Broad literature is suggestive of inhumane treatment with Native Americans and African America Slaves. In general, much of the emphasis seemed to be white dominance over other ethnicities. However, as we saw in Zinn’s “History”, this was not always the situation. In 1741 there were thousands of indentured servants, both white and black in New York City. These were not slaves and they had a right to bear arms. This belied the slave issue for all blacks. Takaki gives us a new perspective in his article, “A Different Mirror: A Conversation with Ronald Takaki". He makes a point of challenging the traditional school narrative that our country was founded by Americans of European ancestry. He advocates a multicultural approach. Virginians first brought in indentured servants from England and Ireland---a white laboring …show more content…
How many have heard of Angel Island on the west coast which served the same purpose as Ellis Island on our east coast? During the immigration periods, we see individuals wanting to leave their home country for the promise of a better life in a new country. That promise of an individual right to “pursuit of happiness” and opportunity has been attractive to human beings all over the world As we see in our readings, human beings were willing to sell themselves as indentured servants just to be able to come to the new world and, frequently, found themselves emotionally distressed. In our readings related to the Japanese, we may understand the need for security in our country but we may need to challenge how it was conducted. An entire ethnic group of American citizens were subjected to incarceration. Yet, most have heard about the valor displayed by Japanese Americans who served in World War II. Senator Inouye, for one, was awarded the Medal of Honor. We think about the injustice, harm and lack of equality that we have considered at
1. What is the argument of Ronald Takaki’s A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America? How does Takaki make that argument?
There are many contradictions pertaining to slavery, which lasted for approximately 245 years. In Woody Holton’s “Black Americans in the Revolutionary Era”, Holton points out the multiple instances where one would find discrepancies that lie in the interests of slaveowners, noble figures, and slaves that lived throughout the United States. Holton exemplifies this hostility in forms of documents that further specify and support his claim.
In Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State Virginia, Query 14 & 18 Jefferson uses the literary technique of compare and contrast as well as rhetorical questions to describe how white people are far more superior to slaves. However, by minimizing the validity of the African peoples beauty and way of life he only shows himself to be ignorant and insecure.As a result, Thomas Jefferson's Query 14 & 18 showcases the psychological disabilities that comes with “whiteness”.
Fighting a war against the oppression and persecution of a people, how hypocritical of the American government to harass and punish those based on their heritage. Magnifying the already existing dilemma of discrimination, the bombing of Pearl Harbor introduced Japanese-Americans to the harsh and unjust treatment they were forced to confront for a lifetime to come. Wakatsuki Ko, after thirty-five years of residence in the United States, was still prevented by law from becoming an American citizen.
In the United States prejudices against Japanese descendants was common. However following the shocking attack on Pearl Harbor (November 1941) that resulted in 2,300 casualties, twelve sank ships, nine damaged ships, 160 destroyed aircraft, and 150 damaged ships, produced an unprecedented hatred of Japan. The disaster of Pearl Harbor’s bombing termed December 7th “a date which will live in infamy” quoted by Franklin D. Roosevelt (Foner 858). Ultimately lead to Congress declaration of w...
Immigrants were held for long periods of time before they could get into America. People who had to send here were Steerages, a lower class, they had been “named” by the medical exams “E” for eye trouble, “K” for hernia, “L” for lameness, “X for mental defects, “H” for heart disease, Mary Gordon, 1987. In the other hand, Angel Island and Ellis Island had many differences between them. Ellis Island was in the East coast, Upper New York Bay. In additional, Ellis Island was a castle garden, and it was used for immigrants from Europe. “Immigrants could pass through Ellis Island in mere hours, though for some the process took days”, May Gordon, 1987. The immigrants who passed Ellis Island had been treated by terrible things such as “stolen their names and chalked their weaknesses in public on their clothing” Marry Gordon, 1987. Immigrants who had to go to the Angel Island was treated worse. They would be separated men from women and children at the moment they had arrived. Then they had to do the medical exams which required undressing in front of strangers. If they fail the test for various diseases they would be deported immediately. After all of the examinations, the immigrants did not pass through yet, they would wait in a detention dormitory and a bunk until the interrogation process, and this process took a few days to months. In conclusion, I rather to live in Ellis Island and
In “The Case for Reparations,” Ta-Nehisi Coates sets out a powerful argument for reparations to blacks for having to thrive through horrific inequity, including slavery, Jim Crowism, Northern violence and racist housing policies. By erecting a slave society, America erected the economic foundation for its great experiment in democracy. And Reparations would mean a revolution of the American consciousness, reconciling of our self-image as the great democratizer with the facts of our history. Paying such a moral debt is such a great matter of justice served rightfully to those who were suppressed from the fundamental roles, white supremacy played in American history.
