Racial and Ethnic Matter - Essay Example

Answer The website on Jewish Americans gives huge insight into the history of Jewish settlement in America. In 1654, 23 Jews who had come to News Amsterdam, the then Dutch owned colony in the new land, they were met with huge opposition. But due to their good reputation and hard working attitude in Holland, they got good recommendations and allowed to stay. The new land is now known as America and New Amsterdam is New York. They were the first Jews to migrate which was later followed by others from different parts of globe.

Jews found huge opportunities for economic growth but also met with huge challenges in maintaining their cultural identity within the more liberal environment of American values. The site has amply shown that Jews, despite being old immigrants, were never totally accepted within the mainstream American society. The various documentaries and films reveal that racial discrimination often reared its ugly head to give their due to them. This had also become very clear when Americans refused to interfere in the genocide of Jews in Germany by Hitler and his army.

This is of course very unfortunate and clearly indicates American policy of indifference to immigrants. But despite this, the freedom that Jews have enjoyed here has hugely facilitated the socio-economic and political growth. That is the main reason that have made great efforts in learning American customs and language in order to assimilate. But racial prejudices were strong factors that made it difficult though not impossible to live in America. They have enjoyed freedom and availed opportunities.

They place great value to education and ensured good education for all Jews. Doing the right thing is intrinsic part of Judaism which supports the cause of the poor and the needy. This has also become the major factor which has motivated Jews to promote causes that serve their community vis-a-vis hospitals, schools, settlement houses for poor etc. Indeed, in contemporary America, while cultural identity is not relevant in daily life but keeping traditions alive has been recognized by Jews. It has been realized by Jewish population that maintaining their traditions and culture is intrinsic part of their identity which must be preserved within the broader framework of Jewish American values.

Answer 2 The website of Japanese Americans has revealed the vacillating relationship between Japanese and Americans, especially during WWII. The Japanese Americans, especially the neis or the second generations Japanese Americans who had become legitimate citizens of America, had also not remained unaffected when war between Japanese and Americans had escalated during WW2. The attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequently, the changing perspectives towards Japanese immigrant population in America had increasingly become more vindictive.

Japanese Americans in America bore the repercussion of Pearl Harbor when 110,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated whose video clips never fail to stir the emotions. Japanese were first accepted because they brought the concept of cheap labor with them but they were seen as threat when they became farmers in their own rights. The racial prejudices and low tolerance towards immigrants was especially very evident during 1930s when depression had overtaken the Europe and America in its shackles.

While the Japanese immigrants lived in poor conditions but they never feared hard work as a result, they were able to survive the hardship. But the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan brought untold misery to the Japanese Americans living in America. They were forcibly removed and interned with bare minimum belongs. False court cases and massive raids in their office and houses by FBI became a routine form of harassment. Their deportment to war ravished Japan was forcibly carried out. While many of the cases of WWII were finally in favor of Japanese, the havoc that they had wrecked during WWII could never be forgotten.

In the current times, though the relations between the two and the status of Japanese Americans have been reinstated with higher regard to the business capabilities of Japanese, there still remains the doubt over their fate if another Pearl Harbor like incident should occur. The case of Japanese Americans clearly shows that even though America boasts of non discrimination and equal rights to its citizens, but when matter related to legitimate citizens of immigrant families are raised, mainstream American population is divided in its commitment to equality and freedom.

The huge discrimination which is subtly practiced within the mainstream population adversely impacts the wider welfare of people coming from different culture, religion, race and color. Hence, it is important that American constitution becomes more sincere in implementing its postulated of equality and equal opportunity cutting across race, color and culture. (words: 770) Reference Jewish Americans. Retrieved from: http://www.pbs.org/jewishamericans/watch/index.html Japanese Americans. Retrieved from: http://www.

asianamericanmedia.org/jainternment/ww2/index.html