“Optional Ethnicities: For Whites Only?” Mary Waters
Mary Waters explores the difference in ethnic identities experienced by White and
non-White ethnic and racial groups. Waters asserts that White ethnics are able to decide
if, and what part of, their ethnic ancestry they want to claim. For White ethnics, theirs is
a symbolic ethnicity, one which is individually designed and only serves to benefit
White ethnics. Non-White groups do not have the same choice regarding their ethnic
identities because the physical distinctions of these groups denies the choice. As a
result, Waters argues, non-White ethnic group members are unable to avoid the negative
experiences associated with being a member of an ethnic/racial minority group.
Because White ethnics view their own ethnicities as voluntarily acquired and since
those aspects of their ethnicity which are not beneficial to them are ignored, White
ethnics do not recognize the involuntary nature of non-White ethnicities, nor do they
identify with the racial oppression experienced by these groups. Waters points out that
this understanding results in problematic race relations which can be seen on college
campuses around the country. Waters argues that a cultural pluralistic society can only
be achieved once the dynamics and consequences of ethnic identity are recognized by
individuals and within social institutions.
Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and American Indians do not
have the option of a _________________at present in the United States.
a. symbolic ethnicity
b. symbolic necessity
c. symbolic interaction
d. symbolic reality
“I Hate It When People Treat Me Like a Fxxx-up,” Jeanne Theoharis
Jeanne Theoharis responds to the commonly held belief that urban minority students
fail to value education by studying attitudes of African American and Latino high
school students who attend an intensely segregated Los Angeles school. The writings of
these students debunk the myth that they do not value an education, and indicate to the
contrary, “how profoundly students value education, how deeply they wish to succeed
academically, and how much they hope to make their families proud.” Theoharis
analyzes the schooling these students receive, identifying structural explanations for
why these highly motivated students sometimes claim that “school sucks.”
Who are Fremont students quick to blame when they have difficulty in school,
according to Theoharis?
a. themselves
b. school administrators
c. teachers
d. parents
“The Invention of Heterosexuality,” Jonathan Ned Katz
The author documents the history and invention of the term heterosexuality as a means
of categorizing sexual relationships. The author emphasizes how sexuality has been
closely linked to structural power and the means of production within a society
throughout history. He argues that an ahistorical approach to studying sexuality
continues to privilege “normal” and “natural” sexual expression.
During the Early Victorian True Love era (1820-1860), the human body was thought of
as a means for:
a. pleasure
b. sensuality
c. procreation
d. consumption
“A Different Mirror,” Ronald T. Takaki
Through personal reflection and historical summaries, Ronald T. Takaki explores
multicultural America. As a Japanese American, Takaki argues that the historical and
cultural influence of the Japanese, as well as other racial and ethnic groups, on
American culture is largely unrecognized. The contributions of racial and ethnic groups
must be acknowledged to fully appreciate the true essence of American identity.
Takaki illustrates how despite historical similarities, racial and ethnic groups have been
pitted against one another, and their historical presence denied. Yet, he points out, their
influences and contributions to society are evident everywhere. He argues that
recognizing the value of their experiences allows for an enlightened understanding of
our common history and the tensions and struggles evident among racial and ethnic
groups today.
According to Takaki, the immigration experience of the Chinese:
a. set a precedent for the restriction of European immigrant groups.
b. reflects the openness of America’s doors to immigrant groups.
c. differed from the immigrant experience among European immigrants.
d. was an isolated example of exclusion.
“Families on Frontier: From Braceros in the Fields to Braceras in the Home,”
Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo
Decades ago the demand for immigrant labor in the western United States was a
demand for male labor. This has changed as a result of transformations in political
economy. Now there is a high demand for female immigrant workers. Mexican and
Central American women immigrants become members of transnational families, as
they leave their children at home and work in the United States in order to support their
families financially. Domestic work in the United States, and in many other countries, is
structured in a way that requires workers to be separated from their families. Pierrette
Hondagneu-Sotelo explores the “broad repercussions for the social relations among
Latina Immigrants and their families” that result from the privatization of social
reproduction.
