Race_and_Ethnicity_in_the_United_States

Race and Ethnicity in the United States Learning about Native Americans and the history between them and European settlers has allowed me to better understand and relate to the hardships that Native Americans have undergone since colonial times. The United States has taken most of the land originally occupied by or deeded to Native Americans; restricted their movement; severed agreements; created a special legal status for them; and after World War II, attempted to move them again. American Indians were the first ethnic groups to suffer from the effects of prejudice and racism in the United States. I have also learned about my own African American culture. One fact that I learned was that Africans’ history in the United States began not with Africans as slaves, but as indentured servants. The first of these servants arrived in Jamestown in 1619; some free Blacks even accompanied European explorers, maybe even Columbus. By the 1660s, the British colonies had passed laws making Africans slaves for life, forbidding interracial marriages, and making children of slaves bear the status of their mother regardless of their father’s race. Due to trends in immigration, the face of the United States continues to change. According to projections by the Census Bureau, the proportion of residents of the United States who are White and non-Hispanic will decrease significantly by the year 2050. By contrast, there will be a striking rise in the proportion of both Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans. One way that the United States can prepare for the changing race of its current and future citizens is to educate children through school curriculum aimed at the teaching of the different cultures that make up America. The media also plays a vital role in society’s perception of different races and cultures. Political leaders should also emphasize the importance of Americans becoming educated in the cultures of other races, especially those cultures that are significant in the United States, and stress the importance of respecting these different cultures. Taking these measures will help to reduce the instances of stereotyping, prejudice, and racism and eventually reduce the negativity that results from these behaviors.