usembassy.de/etexts/democrac/18.htm). Read the American Anti-Slavery Society's Declaration of Sentiments. What do they use to justify their stand against slavery? Consider how their argument compares with that of the ex-slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass: Frederick Douglass: The Hypocrisy of American Slavery, July 4, 1852 (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/douglass-hypo.html). Now read the Southern Address of John C. Calhoun, senator from South Carolina and onetime Vice President of the United States: The Address ( http://www.furman.edu/~benson/docs/calhoun.htm ) What arguments does he make regarding slavery? What does he use to justify his arguments? Is he participating in the same debate as the abolitionists? Why or why not?
- Video Links
- Audio Links
- SAGE Journal Articles
- Handbook and Encyclopedia Articles
- CQ Researcher Articles
- Additional Resources
Chapter 6. African Americans: From Segregation to Modern Institutional Discrimination and Modern Racism
- Flashcards
- Web Quizzes
- Internet Activities
1. Black-White Relations: In the year 2000, a team of reporters from the New York Times conducted a yearlong investigation of how black-white relations are being lived out by ordinary people in churches, schools, neighborhoods, and other venues. A series of 15 articles detailing and analyzing these experiences were published, and all are available online at http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/race/. Read at least three or four of these stories and analyze them in terms of the concepts and conclusions presented in this chapter. What do these stories imply about black-white inequality, prejudice, discrimination, assimilation, pluralism, and racial separation? Is the glass half empty or half full?
2. Trends 200-2010: Go to the US Census Newsroom - Facts on the Black or African American Population site, found at http://www.census.gov/newsroom/minority_links/black.html. Browse through the Social Characteristics and Economic Characteristics data sets. What patterns of experience do these various statistical sets show are characteristic for African Americans? What sorts of businesses, occupations and other employment factors seem to be predominant? Do you see specific trends in social characteristics, i.e. family forms, marital trends, children and educational outcomes, etc.?
Now, select the Census 2000 Briefs / Special Reports, select from the list The Black Population: 2000, Households and Families: 2000, Employment Status: 2000, Occupations: 2000 and Educational Attainment: 2000, and compare the 2000 data to the 2010 data. Do you see any broader trends that characterize the decade?
3. Hate and Race – African Americans: Research indicates that subjective racism and prejudiced attitudes have moderated considerably in the United States over the past 50 years. However, extreme prejudice still exists in the United States. Go to the website of the Southern Poverty Law Center, http://www.splcenter.org/. Explore the “Hate Incidents” section of this website for evidence of the existence of ethnocentrism and prejudice towards African Americans in the United States today. On the basis of these investigations and your reading of the current chapter, compile information and construct a table on hate incidents that have affected African Americans in the past 5 years. What has the range of behaviors included? Do you see a pattern of escalation/de-escalation? In what regions are African Americans more likely to experience this kind of treatment, based on your table?
4. Race and Human Rights: As seen in the text, inter-group and interpersonal violence can result because of racial hatred, culminating in human rights abuses. Go to http://www.amnesty.org and explore some of the recent cases involving human rights abuses. How were some of these related to racial hatred and discrimination?
5. Racism and News Media: Racism is unfortunately a perennial issue in American culture. Use the internet to explore recent news stories where race and racism have been the central issue. Some sights you might want to explore are: http://www.cnn.com; http://www.foxnews.com; http://www.google.com; http://www.thenation.com; http://fsrn.org/
(Free Speech Radio News); http://www.democracynow.org and http://www.msnbc.com.
- Video Links
- Audio Links
- SAGE Journal Articles
- Handbook and Encyclopedia Articles
- CQ Researcher Articles
- Additional Resources
Chapter 7. American Indians: From Conquest to Tribal Survival in a Postindustrial Society
- Flashcards
- Web Quizzes
- Internet Activities
1. Numbers. Go to U.S. Bureau of the Census: http://www.census.gov; Bureau of Indian Affairs and answer the following questions:
- Counting people who select only one racial category, how many American Indians are there?
- How does the number change when people who selected more than one category are counted as members of the group?
- Which of these two totals (if either) should be regarded as the "true" number of American Indians? Why?
- How many separate tribes are recognized by the federal government?
- How many federal reservations are there? In what regions of the nation are they concentrated? Which is the largest? Which is the smallest?
2. Gambling: Go to National Indian Gaming Association: http://www.indiangaming.org/ and answer the following questions:
- How many reservations are involved in gaming or gambling?
- What is the approximate annual revenue from these enterprises?
- How is that revenue used?