Which of the following does NOT explain the separation of mothers who migrate to the
United States from their children?
a. job constraints
b. perception of the United States as a dangerous and undesirable place to raise children
c. legal-status barriers
d. the desire of the women to keep their earnings for themselves
“Whosoever” Is Welcome Here: An Interview with Reverend Edwin C. Sanders
II” Gary David Comstock
Gary David Comstock discusses how an urban-based minister is making a difference in
the lives of lesbian/bisexual/gay/transgendered people by welcoming them to the
church he pastors and encouraging them to participate in the life of the church. As a
result, his efforts have paid off in creating a compassionate and caring community of
worshipers that evolve from diverse cultural, racial and sexual backgrounds. Because of
this approach, the Reverend Edwin C. Sanders II and his congregation are involved in
various community causes such as an HIV/AIDS ministry and a prison ministry that
benefit the membership as well the community.
The Metropolitan Interdenominational Church has an unusual congregation that
includes:
a. women, children, elderly
b. middle-aged and middle class individuals
c. educated and uneducated individuals
d. lesbian/bisexual/gay/transgendered people
“An Intersectional Analysis of “Sixpacks’, “Midriffs’, and “Hot Lesbians’ in
Advertising, Rosalind Gill
Gil uses an intersectional analysis to examine practices of “sexualization” in
advertising. She demonstrates that sexualization is not “a singular unmarked process’.
She finds that “commodified sexiness” in advertising is linked to “the politics of
looking.” She argues that patterns of sexualization vary, having different determinants
and modes of representation, and that they are “read in radically different ways”
depending on the specific intersections of gender, age, class, sexuality and racialization.
Gil defines a “midriff” as:
a. an exposed torso.
b. an ever changing image.
c. a bare-chested male model.
d. a young, attractive heterosexual woman who plays with her sexual power and is
always “up for” sex.
“The Well-Coifed Man: Class, Race, and Heterosexual Masculinity in the Hair
Salon,”Kristen Barber
Kristen Barber responds to claims that the male body is now sexualized and objectified
by media just as women’s bodies have been. In her case study of a small hair salon in
California, Barber finds that men who purchase “beauty work and beauty products”
consciously distinguish themselves from white working class men and distance
themselves from “the feminizing character ” of beauty work. She argues that these men
“appropriate embodied symbols of cultural capital that distinguish them as raced,
classed, sexualized and gendered” and that they
“heterosexualize” their contacts with women stylists, further distancing themselves
from the potential gender equalizing effects of beauty work.
Unlike the men in Barber’s study, the stylists saw their relationships with their clients
as:
a. personal relationships
b. potential marriage prospects
c. networking opportunities
d. simply part of their job
“Is Capitalism Gendered and Racialized?” Joan Acker
Capitalism has been dominated by white males and built by a subordinated gender and
race segregated labor force. It has been buttressed by a largely unpaid force of
caregivers who are primarily female. These gender and race divisions of labor still exist
and are global in scope. Furthermore, capitalist endeavors are gendered in that
hegemonic masculinities define dominant values in the norms of corporate conduct.
Masculinity is:
a. toughness
b. strength
c. violent
d. a contested term
“White Flight in Networked Publics? How Race and Class Shaped American Teen
Engagement with Myspace and Facebook,” Danah Boyd
Danah Boyd looks at the demographics of MySpace and Facebook and Facebook and
finds that these online communities reflect the same social categories of race and class
found in the larger society. In fact, she traces a movement away from MySpace to
Facebook, and identifies the trend as “White flight” ” a trend that mirrors the movement
of Whites from urban to suburban neighborhoods in the 20th century.
According to Boyd, people’s engagement with technology reveals:
a. aesthetic tastes
b. social divisions and the persistence of racism
c. their sexual orientation
d. gendered identities
“Across the Great Divide: Crossing Classes and Clashing Cultures,” Barbara
Jensen
Jensen tells the story of Shelly, a working class college student who experiences
cognitive dissonance as she confronts the “great divide” between working class and
middle class cultures. According to Jensen, Shelly’s “cross-over experience” is typical
and can lead to emotional distress and dysfunctional behavioral responses unless the
person can add rather than subtract aspects of self. Jensen calls this more positive
response to the cross-over experience “bridging”.
Students whose families are from the professional middle class find in higher
education:
a. new rules
b. new values
c. new language
d. rules, values and language familiar to them
“White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” Peggy McIntosh
Peggy McIntosh explores the invisibility of racial privilege. She argues that Whites tend
to be unaware of the privilege they have as members of the dominant group. To
illustrate this point she compares her own experiences with denied male privilege to her
own limited perception of the privilege she enjoys because she is White. In an effort to
challenge this lack of awareness, she lists forty-six examples of the invisible privilege
she experiences in her everyday life that people of color do not. She points out that
these daily benefits of being white make her life easier. For example, the ability to shop
without being followed, to count on her skin color not causing suspicion of her financial
reliability, or even the ability to find blemish cover to match her skin tone reflects her
white privilege. She argues that for Whites these occurrences are largely taken for
granted. They are expected, assumed to be the normal experiences of everyday life. For
people of color, however, they are constant reminders of the struggle involved in all
aspects of life when one’s position in society is reflected as outside of the norm.
