As one of the managers for 2 weeks, this is how the blog is going to work.
We'll start off with something from the unit we just read and relate it to current day US that everyone can discuss. Then people who have other connections can contribute and start a different topic as well. Later on towards week 2, we'll post an article up relevant to the topic and we'll analyze the article by doing OPLV together.
Unit 3 talks about the different groups of people that immigrated to America and stuck together, forming their own communities/towns. Today, we have the same situation, such as Chinatown, Greektown, Little Italy, etc. Compare the positive and negative effects of having cultures grouped together like this in history and currently.
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In history, having many ethnic groups created a wall between different cultures, but it also allowed people to experience new technology (stone barns, whiskey distillers, etc.) and culture (religion, beliefs, traditions, etc.). Today, we experience the same thing. A negative of grouped cultures can be bias and discrimination. Another major negative is the lack of ability to make group decisions because each culture has a different idea of what they want and how they want it done. The positive is that when people are able to compromise, it usually results in something great. These collaborative ideas can be seen in architecture, food, technology, and our daily routines. Aside from that, especially in big cities, many people are able to learn more about other cultures by being around different people (Ex. School, work, neighbors, etc.). If you look at our class for example, we have people who are from, or that have descended from people who are from, many different countries. Learning from other cultures can be seen in Chicago during festivals and from the Chicago Cultural Alliance (http://www.chicagoculturalalliance.org/), with a goal “…to effect social change and public understanding of cultural diversity through first voice perspectives”. Although there are negatives and positives to cultural diversity, it is safe to say that the general affect is positive to individual people as well as the community as a whole.
When a community is divides itself by race or orign there are shallow positive short term effects and deep negative long term effects. The positive is that the members of a community achieve a certain amount of comfort in the similarity of others. This comes from a innate tribalism that says "they're like me, they must be ok". That is the cement upon which racism and discrimination were founded. Yes, seperation does preserve a community and a culture but at the cost of coexistence and relations with others. A society cannot function as one if it is divided into many. Togehter we stand, divided we fall. Preserving a culture is important but not to the extent of ostrichizing other peoples or ways of life.
Although you make a wonderful point ("A society cannot function as one if it is divided into many") you also must realize that a society cannot function if there is no divide at all. Look at the Puritan society, or The Scarlet Letter. If you have no divide, then everyone will agree on all decisions, even if they are unfair or just plain crazy and demented. With the presence of a cultural divide, there is also a group present to disagree on certain ideas that all other may agree on. For example, if everyone in a Puritan society believed they should kill people who drink, the new “law” would most likely be implemented because they all had the same beliefs. If there was a percentage of Quakers, Jews, Germans and Scots-Irish in that Puritan community, the “law” would most likely not be passed because some ethnic groups would not agree due to their own beliefs, which could in turn save many lives. I do, on the other hand, agree with your statement that “The positive is that the members of a community achieve a certain amount of comfort in the similarity of others. This comes from an innate tribalism that says "they're like me, they must be ok". That is the cement upon which racism and discrimination were founded”. There definitely is a negative and positive side to this subject and I think all we can do now is draw from our personal experiences since there is no way to deduce a right or wrong answer.
When immigrants moved to the americas, one of the main reasons was to get better opportunities to start a new life. During the time from then to now, some things changed, and some did not. One of the main reason that places reamin segregated in regions like Chinatown, Little Italy, etc. is the language barriers that people need to face when in an unfamiliar area. Also, there is that fear in which culture clashes occur, and will result in a terrible misuderstanding. Though, most of the reasons that immigrants stay "with there own" is because of fear. The ways that it happens could be different, but fundimentally the same. For example, a greek environment would have multiple Greek citizens that sharte the same language, culture, foods, etc. have things they share with one another. Hence, as an newly renound immigrant of the United states need to settle in slowly but surely with something at least a bit familiar in his/her eyes. The downside to this is that, at one point when will that specific person move to a different area in which he/she can interact with different cultures. Being in one specific region with the same group of people could bring a person into a one sided point of view, having to be biased to one belief, and would not be able to cope with curcusmtaces when it is vital to interact with another race.
