Capstone Checkpoint

Capstone CheckPoint

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ETH 125

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instructor

Capstone CheckPoint

Throughout this course I have learned much about race and ethnicity in the United States. All of the information given in this course has helped me to better understand and relate to minority groups, immigration, and the diverse cultural history of the United States of America. In my research I learned something new about my German American cultural history, in that German Americans are the largest ethnic group in the United States making up well over 42 thousand people and have had the greatest influence on immigration. German Americans have had the strongest influence on the labor movement enabling immigrants to improve working conditions and integrate in American society. "The fate of immigrants, refugees, and migrant workers was experienced by the more than seven million Germans who emigrated to America over a period of three centuries. Their experiences ought not be forgotten. For these lessons from America can be learned and adapted by nations faced with large-scale immigration today." (Adams, 1993, p.2) Trends in immigration have become strongly Hispanic, and it is predicted that Hispanic Americans will no longer be considered a minority group in the United States by 2050. Immigration will continue to shape the face of the this Nation "According to projections by the Census Bureau, the proportion of residents of the United States who are White and non-Hispanic will decrease significantly by the year 2050. By contrast, there will be a striking rise in the proportion of both Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans." (Schaefer, 2006, p.6) For the United States to be best prepared for these changes the future will bring, minorities and immigrants must be treated better, but it is the individual that has to change because, "We see people around us, some of whom may look quite different from us. Do these differences matter? The simple answer is no." (Schaefer, 2006, p.9) To prepare for...