In A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki’s tenth chapter Pacific Crossings he talked about the Japanese immigrants entering in American soil. Like every other group, their purpose to come to America was for a better life and away from overbearing economic hardships. Unfortunately, the Japanese were instead faced with long hours, racial discrimination and low wages. On page 260, “Monica found that the Japanese were not welcome in America. She heard whites call her father “shorty” and “Jap” (Takaki 260). Even the second generation Japanese, painfully noticed, were denied a claim to the land of their birth. As stated in the chapter, the Japanese had a stronger and a more organized central government.
A Different Mirror is the first chapter of the book “A Different Mirror” by Ronald Takaki. The chapter begins with the author, Ronald Takaki, describing an interaction with a cab driver. Takaki, an Asian-American, was asked by his cab driver what country he was from implying that because of his appearance there was little chance that Takaki was originally from America. This sets the tone for chapter indicating that some people do not share physical characteristics that are deemed “American,” but they very much are Americans.
people of different ethnicities. Such harm is observed in the history of North America when the Europeans were establishing settlements on the North American continent. Because of European expansion on the North American continent, the first nations already established on the continent were forced to leave their homes by the Europeans, violating the rights and freedoms of the first nations and targeting them with discrimination; furthermore, in the history of the United States of America, dark skinned individuals were used as slaves for manual labour and were stripped of their rights and freedoms by the Americans because of the racist attitudes that were present in America. Although racist and prejudice attitudes have weakened over the decades, they persist in modern societies. To examine a modern perspective of prejudice and racism, Wayson Choy’s “I’m a Banana and Proud of it” and Drew Hayden Taylor’s “Pretty Like a White Boy: The Adventures of a Blue-Eye Ojibway” both address the issues of prejudice and racism; however, the authors extend each others thoughts about the issues because of their different definitions, perspectives, experiences and realities.
Matsumoto studies three generations, Issei, Nisei, and Sansei living in a closely linked ethnic community. She focuses her studies in the Japanese immigration experiences during the time when many Americans were scared with the influx of immigrants from Asia. The book shows a vivid picture of how Cortex Japanese endured violence, discriminations during Anti-Asian legislation and prejudice in 1920s, the Great Depression of 1930s, and the internment of 1940s. It also shows an examination of the adjustment period after the end of World War II and their return to the home place.
Lee, Erika, and Judy Yung. Angel Island Immigrant Gateway to America. New York : Oxford University Press, 2012. Print.
The responsibility of the existing government bears for its historical misconduct of “Japanese’s American Civilians” & “The Bureau of Indian Affairs giving an apology to both civilians. The government today look back in the past were the United States enforced its ambition against civilians remove them out of their homes by threat, deceit, and force. And now sees the burdens of their agency’s history. The United States gave a speech for equality and forgiveness.
Imagine one day you’re told to pack your bags and leave your home for a prison camp and you have no clue when or if you will return. This was decreed by Executive Order 9066, authorizing the internment of Japanese Americans. The island on which I live was the first location in the U.S. to implement this persecution of residents of Japanese descent. Prompted by war hysteria, this injustice was recognized in a presidential apology as a constitutional failure. The lessons gleaned from executive order 9066 can be applied to current issues in our world, nation, and even college campuses. Growing up with this awareness, I am acutely attuned to discrimination of groups based on their ethnic or religious identities
Slavery was the core of the North and South’s conflict. Slavery has existed in the New World since the seventeenth century prior to it being exclusive to race. During those times there were few social and political concerns about slavery. Initially, slaves were considered indentured servants who will eventually be set free after paying their debt(s) to the owner. In some cases, the owners were African with white servants. However, over time the slavery became exclusive to Africans and was no limited to a specific timeframe, but life. In addition, the treatment of slaves worsens from the Atlantic Slave trade to th...