Ethnic Groups In America Case Study

1. Why did people who lived in the US before get upset when new groups arrived? – People who lived in the U.S. before got upset when new groups arrived because it, “…seeds of new and serious social problems for American society and an acceleration of its social and structural breakdown” (2). In addition to a “structural breakdown,” it also made Americans worry that the United States was no longer prepared to manage its borders and therefore losing the idea of American standards. Americans also perceived that the U.S. could not, “…afford the cost of caring for the new ethnic immigrant groups” (2).

2. What are some examples of ethnic groups that have experienced this kind of treatment in the past in the United States? – From the beginning of the European settlement, this kind of treatment has taken place in the U.S. because many worry about the, “…economic impoverishment of the newcomers and the fears about them ‘taking away’ jobs from those already in the country or impacting their wages...” (3). In the past, ethnic groups such as Catholics, Jews, Asians, Chinese, and Japanese have experienced this sort of treatment. A recent example of this type of treatment can be identified when referring to a fairly new law passed in Arizona. This law in Arizona makes it unlawful for a non-U.S. resident to be in Arizona without appropriate documentation. This law has unquestionably been a source of recent …show more content…
If this same thing has happened over and over in the United States, and things have turned out fine, why do people in the US today not learn from that experience and accept newly arriving immigrants? – The reason why people in the U.S. today have not learned from that experience is because they may see immigrants as a threat. Similar to the question before, Americans are worried that immigrants will take jobs away from them or cause a social collapse the United States. Though all Americans are essentially immigrants, maybe they are too worried that America will