McIntosh identifies positive and negative aspects of privilege; unearned advantage and
conferred dominance. The advantage experienced by the privileged group can be
unearned, merely as a consequence of their position, or it can be created through
dominance yielded because of their position. Both aspects challenge the notion that
one’s experience in society is based solely on one’s merit, and recognizing this
challenges the denial surrounding systems of privilege and oppression. McIntosh
contends that once the privileged can no longer deny the benefits intrinsic to their
position, they must then decide to either destroy or maintain the system from which
they benefit.
Peggy McIntosh argues that recognizing White privilege challenges:
a. the notion that an individual’s experience is based solely on his or her own merit.
b. the notion that an individual’s experience is based on unearned advantage.
c. the notion that an individual’s experience is based on entitlement.
d. the idea that racism is still a problem in the U.S.
“Is This A White Country, or What?” Lillian Rubin
Lillian Rubin demonstrates the links between economic competition, racial prejudice,
and the anti-immigration sentiments expressed by working class whites. Rubin points
out that while there is a long history of racial hostility toward immigrant groups in
America, the limited employment opportunities and the darker skin tones of recent
immigrants have intensified these hostilities. Racism and nativism, according to Rubin,
is apparent in Whites’ views of recent immigrants and people of color. The visibility of
and the demands for recognition expressed by these groups are seen as threats to whites’
economic livelihood and their understanding of America. Rubin’s interviews with
working class Whites illustrate this point, as well as two contradictions evident in
Whites’ attitudes toward immigrants and people of color: Whites resent the unity of
these groups, yet they exclude them from dominant society. Whites criticize members
of these groups for their perceived failures as well as their successes. Rubin asserts that
Whites have begun to reclaim their ethnic heritage as a way to secure what they see as
their hard earned position of privilege in American society.
According to “Is This A White Country, or What?” being White no longer
automatically assures dominance in the politics of a _______________society.
a. racialized
b. multiracial
c. gendered
d. corporate
“Historic Reversals, Accelerating Resegregation, and the Need for New Integration
Strategies,” Gary Orfield and Chungmei Lee
Orfield and Lee call for new strategies to integrate schools, because schools are
re-segregating as a result of recent court decisions, creating separate and unequal
educational experiences for Whites and minorities. This is particularly the case for
African Americans and Latinos, who Orfield and Lee describe as “highly likely to be
attending poorly supported “majority-minority” schools. Blacks and Latinos are doubly
segregated: from Whites and from middle-class students; Latinos experience triple
segregation: by class, race and language.
The 2007 Supreme Court decision on school segregation struck down:
a. Roe v. Wade
b. rulings of the civil rights era that sought to end racial segregation
c. the “separate but equal” doctrine
d. Plessy v. Ferguson
“Seeing More than Black and White: Latinos, Racism, and the Cultural
Divide,” Elizabeth Martinez
Elizabeth Martinez contends that Latinos, among other racial and ethnic groups, have
been largely ignored in the discussion of racism in the United States. She argues that the
growing population of these groups, along with the increased awareness of their similar
experiences, requires a broadening of the historically dichotomous view of race as
Black and White. The denial of the Latino experience reflects the conflicting perception
of Latinos by dominant society; they are viewed as invisible and a threat at the same
time. The invisibility of Latinos is reflected in either the denial of their presence or in a
one-dimensional view of Latinos based largely on stereotypes. When the presence of
Latinos is recognized, it is often within the context of jeopardizing the dominant or
other minority groups’ position. Martinez argues that the removal of Latinos from the
discussion of race has resulted not only in a denial of their experience as a group
targeted by racism, but it has prevented the acknowledgement of the similarity in their
and other people of color’s treatment thereby preventing unity in their shared struggle
against racism.
According to “Seeing More than Black and White,” the Latin/Asian/Pacific/American
and Native American populations are:
a. declining.
b. increasing.
c. growing as fast as the African American population.
d. growing at a slower rate than the African American population.