I believe that having cultures grouped together with other cultures is a truly positive thing. Having the varying cultures melt together can bring out the best of every culture. However, sheltering the races from each other can lead to animosity. Understanding between cultures must happen, and that is what helped America become such a success.
While America has had its own racial communities, those walls were broken down a bit, and all the cultures have grown to live together peacefully (mostly). It would most definitely be a bad thing for people to block themselves from other races and cultures.
When people are divided, there is disunity, which leads to disagreement, which leads to tension.
I see the cultural grouping together as a mostly a positive occurrence, for groups of people banded together to make the settling of America easier. Earning enough money to live decently was not an easy thing, and people strived to create a family environment by sticking with the people they came over with, forming closely knit, but prejudiced communities. This is the singular negative point i see in settling in segregated groups. The people in these groups, having the same backgrounds, presumably encompassing social and economic, will generally think the same way and tend to react to situations in similar fashions. Diversity is an important part of our modern day cities, and it is one of the more powerful advocates for the great freedoms we enjoy here in America. Though having culturally closely knit environments is good, having a diverse - but functional society is also important.
But how do you maintain the balance between maintaining one's native culture and integrating into one's new culture?
Also, as a culture, how do we maintain a strong sense of what it means to be "American" while still accepting the diversity of other cultures in our midst?
This is one of the fundamental struggles of the United States throughout history. And now, many other countries are encountering this challenge at the same time. What other countries can you find that are dealing with the integration of immigrants into their country?
Check out this article as something to think about along these lines:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7503757.stm
Also, to add on...how were these issues potentially different when everyone was an immigrant?
Well i feel as though having different racial groups has in fatc become a both positive and negative action. Because of these racial seperation early natives american and the puritans were not able to communicate with one another on a peaceful level beacuse they made it seem like its everyone race for themselves. th epuritans, irish, english, french etc. all looked after the people whom were in there racial ethinc and cultural background. I they did not do this there is a slant possibilty that history could have been changed and all the war and fights would seice to exist. The people could have united as one (which they eventually end up doing anyway) and become a melting pot with different people bringing in different ideas. So maybe the English would not have starved due to lack of know ledge on how to catch fish and how to live in the wilderness because they would have had the ative americans help them
I understand where the early Puritans are coming from i regards to sticking with their own country and peole. It's really hard to trust people especially when the wole reason for settlements is land, money, and power. Not everyone will feel at ease with the other cultures. By staying together the immigrants were able to keep their traditions and beliefs allive and they were also able to pass on their languages and ways of life to their children. This confinment that they had may be what lead to the fine racial diversity we have today. Their was intermarriage taking place so what is everyone just mixe up and produced with other cultures, religions, and people. Then the children would be mived and wat if they married another ethnic group slowly the ideals and traditions of the early immigrants would be lost beacause their is only so much parents can teach their kids about ther religion. When a person is mixed with 9 ot 10 differnt races i highly doublt they will be able to were the garments speak the languages and pass it on to their children along side what their partners traditions are . The childs mind will be confused because its just too much. By creating this wall and boundary aroung themselves each immigrant nation kept the beliefs and traditions of their people alive and helped ring it into today's world.
As a nation we are known as Americans but can anyone really define what it means to be american. In my opinion their is no American culture or American tradition. America as I see it is in fact the one place where every single race,ethnicity,culture, and traditon can be found. America doesn't have a belief unlike England where it was the Roman Catholic church that defined the nation. America is made up of different people coming together and creating a society built aound their beliefs and thoughts. Today America isn't the richest country but it is the most treasured. Why? Because we are rich in race and diversity. we have so many people hear and becaus of who they ar and what they believe we have a nation that does not follow won religion or accept one tradition to be celebrated. We are a nation of devine sultany.
