History 270 Lecture 2

DEFINITIONS:

CONCEPTUALIZING RACE AND ETHNICITY IN AMERICA

I.  The American:  "this new man"

        A.  Hector St. John de Crevecoeur

        B.  The Browning of America

                1.  Race Conflict
                2.  Competition between Minorities
                3.  Education

II.  Race and Ethnicity as Concepts

        A.  Ethnicity

                1.  culture
                2.  descent
                3.  socially constructed

        B.  "Race"

                1.  Racial Science
                2.  socially constructed
                3.  Legally defining "white"
                4.  Still a useful categorization?

        D.  Power and Influence

                1.  2000 Census

III.  Assimilation vs. Cultural Pluralism

        A.  Anglo-conformity

        B.  Melting Pot

        C.  Cultural Pluralism

IV.  Thought Questions

- How has culture shaped race and ethnic relations?

- What has been the relationship between race and class?

- How have the experiences of racial minorities in the U.S. been similar to and different from each other?

- How can racial inequality be explained, and what public policies or strategies are needed to address it?