During the course of the semester, my understanding of race and ethnic relations has changed considerably. Moreover, this understanding has critically influenced me both personally and professionally. I have gained a lot of insight on the different races and ethnic communities in the United States. Also, I now understand how differences such as culture and language create barriers and at the same time enhance national cohesion. Throughout the history of the United States of America, varying majority-minority relationship patterns exist. Through the course, I now understand how the ethnocentric values in America encouraged the natural development of in-group loyalty as well as out-group hostility among the immigrants and the indigenous groups. Hence, the insight on race and ethnic relations in America has changed my personal and professional views on the same.
The course has taught me ways in which immigrants maintain good relationships both with their country of origin and the one they have immigrated to. In today’s society, an immigrant group has the aptitude to maintain prompt and continuous relationships with their home countries through rapid transport, telecommunication, as well as continued newcomers’ arrival (Parrillo, 2015). For instance, geographic proximity benefits the Caribbean and Mexican immigrant groups. Through instant communication, the home country can exert more impact over its immigrant than in the previous years. Therefore, increase in social contact augments cultural transmission. Evidently, the connection with the motherland also impacts politics. For example, I learned that the homeland effect among Asian Americans influenced their U.S. political non-participation until the process of acculturation resolutely took root.
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Based on the sight gained from Marcus Hansen, a historian and Pulitzer Prize winner, there is a customary pattern of ethnic revival in what he refers to as the “law of the return of the third generation.” In fact, Hansen advocates a trend in the collapse and upsurge of ethnic distinctiveness in succeeding American generations. Further, I have learned about two crucial concepts: naturalization and transnationalism (Parrillo, 2015). Personally, I celebrate the idea of nationalization since immigrants are now eligible to become naturalized American citizens. I have been a strong supporter of movements that seek to eliminate racism, stereotypes, and discrimination. Therefore, learning from the course that we are headed towards forming an American nation that knows no racial boundaries makes me excessively joyous. Similarly, transnationalism makes the overused terms of integration, assimilation, or isolation of immigrants obsolete.
Robert Park’s connotation of the association between spatial and social mobility is extraordinarily perceptive. The place a person lives is a telling sign of upward mobility just like education, income, and occupation. I also recall learning on the lessened ethnicity that is caused by assimilation and high rates of intermarriage (Parrillo, 2015). Professionally, I perceive this to be the reason behind the reduction in the intergenerational diffusion of characteristic cultural traits. I have noted that despite the social assimilation and integration into the middle-class, the third- and fourth generation Americans sustain quiet link to their motherlands. My professional insight into this issue is that ethnicity is a daily reality that very few people take seriously. Therefore, I have gained new desire throughout the semester to help immigrants around me feel comfortable and appreciated.
Evidently, I have gained much insight on race and ethnic relations in America, which has changed my individual and professional views on the issue. The understanding of the culture and language differences and how they create barriers and at the same time enhance national cohesion is imperative. The U.S depicts varying majority-minority relationship patterns, which has increased my knowledge and understanding on how assimilation and integration into a new culture takes place. Through the semester’s insight on the ethnocentric values in America, my professional experience of how natural development relates to the hostility among the immigrants and the indigenous groups has been augmented.
- Parrillo, V. N. (2015). Immigration patterns and issues. Understanding race and ethnic relations. (pp. 153-185) Pearson.