As a country there has been alot of struggle towards this acceptance of the racial diversity that exists in America. But we accept new traditions and we help keep tem alive by not forcing people to partake in the activities or to believe in it. We give our people freedo of speech, press, religion, culture, etc. there is freedom to be who you are but no one is authorized to force this said tradition or belief on another person!
http://www.workpermit.com/news/2007-05-28/japan/immigration-policy-change-necessary.htm
this website gives an example of what happens to a country when immigrants and diversity are not allowed. In Japan their population is decreasing. They have a very tight and closed acceptance of immigration. Unfortunaltely in 2005the population of the island nation began to drop, with the current growth rate at -0.088%. Without immigrants a contry cannot survive It is extimated that by 2050 the population will have declined by a quarter if if continues to drop at this rate.
America nver truly had this whole no immigration clause in the beginnig because their really was no devine government for the whole country (their wasn't even a whole country found). There were walls for example the african Americans stook togetehr on those plnatations in utter fear of their masters. The white men stayed together discussing the money the made off of slaves and oth e conversations. The civil war and african american movements changed this. It was the people taht wanted to stay balled up in their own racial communities and environments. An example would be when Martin Luther King Jr. told the story of how he was playing with a caucasian boy who was his friend when suddenly the boys mother came and dragged him away. This was because he was od african american race. the whites wanted to stay together to destroy the blacks and be the dominating race.
Whoa, slow down. Although I agree with a good number of the points Nemin is making, we have to look at colonial times as well. Like Ms. Chipman said, "How were these issues potentially different when everyone was an immigrant". When people were first coming to America, there was no minority or majority groups in the sense that we understand them now, people were people. Everyone had something different to share, and keep. Everyone was simply trying to keep there own culture alive, which sadly resulted in discrimination. To continue referring to Ms. Chipman's questions, it is very difficult to balance your culture as well as a new and "generally accepted" culture. People achieve self satisfaction in relation to their culture by celebrating holidays, eating cultural foods, staying true to the beliefs, continuing practice of their language, as well as many other things. Another question Ms. Chipman asked was "how do we maintain a strong sense of what it means to be "American" while still accepting the diversity of other cultures in our midst?". I think this question is very hard to answer because everyone, I would guess, has a different idea of what "being an American" really is. Also, we all accept cultural diversity in many ways: some fully submerge themselves in other cultures, some just learn about cultures, and some people stay out of the matter altogether. We all act differently, but as a whole I think America thrives by drawing from cultural ideas, traditions, and beliefs and using them to better the country as a whole. America is different from other countries, like Australia, Canadian, African (mainly Northern and Southern), European, and Asian countries that receive smaller numbers of immigrants and don't tend to reflect the other cultures as well as America reflects it’s many cultures.
I believe that Americans keep their identity through the fact that such diversity exists. The balance of diversity and cultural ties that America struck was perfect. While small, separate communities existed, they all worked together.
In the colonial period, all these separate racial groups did business with each other, and were comfortable with other racial groups (for the most part).
I agree with Jerome; that Americans keep their identity through diversity. America is considered a melting pot of all different ethnic groups and religious groups, etc. So i think that Americans are defined by the diversity of the country. Americans are proud for the diversity. But, also at the same time, even though it is called a melting pot, is it really? we have little italy and greek town and china town, which are individual sections filled with one kind of ethnicity. So even though we have all of this diversity, is it really??? If you look a little closer there are sections and those sections are divided by ethnicity. I wouldn't say that it is a melting pot, rather a country filled with diversity, but organized in a sense, DIVIDED.
Taylor makes an excellent point (and not just because she agreed with me).
Though we can say we are a diverse nation, we still are very much divided. Some of it may be unavoidable, but we are not a thoroughly diverse population.
Not extremely often will you see a group of friends consist of multiple races. While we have a perspective going to LP, where the diversity is astounding, the rest of the nation is much different.
