Hispanic Americans
What is the group’s history in the United States?
Spanish invaders were the first representatives of this cultural group in America. In the middle of the 18th century, the first Spanish ships came to Alaska. Spanish-speaking citizens reached the territory of California and Texas and settled there.
What is the group’s population in the United States?
18.1% (United States Census Bureau, 2019)
What are some attitudes and customs people of this group may practice?
Religion plays an important role in the development of cultural habits of this group. Catholics and Protestants constitute the majority of the modern population. Hispanic Americans appreciate family values, a sense of honor, and dignity.
What is something you admire about this group’s people, lifestyle, or society?
The possibility to develop strong and tight relationships and respect regardless of the number of family members.
Native Americans
What is the group’s history in the United States?
Before the first Columbus’ expeditions reached America, there were Native Americans on this land. Not much evident information was saved from that time, and their history is discussed through myths and legends. Spanish invasion changed the lives of this group of people considerably.
What is the group’s population in the United States?
1.3% (United States Census Bureau, 2019)
What are some attitudes and customs people of this group may practice?
Religious beliefs and rituals are developed in the population to support the idea that spirits can be discovered in all the things around, both animate and inanimate. The connection between humans and the natural world is integral, promoting respect and fear. Totemism, shamanism, and spiritualism are central concepts in Native American customs.
What is something you admire about this group’s people, lifestyle, or society?
These people remain devoted to their principles and beliefs despite modern progress, technologies, and social transformations.
African Americans
What is the group’s history in the United States?
The representatives of this group were brought to the country from Africa as slaves for local rich citizens.
What is the group’s population in the United States?
13.4% (United States Census Bureau, 2019)
What are some attitudes and customs people of this group may practice?
Family reunions and parental respect are promoted among African American citizens, along with the ideas of personal freedoms and civil rights.
What is something you admire about this group’s people, lifestyle, or society?
It is a group of people with the strongest spirit as they were able to survive on new land and reach impressive progress from poor slaves to the leaders of the country.
Asian Americans
What is the group’s history in the United States?
First immigrants from China to the United States were observed in the middle of the 19th century. They came to find good jobs and earn a living. Before World War II, Asian migration was banned, and the situation changed after the beginning of the Vietnam conflict.
What is the group’s population in the United States?
5.8% (United States Census Bureau, 2019)
What are some attitudes and customs people of this group may practice?
Religious diversity is based on three major philosophies, including Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Hierarchical and paternal principles rule in family relationships. Please, balance and harmonies serve as the major principles of the group.
What is something you admire about this group’s people, lifestyle, or society?
The possibility to control emotions in different situations due to strong religious beliefs impresses many people.
Caucasian Americans (white)
What is the group’s history in the United States?
White people from Europe (Italy, Germany, and Great Britain) came to the American land to find good living conditions.
What is the group’s population in the United States?
60.7% (United States Census Bureau, 2019)
What are some attitudes and customs people of this group may practice?
These people contributed to the development in different fields, including science, literature, and politics. New music styles, social movements, and inventions differentiated the group from other inhabitants. Education, technology, and legal systems were promoted among the citizens.
What is something you admire about this group’s people, lifestyle, or society?
Despite the existing variety of interests and knowledge, this population was able to assimilate and follow the same direction for its development.
Pacific Islanders
What is the group’s history in the United States?
First Polynesian Islands were discovered in the 17th century and brought to the American land by English discoverers.
What is the group’s population in the United States?
0.2% (United States Census Bureau, 2019)
What are some attitudes and customs people of this group may practice?
Honor, nobility, music, and dance are the major components of the local lifestyle.
What is something you admire about this group’s people, lifestyle, or society?
Relax atmosphere of Hawaii makes millions of people enjoy the beauty of nature.
Analysis
Cultural diversity is an issue that undergoes frequent discussions from multiple perspectives. Diversity is a positive outcome that is based on various experiences that promote perfection in different fields (Vanalstine, Cox, & Roden, 2015). It is also a source of competition, a lack of trust, and other challenges in public relationships. Therefore, it is important to consider the benefits and challenges of pluralism in constructing group identity.
The assimilation process plays an important role in human development and progress. US society uses the distinctive features of each cultural group. However, despite the integrated knowledge and experience, certain stereotypes exist and cannot be ignored. For example, Asian or Hispanic Americans offer their cuisine traditions, but compared to the White group, these groups have to compete and prove their appropriateness to American citizens. Their food can never be defined as traditional in the United States, although their historical roots are longer than those of the White Americans.
The social concept of race has been solved during a considerable period, and people experience certain changes. African Americans, who constitute about 13% of the total population, were brought as slaves to the United States (United States Census Bureau, 2019).
Nowadays, they have reached recognition, demonstrated their political and social ambitions, and proved their civil rights, but some of them continue suffering from the outcome of racial inequality. Racial-based prejudice and stereotypes exist in many layers of social life, and each group faces its own challenges: Pacific Islanders seem too naïve, African Americans are aggressive, White Americans are selfish, Asian Americans are fast, Native Americans are isolated, and Hispanic Americans are dangerous.
American society includes the representatives of different groups, and their traditions, customs, and beliefs help to build a system of behavioral and thinking patterns. However, multiculturalism may perform either positive or negative functions, depending on existed stereotypes and attitudes. Class systems and employment undergo considerable changes and prejudiced opinions through the prism of the chosen patterns.
For example, Hispanic Americans take care of their families in personal and professional development, African Americans focus on self-progress and self-improvement, White Americans demonstrate their superiority, Asian Americans stay invisible but responsible, Pacific Islanders rely on creativity, and Native Americans prefer to stay in reservations. These racial and cultural differences prove the success of the United States and show how it is necessary to unite and deal with diversities.
References
Vanalstine, J., Cox, S. R., & Roden, D. M. (2015). Cultural diversity in the United States and its impact on human development. Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences, 18(1), 125-143.
United States Census Bureau. (2019). Quick facts: United States. Web.