3. Health: Go to Indian Health Services: http://www.ihs.gov and answer the following questions:
- What are the birthrates and death rates for Native Americans?
- Are these higher or lower than national norms or the rates for white Americans?
- What are the mortality rates for various age-groups compared with national norms?
Death Rates National Norms
Infants (age 0–1) ___________ ___________
Young adults (18–25) ___________ ___________
Senior Citizens (65+) ___________ ___________
- Select two age-groups and find the five most common causes of death for the group:
Age-Group 1 Age-Group 2
1. ___________ 1. ___________
2. ___________ 2. ___________
3. ___________ 3. ___________
4. ___________ 4. ___________
5. ___________ 5. ___________
- Describe how these patterns vary from national norms.
4. Issues: Go to National Congress of American Indians: http://www.ncai.org. Also, search for American Indian newspapers or periodicals that are online. For example, Indian Country Today, "America's Leading Indian News Source," is available at http://www.indiancountry.com)
- Cite and briefly explain three current issues in Indian Country Today or whatever newspaper or periodical you've found.
- Analyze each issue in terms of the concepts used in the text (especially assimilation, pluralism, self-determination or development of the reservation, institutional discrimination, protest and resistance, and inequality).
- How would members of other groups (e.g., white or black Americans) view each issue?
5. Hate and Race – American Indians: Research indicates that subjective racism and prejudiced attitudes have moderated considerably in the United States over the past 50 years. However, extreme prejudice still exists in the United States. Go to the website of the Southern Poverty Law Center, http://www.splcenter.org/. Explore the “Hate Incidents” section of this website for evidence of the existence of ethnocentrism and prejudice towards American Indians in the United States today. On the basis of these investigations and your reading of the current chapter, compile information and construct a table on hate incidents that have affected American Indians in the past 5 years. What has the range of behaviors included? Do you see a pattern of escalation/de-escalation? In what regions are American Indians more likely to experience this kind of treatment, based on your table?
6. Trends 200-2010: Go to the US Census Newsroom - Facts on the American Indian and Alaskan Native Population site, found at http://www.census.gov/newsroom/minority_links/aian.html. Browse through the Social Characteristics and Economic Characteristics data sets. What patterns of experience do these various statistical sets show are characteristic for Native Americans? What sorts of businesses, occupations and other employment factors seem to be predominant? Do you see specific trends in social characteristics, i.e. family forms, marital trends, children and educational outcomes, etc.? Now, select the Census 2000 Briefs / Special Reports, select from the list The Black Population: 2000, Households and Families: 2000, Employment Status: 2000, Occupations: 2000 and Educational Attainment: 2000, and compare the 2000 data to the 2010 data. Do you see any broader trends that characterize the decade?
- Video Links
- Audio Links
- SAGE Journal Articles
- Handbook and Encyclopedia Articles
- CQ Researcher Articles
- Additional Resources
Chapter 8. Hispanic Americans: Colonization, Immigration, and Ethnic
- Flashcards
- Web Quizzes
- Internet Activities
1. The Mexican Migration Project was created to learn more about the complex process of Mexican migration to the United States. The project is binational and has been gathering data since 1982. A number of individual stories of Mexican migrants are available online at http://mmp.opr.princeton.edu/expressions/stories-en,aspx
Read the introduction and then select several of the stories to read. Analyze each using the concepts developed in this chapter, especially the idea that Mexico serves as a reserve pool of cheap labor for the benefit of U.S. businesses.
2. Hate and Race – Hispanic/Latino Americans: Research indicates that subjective racism and prejudiced attitudes have moderated considerably in the United States over the past 50 years. However, extreme prejudice still exists in the United States. Go to the website of the Southern Poverty Law Center, http://www.splcenter.org/. Explore the “Hate Incidents” section of this website for evidence of the existence of ethnocentrism and prejudice towards Hispanic/Latino Americans in the United States today. On the basis of these investigations and your reading of the current chapter, compile information and construct a table on hate incidents that have affected Hispanic/Latino Americans in the past 5 years. What has the range of behaviors included? Do you see a pattern of escalation/de-escalation? In what regions are Hispanic/Latino Americans more likely to experience this kind of treatment, based on your table?
