Assimilation and Acculturation - Essay Example

2) Is the USA a plural society or a melting pot? Take a position and defend your position. The USA can be considered both a plural society and a melting pot. Since Americans have the freedom to be separate, like the Amish, White Supremacist groups, or certain Islamic groups, the USA is a plural society. However main streams Americans are a melting pot. Irish, African American, Latino, Polish, German, and other diverse cultures work, play, love, and intermix daily in America. All of the cultures keep a part of their heritage but melt with the other cultures as well. 3) Compare and contrast the Amish of Pennsylvania and the Cajuns of Louisiana.

How did these groups end up where they are and what is unique about them? Amish Mennonites immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 18th century due to religious wars, poverty, and religious persecution in Europe. The Amish shun technology and keep to themselves. Cajuns are descendants of Acadian exiles, French-speaking settlers from parts of what is now Canada. The Cajuns speak evolved French, despite being Americans. 4) Contrast the rimland and heartland political theories of geopolitics. Rimland is the land surrounding a country, like the states on the border of America.

Heartland is the land inside a country. The political theory is the rimland holds the key to the heartland’s defense. If the rimland falls, then the heartland is in danger. However, some feel the heartland is more important due to its impenetrability. The heartland can supply the rimland with support in any war or fight. Although there is no doubt that the rimland trade advantages are vital to a country. 5) Describe how formal and functional regions can be applied to political geography.

Give your own examples. Formal regions are regions with defining features from border to border, like the USA. The USA is political geography since it is a democracy. Functional regions are regions where the defining feature of the region lays around a central place. Washington D.C. is a functional region since American politics revolve around Washington. Another example of a functional region in political geography other than Washington D.C. is USA state capitals. 6) Discuss a USA national landscape icon and why it is considered an icon.

The Grand Canyon is a national landscape icon of the USA. The Grand Canyon represents the largeness of the West. It is the largest canyon. The Colorado River carved over a vast number of years. The wildness of the West being tamed by Americans can be seen in the symbolic Colorado River taming the Grand Canyon. This is why the Grand Canyon has become an iconic landscape. 7) What are the linguistic roots of modern English? Is there more than one English language today? Give examples. Greek and Latin are the roots of modern English.

There is more than one English language today. Great Britain, American, New Zealand, and Australia all have their own English that is pronounced and spelled differently. In the United States, Ebonics is English spoken by African Americans. Cajuns speak a mixture of French and English. 8) Describe the spatial distribution of ethnic and national origin groups in the USA. Be geographically specific. The spatial distributions of ethnic and national origins are numerous. The Amish settled in the North East.

The Cajuns settled in Louisiana. Mexican Latinos have settled in Mexico/USA Border States in the South and South West. Cubans have settled in Florida. Italians have settled in the North East. Chinese have settled in California. Mormons have settled in Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. Samoans have settled in Hawaii. These are generalizations since diverse Americans can be found in every state. 9) Give a modern (post-1980s) example of ethnic cleansing. What were the motivations behind it and what groups/individuals were perpetrators and victims?

An example of ethnic cleansing can be seen in Rwanda. In 1994, the Hutu and Tutsis ethnic differences turned into ethnic cleansing. The Hutu are darker colored Rwandans. The Tutsis are lighter colored Rwandans. When Belgium colonized Rwanda, the Belgium colonists used the Tutsis due to their light color. The Hutu never forgot the slight after liberation. The Hutus killed between 1/2 and 1 million Tutsis in around 100 days. 10) Describe the ethnic neighborhood you know best. What makes it an ethnic neighborhood?

Describe the cultural landscape of this neighborhood. The ethnic neighborhood I know best is African American. It is ethnic because there is 95% of African Americans living there. The cultural landscape is an African American one, not exactly African, but African American. These people come from slaves, immigrants, and even have some white roots (though none would admit it). The church is a big part of the community. This is a community where everyone knows everyone’s business. It is a good community, very African American.