Alex i see where you are coming from but generally we have the same idea. It is in fact hard to keep your culture alive especially when the country you are living in is so diverse and filled with other cultures and attributes that may coincide with your own. Its a hard matter when your trying to raise your family and children around a certain belief. I am talking about the times of immigrancy. For example the Germans and the quakers found the good areas in Pennsylvania but when the Scot -Irish came there weren't realll good places to settle so they went into that frontier. They were generally in the middle of the white landowners, Indians, German , and the Quakers. So much religion, tradition , cukture, and lifestyles are being thrown into consideration that its almost impossible to not recognize.The new immigrant groups that mingled and intermarried, laid down the base for the new and wonderful multicultural American national identity unlike anything known in the other countries. This is what makes America unique Though the immigrants at the time did not realize what they were creating the effect of their lifestyles is seen today. The strange thing for me is the fact that racism ever came to exist because whose to say that the Caucasian male who disliked African american wasn't actually mixed with that blood type due to family relations? so it like hatig yourself.
wow am I late,to touch on the fact in which how to have still have a strong sense of being "American" while holding dear to one cultre is the fact in which one main belief in America is Freedom. Even though citizens stand devided by cultures it does not mean America stands devided. For example, America is separated into multiple cultures, but America is also separated into the fifty states. These states in which have there own way of life. Life in the northern states will be different from the southern states. Still even with the devision of multiple states the country is still a whole. Even though one person might not "melt" well in to the melting pot, eventually he/ she has to because that is how the society is made up of. This is different from the immigration era because the "Idea" of American was still not set in stone. America which is devided into the fifty states (Hawaii is not even close to the other states) is still a union
Sorry for the extremely belated response, but to answer Ms. Chipman's question, "How do we maintain a strong sense of what it means to be 'American' while still accepting the diversity of other cultures in our midst?", I don't think we can say that we know what it is to be American. I know I might be repeating some stuff that's already be stated, but I can't emphasize enough how unique this culture is. Who is to say that one person is more American than the next? Diversity is the definition of America. Without it, there is no such thing as American culture. This unparalleled fusion of cultures is unique to only America and what gives it the name the "melting pot". Being American is having pride in America, not just in your ancestry. We cannot be fixated in this belief that we are more American than someone else. "Accepting the diversity of others in our midst" IS "maintaining a strong sense of what it means to be American". The two things go hand in hand.
To answer the other question, "How do you maintain the balance between keeping one's native culture and integrating into one's new culture", the answer is simple - receptiveness. One has to open-minded. There can be no right or wrong, no good or bad. As for maintaining one's own identity, I think culture is inseparable from one's identity. For example, me being Hindu, I have to understand and appreciate my heritage, rituals and festivals, while also being receptive to the rich historical and cultural implications of holidays like "Thanksgiving", "Hannukah", "Christmas", and "Kwanzaa". Without acquiring knowledge of the other cultures around me, I may never understand what it truly means to be American.
Yes in history many different ethnic groups migrated to the United states and formed their own little communities. This has positive and negative effects. Some positive effects are that the emmigrants are allowed to express themselves freely without being persecuted with people around them that they can relate to and understand more. However there is a negative and this is about the only major one and that is these neighbourhoods are very one race and very segregated, so sometimes when other people come into these communities they are shunned and are looked wierd upon.
However all in all these communities are fine and provide more positive effects than negative effects.
Segretation- not good
Diversity- very good
so it's up to the people within the community to find a balance between the two. With out a balance we fall more into tribalism than into preserving a culture. With the balance, a culture is preserved but also left open to other ways and customs.
I agree with Joanne - it's really up to the person to choose whether they are going to be receptive or not. They have to choose if they are willing to accept. I also think that we need a new question, because I think we've just about exhausted this one :]
Though joanne makes a good point I feels as though it is not only the responsibility of the person but also of the society. Generally people have a leader of the community or a chief. It is up to the chief to set the grand rules when these rules have been set and preserved to a limit then a general understanding will appear amongs the people. Maybe the leader of this community may choose to allow the whole society to celebrate and take a day to believe in and respect a religion that a family or culture has brought into that society. The chief isn't saying change into this religion and accept this culture as your own but rather respect it and further understand it. People gain knowledge and intellligence by living in this life style. Not only will you understand your own culture and tradition but that of another. It creates awareness amongs the people.