3. Language and Culture – Spanglish: Within most cultures there are groups of people who differ in some custom, habit, or practice from the general societal culture. In your book the term microculture is used to refer to those identifiable groups of people who share the set of values, beliefs, and behaviors of the macro-culture, possess a common history, and use a verbal and nonverbal symbol system. Most microcultural groups are groups of individuals who have much in common with the larger macro-culture yet are bonded together by similar experiences, traits, values, or in some cases, histories. Hence the term microculture includes different types of groups that could be classified by age, class, geographic region, sexual preference, disability (e.g., deaf), ethnicity, race, size, or even occupation. Hispanics/Latinos comprise the largest microcultural group in the United States. In 2008, there were nearly 47 million Hispanics in the United States. That is just over 15% of the population. Of these 47 million, 62% were born in the United States. Go to http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1438900 and read the article Spanglish, A New American Language -Book Documents English Words with a Spanish Twist and listen to the 2 audio files discussing Spanglish. How does the use of Spanglish reflect a combination of distinctly Latino cultural ideas and practices? Do you see a pattern in what people retain of their natal language, even when they are speaking the language of their adopted lands?
4. Trends 2000-2010: Go to the US Census Newsroom - Facts on the Hispanic or Latino Population site, found at http://www.census.gov/newsroom/minority_links/hispanic.html . Browse through the Social Characteristics and Economic Characteristics data sets. What patterns of experience do these various statistical sets show are characteristic for Hispanics/Latinos? What sorts of businesses, occupations and other employment factors seem to be predominant? Do you see specific trends in social characteristics, i.e. family forms, marital trends, children and educational outcomes, etc.? Now, select the Census 2000 Briefs / Special Reports, select from the list The Black Population: 2000, Households and Families: 2000, Employment Status: 2000, Occupations: 2000 and Educational Attainment: 2000, and compare the 2000 data to the 2010 data. Do you see any broader trends that characterize the decade?
- Video Links
- Audio Links
- SAGE Journal Articles
- Handbook and Encyclopedia Articles
- CQ Researcher Articles
- Additional Resources
Chapter 9. Asian Americans: "Model Minorities"?
- Flashcards
- Web Quizzes
- Internet Activities
1. Asian-Nation Web: The Asian-Nation Web site at http://www.asian-nation.org/index.html provides comprehensive coverage on a number of issues raised in this chapter. Update and expand the chapter by selecting one or two topics (e.g., the "model minority" image) and searching the Web site. Be sure to follow some of the links provided to see what additional information and perspectives you can uncover.
2. Learning More About Asian Americans: Select one of the Asian groups discussed in this chapter other than Japanese Americans and Chinese Americans and conduct an Internet search using the name of the group. Follow the links and see what information you can add to the profile provided in the chapter. You might focus your search by seeking answers to basic questions such as these: How large is the group? Where do the members live in the United States (region of the country, rural vs. urban)? How acculturated is the group in terms of language? How does the group compare with national norms in terms of education, occupational profile, and income? What are the major issues from the perspective of the group?
3. Trends 200-2010: Go to the US Census Newsroom - Facts on the Hispanic or Latino Population site, found at http://www.census.gov/newsroom/minority_links/asian.html. Browse through the Social Characteristics and Economic Characteristics data sets. What patterns of experience do these various statistical sets show are characteristic for Asian Americans? What sorts of businesses, occupations and other employment factors seem to be predominant? Do you see specific trends in social characteristics, i.e. family forms, marital trends, children and educational outcomes, etc.? Now, select the Census 2000 Briefs / Special Reports, select from the list The Black Population: 2000, Households and Families: 2000, Employment Status: 2000, Occupations: 2000 and Educational Attainment: 2000, and compare the 2000 data to the 2010 data. Do you see any broader trends that characterize the decade?
4. Hate and Race – Asian Americans: Research indicates that subjective racism and prejudiced attitudes have moderated considerably in the United States over the past 50 years. However, extreme prejudice still exists in the United States. Go to the website of the Southern Poverty Law Center, http://www.splcenter.org/. Explore the “Hate Incidents” section of this website for evidence of the existence of ethnocentrism and prejudice towards Asian Americans in the United States today. On the basis of these investigations and your reading of the current chapter, compile information and construct a table on hate incidents that have affected Asian Americans in the past 5 years. What has the range of behaviors included? Do you see a pattern of escalation/de-escalation? In what regions are Asian Americans more likely to experience this kind of treatment, based on your table?
