Chapter 5 Flashcards
What is “whiteness”?
More of a social construct than a defined race. A mix of just skin tone AND cultural norms. A japanese man might not be considered “white” despite his culture being very standard “american” purely for his appearance.
It means whatever the ruling white class wants it to mean. Noel Ignatiev wrote “Whiteness is nothing but an expression of race privilege”
Religion’s impact on dividing race
Different religions are popular in different regions of the world, meaning the cultures of people who look different and are from different places might be vastly different between Hinduism and Catholicism.
Religion’s impact on uniting race.
Some religions and religious ideas can also serve to bring people together, such as the concept of the “people of the book”
Rediscovering Ethnicity
The process of finding and exploring the culture of your family line, even if it was annihilated by assimilation.
The Third Generation Principle
Ethinicity is most often rediscovered on, or past, the third generation. “What the son wishes to forget, the grandson wishes to remember.”
Ethnic Paradox
A contradiction of wanting to keep ones own beliefs, and assimilate into a society where they are not welcome.
Symbolic Ethnicity
“ethnicity” without active involvement in ethnic activities. Purely eating “ethnic foods” and watering down cultural traditions to their most “american” form.
History of germans in America
Germans were mostly treated as “White”, until world war 2, but afterwards quickly returned to normal.
History of Irish in America
TBW
History of Polish in America
TBW