arguing with what joanne said yes segregation is bad and diversity is good. However those two things do not always go as we would like them too that is just life and sometimes things are not the way that they are supposed to be and we just have to live with what we have
I agree and disagree with the idea that Nemin mentioned; (agree) because society could be determined by whoever the leader is and that could lead to some people disliking ideas of the leader since those people might believe in different cultures or religion. (disagree) I wouldn't say that for our modern lives now because such places as CHINATOWN, there are not leaders but a community of different races and such; people aren't being forced to believe in this or that.. :-D
to further what Charlie said, while it's true that diversity is ideal, and segregation is a bad idea, it would be extremely unlikely. I believe that human nature/human mind places restrictions/stereotypes on various
characteristics (such as skin color, voice accent, etc.).
While I do agree that's this way of thinking is wrong, in our heads there would be like a barrier to stick with people you know and can communicate with better, rather than someone different than you.
The positive effects of having different cultures by themselves is that some of them can communicate to each other without having language problems. Because if some of them has just come to America and they don't understand any English at all it would be hard for them to adjust to it. But the negative effect is that people don't expand their knowledge or their language in just a town full of people that speaks the same language as you do back in your original country. I guess if you live in different places and try new things it would help expand your knowledge and other cultures.
True, but the problem is that you don't want to feel different from everyone else. Rarely anyone would want to be a nonconformist since they would feel alienated because they took a new approach. It's known about 90% of people are followers, and only 10% are leaders Again, human nature prevents us from tihnking outside the box, and the end result is this internal segregation.
There are both benefits and negatives to having ethnic groups. Some benefits include a better sense of understanding, comfortability, and power as a group. Negatives include seperation and conflict. However, we have to think about the human nature. People flock to groups that are similar to them. EX: If an Indian had a choice of an Indian neighborhood to live in or one of another ethnicity, he would choose the Indian one. Being in a group of similar people of similar culture/interests is very important for humans to thrive.
With this in mind, it also brings up negatives. If we ONLY flock to those we are familiar with, then there can be no diversity. There would be multitudes of groups, but no real diversity. Also, the problem of conflict within different groups arise. People will naturally disagree. If we have a strong enough of a sepearation in groups, the unity would then cause seperation.
So to wrap it up, cultures being grouped together is a GOOD thing. But culture is only a SUB category. We are still Americans, and should be united as such at all times.
In response to Huy: But because there is a multitude of groups, there is diversity. As Lisa said, the definition of America is diversity. Despite the fact that some ethnic groups stay together, at some point we all interact with each other; thus, allowing a more understanding of each other. Yes, we are seperated into different groups and there is always the chance of conflict but because of much interaction throughout history, people understand each other better.
Jimmy - well what i was asically trying to say is taht in today's society there are stil people who wish to remain within their own racial groups and cultures. I used Chinatown as an example because there is generally only Asian Americans there. They keep there traditions alive by making the bulidings look like taht of China and the food, cloths, store, etc. take people into the world of China. by doing this they are finding there own way to keep their tradition alive in the hearts of there families. They are exposing there children to Chinese culture and when the children go to school they are exposed to american culture. Jimmy you confused me wat is this or that? well my generalization of your argument is that the people aren't bein forced to live in Chinatown by the figurative "leader". Lie i said before he "leader" isn't forcing the people to believe and accept one tradition as their own and leave their own beliefs alone. By leader I generally mean the person who's words influence the people around him or her. (maybe the father or man of the house). The person who holds the authority in Chinatown isn't forcing the citizens to live there its is under the people's free will. They choose to live there. Jimmy I think you actually agree with me but got mixed up in my wording. or it could be vice versa. cause i don't really understand your bases for disagreeing with me.
I agree with primrose, at somepoint in our daily routines we cross paths with people who aren't the same race as us. But we do not fight them or get into arguments with them because we have adapted to them and made them our friends. The whole idea with conflict, i personally believe that it isn't generated around the idea of race but rather the personality of the people and how they correspond with others. The problem thats the people in this world have nothing to do with race its all about personality and actions.
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