- Video Links
- Audio Links
- SAGE Journal Articles
- Handbook and Encyclopedia Articles
- CQ Researcher Articles
- Additional Resources
Chapter 10. New Americans, Assimilation, and Old Challenges
- Web Quizzes
- Internet Activities
1. Data From the U.S. Census : The U.S. Bureau of the Census collects an array of information about most of the groups covered in this chapter, and the information is available online. Go to http://www.census.gov and click on "American Factfinder" on the left-hand panel of the home page. Next, click on "Data Sets" on the left-hand panel and select "American Community Survey," and, in the next window, select "Selected Population Profiles." On the next window, click "Add" to move the United States to the bottom window and click "Next." Choose the "Ancestry Groups" tab and find a group covered in this text or some other group in which you are interested. Click "Show Result" and a statistical profile of the group and the U.S. population will be displayed. Extend the analysis in this chapter by selecting several variables and comparing the profile of your group with the total population.
2. Hate and Race – Arab/Muslim Americans: Research indicates that subjective racism and prejudiced attitudes have moderated considerably in the United States over the past 50 years. However, extreme prejudice still exists in the United States. Go to the website of the Southern Poverty Law Center, http://www.splcenter.org/. Explore the “Hate Incidents” section of this website for evidence of the existence of ethnocentrism and prejudice towards Arab/Muslim Americans in the United States today. On the basis of these investigations and your reading of the current chapter, compile information and construct a table on hate incidents that have affected Arab/Muslim Americans in the past 5 years. What has the range of behaviors included? Do you see a pattern of escalation/de-escalation? In what regions are Arab/Muslim Americans more likely to experience this kind of treatment, based on your table?
3. Class and Social Movements: the Occupy Wall Street movement is a contemporary example of average citizens taking to the streets to create social change. The slogan of this movement is “We are the 99%.” Explore the structure and impact of this movement. Go to http://www.democracynow.org/ and search for “the 99%” (use the Advanced search feature to get the best results) to get started. Does this movement have a clearly defined agenda and organizational structure? How widespread is it? Is race/ethnicity as significant factor in participation, or is this a diverse group? How is class position structured in this movement? How successful are they in garnering public support?
- Video Links
- Audio Links
- SAGE Journal Articles
- Handbook and Encyclopedia Articles
- CQ Researcher Articles
- Additional Resources
Chapter 11. Minority Groups and U.S. Society: Themes, Patterns, and the Future
- Web Quizzes
- Internet Activities
1. Perception and Stereotyping: Kevin Wu is an American-based comedian who has become a YouTube phenomena. He is best known by his username KevJumba. One of KevJumba’s most popular videos is titled “I have to deal with stereotypes.” On July 24, 2008, Wu started a second channel on YouTube called “Jumbafund” that he publishes videos to, and donates the proceeds he earns from advertising to charity. Between both channels, Wu has garnered more than 1,300,000 subscribers and 100,000,000 video views on YouTube. Through Jumbafund, Wu has donated several thousands of dollars to charities such as St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and the Red Cross to support relief efforts following the earthquake in Haiti. Watch KevJumba’s video – I have to deal with stereotypes. Do you think KevJumba handles the issue sensitively? Watch some of his other videos. Is he dealing with this issue fairly or unfairly? Does his video make you laugh or does it make you angry? Why? What do your friends think?
2. Language and Group Identification: On the Internet, look up several definitions for the term “slang.” Next, using the Urban Dictionary http://www.urbandictionary.com, the Slang Site http://www.slangsite.com/, the Online Slang Dictionary http://onlineslangdictionary.com/, and/or Slang City http://www.slangcity.com/ investigate the definitions for some of the specific slang terms that you know, use, or have heard. Slang is often a critical component of subcultural identity, particularly among minority groups. What subcultural groups use the slang vocabularies you have uncovered? What are some examples of slang terms you find for which you have a differing definition? Slang changes rapidly, going in and out of fashion and usage very quickly. What are some trends you think our country will witness in terms of new domains where slang will be created? Speculate on some of the reasons that subcultural groups use special vocabularies to communicate among themselves.
3. Race-Specific Drugs: Explore the rise of race-specific drugs. What are the problems with this approach in treating and preventing human health problems? Go to http://www.democracynow.org/ and search for “race-specific drugs” (use the Advanced search feature to get the best results) to get started. What specific issues do you see as marking a trend in this type of research and drug manufacturing? What races have been targeted as having what specific health issues? Are these issues framed as endemic of race or of social conditions?
4. Race and Terrorism: Racial and ethnic characteristics are salient features of profiling used in law enforcement. Since the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington in 2001, the US has implemented substantial racial and ethnic profiling measures in the name of homeland security and the war on terror. Go to http://www.democracynow.org/ and search for “race and terrorism” to get started. Who is being targeted? What kinds of policies have been put in place? Is this a strategy that you believe will “win” the war on terror?
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