“The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria,” Judith Ortiz
Cofer
In her essay,Judith Ortiz Cofer offers her experience as a Puerto Rican woman. She
discusses how cultural differences have singled her out as a target of stereotypes,
disapproval, and inappropriate treatment by members of mainstream society. Cofer
recognizes the voice her education has given her, and she uses it to open others up to
her culture and experiences.
According to Judith Ortiz Cofer, _______________have perpetuated certain
stereotypes; for example, that of the of the Hispanic woman as the “Hot Tamale” or
sexual firebrand.
a. mixed cultural signals
b. clear cultural signals
c. the absence of cultural signals
d. women
“White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” Peggy McIntosh
Peggy McIntosh explores the invisibility of racial privilege. She argues that Whites tend
to be unaware of the privilege they have as members of the dominant group. To
illustrate this point she compares her own experiences with denied male privilege to her
own limited perception of the privilege she enjoys because she is White. In an effort to
challenge this lack of awareness, she lists forty-six examples of the invisible privilege
she experiences in her everyday life that people of color do not. She points out that
these daily benefits of being white make her life easier. For example, the ability to shop
without being followed, to count on her skin color not causing suspicion of her financial
reliability, or even the ability to find blemish cover to match her skin tone reflects her
white privilege. She argues that for Whites these occurrences are largely taken for
granted. They are expected, assumed to be the normal experiences of everyday life. For
people of color, however, they are constant reminders of the struggle involved in all
aspects of life when one’s position in society is reflected as outside of the norm.
McIntosh identifies positive and negative aspects of privilege; unearned advantage and
conferred dominance. The advantage experienced by the privileged group can be
unearned, merely as a consequence of their position, or it can be created through
dominance yielded because of their position. Both aspects challenge the notion that
one’s experience in society is based solely on one’s merit, and recognizing this
challenges the denial surrounding systems of privilege and oppression. McIntosh
contends that once the privileged can no longer deny the benefits intrinsic to their
position, they must then decide to either destroy or maintain the system from which
they benefit.
McIntosh argues that men:
a. accept their privileged position in relation to women.
b. accept their privileged position in relation to people of color.
c. deny their privileged position in relation to women.
d. deny their privileged position in relation to people of color.
“The Well-Coifed Man: Class, Race, and Heterosexual Masculinity in the Hair
Salon,”Kristen Barber
Kristen Barber responds to claims that the male body is now sexualized and objectified
by media just as women’s bodies have been. In her case study of a small hair salon in
California, Barber finds that men who purchase “beauty work and beauty products”
consciously distinguish themselves from white working class men and distance
themselves from “the feminizing character ” of beauty work. She argues that these men
“appropriate embodied symbols of cultural capital that distinguish them as raced,
classed, sexualized and gendered” and that they
“heterosexualize” their contacts with women stylists, further distancing themselves
from the potential gender equalizing effects of beauty work.
The men in Barber’s study believed their relationships with their stylists were genuine
and not marred by:
a. gender divisions
b. racial divisions
c. sexual tension
d. economic exchange
“Chappals and Gym Shorts: An Indian Muslim Woman in the Land of Oz,”
Almas Sayeed
Almas Sayeed is an Indian Muslim woman attending school in Kansas. A visit from her
father speaking of marriage appears to be the catalyst that ignites her concerns
regarding certain cultural traditions. Sayeed provides an insightful journey into her
family life, cultural traditions regarding gender roles, submissiveness, marriage and
sexuality. Sayeed’s thoughts and views are strengthened by her introduction to Feminist
theory.
Because of her study of feminist theory, what did Sayeed understand about her father’s
plans to arrange a marriage for her?
a. He was trying to suppress her feminist ideas.
b. He thought she was already passed an acceptable marrying age.
c. He was fulfilling his social obligation as a father and protector.
d. He wanted to ensure that he would have grandchildren.
“Race as Class,” Herbert J. Gans
Noting that most biologists argue that scientifically there can be no human “races’ and
that sociologists argue that concepts of race are socially constructed, Gans links the
persistent lay definition of “race” to the hierarchy of social class in the U.S. The laity,
he claims, notice variations in select physical characteristics and “see” these variations
as markers of individual races. The lay public then uses their definitions of race to place
individuals in hierarchal categories that correspond to social class locations. Gans
further claims that many immigrant groups were “blanched” or “whitened” in the lay
imagination once those groups experienced upward mobility. This was not the case, he
says for African Americans. While the reasons for this exception are a “mystery” to
Gans, he expects it to persist unless class hierarchies finally disappear “in some utopian
future.”
