Examine the relationships among various racial and ethnic groups by completing the matrix below. Enter a different group into each row and column and then describe the relations between the two groups where their groups intersect in the matrix. Answer the questions following the matrix in paragraphs of 300 words each.
Racial and Ethnic Relations Matrix
Racial or Ethnic Group 1
Caucasians (Whites)
Racial or Ethnic Group 2
Natives (Indians)
Racial or Ethnic Group 3 Hispanics
Caucasians vs Hispanics
Hispanics vs Natives
Racial or Ethnic Group 4 Blacks (Africans)
Caucasians vs Blacks
Blacks vs Natives
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1. From the interactions in the matrix, what have you learned about these groups?
Judging from the interactions of the different groups, it is clear that there exists some form of discrimination between them, bringing about the issue of power struggle and dominance. Though this has reduced by a great extent since the earlier years, yet it cannot be completely ruled out. The Caucasians or the whites are the majority in the American population, accounting for over 70%. The blacks account for about 14% while the Hispanics are in the tune of 10%. The Natives, who are the Red Indians that were hunters and gatherers account for the remaining percentage (Booth, 17). With this disparity in numbers, there comes the issue of superiority, where the whites are seen as the superior people, being the majority. They therefore tend to see the other groups as lesser privileged. They feel that the immigrants should not have equal rights with the whites, referring to them as the minority. On the other hand, there exists some minor but not so profound difference between the Hispanics and the blacks fighting for supremacy. It is only the minority natives that do not seem to be so concerned about the issue of dominance. The existent divisions have led to the establishment of settlements meant for a specific group and the others tend to stay way from it. This is not only common in the settlement areas, even in the institutions of higher learning such as the University of California; there are different student groups for the different ethnic groups such as the blacks, Latinos and Asians. This indicates that the issue of ethnicity is still well rooted in the American society. Though it may not be well pronounced, yet there are those disparities that cannot be concealed and they end up betraying the true nature of the society; ethnicity and racial segregation are as real as it can be.
2. What do these groups have in common? What are their differences?
Though there are the existent differences, the groups have to find a common denominator in order to live as a community and to propel the economy of the country to its heights. First of all, all the other groups apart from the native Indians are immigrants into the Americas. The whites came in to colonize and occupy the land after it was discovered by Christopher Columbus. They came in from Europe. The blacks were brought in from Africa as slaves on the farms of the whites. The Hispanics and other groups came mostly from the Latin America region (Booth, 10). The groups interacted and intermarried, exchanging cultures and the way of life. This has led to the emergence of the American culture that cannot be necessarily attributed to a specific group. There are also differences among the groups. Chief among them is the economic and social classification. It is clear that the whites are the most dominant group in all aspects; academic, economic, political and social. They tend to dominate over every other group. There is also the issue of physique and the appearance of the individuals. This appears to hit hardly on the blacks, who have a dark complexion which propels the other groups to dissociate from them. Though the Asians are also quite different from the others, the discrimination against their color is not as profound.
3. Is one group’s assimilation more widespread than another’s in American society? What is the reason behind this?
The Asian society, mostly the Red Indians has been assimilated to a very great extent as compared to the other groups. In fact, at some point, it is quite difficult to tell exactly what the culture of this group is. As earlier indicated, there are specific settlements that are dominated by the other groups; the Blacks have their settlements, the Hispanics and Mexicans also have their areas of dominance. Of course, the whites are all over the posh areas of America. With this in mind, one would expect to hear about the settlements of the Red Indians, but there seems to be little or nothing on this. Even in the learning institutions where there are students associations affiliated to the other groups, there appears to be none for the Natives. This clearly indicates that the group has been well assimilated that it is almost gone. But there is a reason that explains this assimilation. From history, it is clear that the Red Indians were the first to set foot in the American continent. This happened as they pursued the wild game, given that their economic activity was hunting and gathering. They therefore followed the game wherever it went. Before the continental drift that separated the continents, there were some Indians who, in pursuit of the game, had moved from the Asian continent into America. When the drift occurred, they were trapped behind. This shows that their number was reduced even from the beginning. As the other groups started streaming in, they found the Red Indians there and started interacting with them immediately; they intermarried and exchanged cultures. This happened with all the subsequent groups that came in. therefore, the assimilation of the Indians can be attributed to their long interactions with the other groups which has significantly weakened the Indian culture.
4. How are these groups currently portrayed in American media? Has there been a change in how they were portrayed in the past 50 years?
The American media tries to portray the American culture by painting a picture of peaceful co-existence and unity in everything. However, there are incidences that occur and the media cannot help but report on the negative side. In most cases, the Caucasian community is reported as the ideal race, with the modest lifestyle, education and the like. They are peace-loving and people of integrity. The blacks are seen as unintelligent, being very brutal and prone to crime. It’s no wonder that the police forces are more brutal to this group and therefore prosecute them in large numbers. The Hispanics and Mexican communities are painted as lawless groups involved in drug trade across the borders. There is not much about the Native community. Despite these aspects, the media tries to a great extent to conceal the bad side of the community and portray a good image of America. However, this has not always been the case. Five decades ago, the media was not as modest as it is today. The Africans were seen as the minority group that had no right to anything in America. Discrimination against them was so much that they had to find ways of fighting for their justice, such as the movements organized by Martin Luther (Booth, 25). The Asian community on the other hand was portrayed as the lazy people who attached no great value to work ethics. It is no wonder that in the earlier days, the Whites opted to have the black slaves and servants since they were thought to be more productive than the Indians. The Hispanics were still portrayed as stubborn in smuggling drugs and other black market wares from Mexico. Again, it is only the whites that were portrayed in the positive light. Racism has always been present in the American media and society in general.
Works Cited
Booth, William, One Nation, Indivisible: Is It History? 1998. Washington Post, February 22, 1998. Web, 30th Dec. 2011, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/meltingpot/melt0222.htm