Biologists argue that human races:
a. have different DNA
b. cannot interbreed
c. scientifically cannot exist
d. were once biologically determined but are now weakened by intermarriage
“Tapping Our Strength,” Eisa Nefertari Ulen
As a Muslim and a womanist, Eisa Nefertari Ulen stands at an important intersection.
She challenges Western feminists who criticize women who embrace Islamic traditions
to consider whether women who insist on wearing hijab are “unconsciously oppressed”
or are they actually, “performing daily acts of resistance.” Are they, she asks, actually
“the most daring of revolutionaries…storming the gates for our own liberation”? She
challenges the reader to see the cutting of Western women for “beautification” as a
“virtual duplication” of the cutting of daughters by some Muslim women in the
“pre-Islamic practice of genital mutilation.” She also challenges those who claim to
practice Islam while violating its teachings by dishonoring women. Ultimately she calls
for the building of bridges among Muslims and non-Muslims, and among warrior
women who “have so much work to do.”
According to Ulen, there are now more Muslims in the U.S. than:
a. Jews
b. Catholics
c. Protestants
d. Buddhists
“What White Supremacists Taught a Jewish Scholar about Identity,”Abby L.
Ferber
Abby L. Ferber examines the interdependence of systems of oppression. Her research
on white supremacy reveals the connection white supremacists groups make between
anti-Semitism and racism in their efforts to maintain the dominant position of Whites in
society. Ferber asserts that the changing racial classification of Jews, as revealed in their
history, demonstrates the social construction of race. Ferber contrasts her own
experience as a Jewish woman, who racially identifies herself as White, with that of her
ancestors who experienced discrimination based on their designation as an inferior,
non-White race. The variability of racial classifications directly challenges the white
supremacists view of innate, and undeniable, White supremacy. Ferber contends that in
order to maintain their position of racial superiority, white supremacists target Jews in
an attempt to deny their evolved racial classification, thereby denying the relativeness
and ambiguity of race.
According to Ferber, Caucasian Jews today are a:
a. small group in the United States.
b. strong group in the United States.
c. privileged group in the United States.
d. fiction, because “Caucasians’ are one race and “Jews’ are another.
“Optional Ethnicities: For Whites Only?” Mary Waters
Mary Waters explores the difference in ethnic identities experienced by White and
non-White ethnic and racial groups. Waters asserts that White ethnics are able to decide
if, and what part of, their ethnic ancestry they want to claim. For White ethnics, theirs is
a symbolic ethnicity, one which is individually designed and only serves to benefit
White ethnics. Non-White groups do not have the same choice regarding their ethnic
identities because the physical distinctions of these groups denies the choice. As a
result, Waters argues, non-White ethnic group members are unable to avoid the negative
experiences associated with being a member of an ethnic/racial minority group.
Because White ethnics view their own ethnicities as voluntarily acquired and since
those aspects of their ethnicity which are not beneficial to them are ignored, White
ethnics do not recognize the involuntary nature of non-White ethnicities, nor do they
identify with the racial oppression experienced by these groups. Waters points out that
this understanding results in problematic race relations which can be seen on college
campuses around the country. Waters argues that a cultural pluralistic society can only
be achieved once the dynamics and consequences of ethnic identity are recognized by
individuals and within social institutions.
According to “Optional Ethnicities: For Whites Only?” identifying as Irish on St.
Patrick’s day is an example of:
a. symbolic ethnicity.
b. oppositional identity.
c. socially determined ethnicity.
d. racialization.
“Lifting as We Climb: Women of Color, Wealth, and America’s Future,” Center
for Community Economic Development
This article addresses the significant gap in wealth owned by diverse groups of women
of color compared to men who are their racial counterparts and to white women. Both
structural and cultural factors that contribute to the gap are discussed, along with policy
solutions. Because women of color “are some of the most resilient, resourceful, and
relied-upon people in our society” programs aimed at increasing economic security for
these women are essential to the future economic health of the nation as a whole.
In the year 2000 the median wealth for Native American families was estimated at
_______________________ by the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.
a. $10,800
b. $750
c. 26,541
d. $5700
“Gladiators, Gazelles, and Groupies: Basketball Love and Loathing” Julianne
Malveaux
Julianne Malveaux explores the topic of basketball within the context of gender and
race. The author speaks of a culture saturated with basketball. It is nearly impossible to
tune out, turn off or ignore. It is a cultural delimiter, a national export, a medium
through which messages about race, gender and power are transmitted not only
nationally but also internationally.
Julianne Malveaux believes the athletic scholarship should not be the sole passport to
college for young:
a. girls.
b. African American men.
c. African American women.
d. athletes.
“Seeing in 3D,” Margaret L. Andersen
Margaret L. Andersen argues that the economy is not a neutral force, as it is portrayed
in the media. Economic downturns do not hit all citizens equally. Specific groups
experience economic change in different ways. Asking, “what would we see differently
were we to view the economic recession with women and people of color in mind,”
Andersen demonstrates the varying effects on economic standing influenced by the
intersections of race, class and gender.
Compared to men, women have slightly higher:
a. credit scores
b. incomes
c. absentee rates
d. positions in the private labor market
“Gender Matters. So Do Race And Class: Experiences of Gendered Racism on the
Wal-Mart Shop Floor,” Sandra E, Weissinger
Sandra Weissinger examined complaints made in the Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
class action lawsuit to understand the specific ways that individuals who are targeted
for mistreatment experience mistreatment in raced, classed and gendered ways. She
documents the unequal treatment that women receive in comparison to men, but shows
that some women hold contradictory positions. A given woman who is targeted for her
gender may be given some privilege linked to her race, thus yielding different outcomes
for different women. She argues that discrimination based on sex alone does not explain
the variation in women’s experiences.
She concludes that discriminatory work atmospheres are maintained in multiple and
complex ways, contributing to the persistence of “a web of intersecting and relational
inequalities.”
Women were found to have been promoted at Wal-Mart at _______________rates
than/as male employees.
a. lower and slower
b. higher and faster
c. better wage
d. the same
“Darker Shade of Queer,” Chung-suk Han
Chung-suk Han writes as a gay man of color who must confront racism in
“gayborhoods’ and gay organizations and must at the same time confront homophobia
among people of color. Ultimately, he says, the crisis for gay men of color is a crisis of
masculinity ” a crisis that manifests in different ways for gay men of diverse races.
Ultimately, the author argues, the crisis for gay men of color is a crisis of:
a. monumental proportions
b. racism
c. homophobia
d. masculinity
“The Prison and the Closet,” Patricia Hill Collins
Patricia Hill Collins considers the intersecting relationship between racism and
heterosexism. She argues that the assumption that these two hegemonic ideologies
represent separate systems of oppression obscures the fact that racism and sexism rely
upon each other for meaning. Without sacrificing the acknowledgement of differences
in the way that racism and heterosexism manifest, the author shows that the two
systems converge and that both systems affect the everyday lives of all people.
According to Patricia Hill Collins, racism and heterosexism:
a. constitute two separate systems of oppression
b. are independent concerns
c. rely upon one another for meaning
d. are unrelated.
“The First Americans: Americans Indians,” Matthew Snipp
Matthew Snipp presents a historical summary of the United States’ treatment of
American Indians: removal, assimilation, the Indian New Deal, termination and
relocation, and self determination. In the early 1800s removal of American Indians was
the goal of the United States. Increased population and newly acquired land encouraged
the push of American Indians westward, first through negotiated treaties and ultimately
through forced removal. These actions resulted in severe hardship for American Indians
physically and culturally. At the end of the 1800s the government policy regarding
American Indians shifted to assimilation, or rather “humane extinction.” The goal of the
government, Snipp points out was to “civilize” American Indians through religion,
education, ownership of property, and agricultural careers. The effect of assimilation on
American Indians was the loss and disorganization of land, the impact of which is still
being felt today.
In the early 1930s the government encompassed American Indians in the New Deal
programs. This shift in treatment demonstrated a new respect for American Indian
culture and land. Economic and infrastructure support was granted to American Indian
reservations, and tribal governance was allowed. American Indian policy took a
different shift after WWII with the goals of termination and relocation. The United
States government sought to terminate their dealing with American Indians and relocate
American Indians to urban areas. In the era of the Civil Rights movement, yet another
shift in United States and American Indian relations occurred. “Self-determination,” the
goal of American Indian autonomy, became the focus resulting in greater control of
tribal governments and the end to termination policies. Snipp concludes with a
discussion of the current status of American Indians. Population growth among
American Indians has increased on reservations and in Urban areas. Snipp points out
that both of these segments of the American Indian population face economic hardship.
Urban American Indians also face the struggle of maintaining their culture away from
reservations. Pan-Indianism has served to unite American Indian tribes in their fight for
survival.
Which of the following does not reflect the treatment of American Indians by the
United States government?
a. termination and relocation
b. assimilation
c. statehood
d. removal
“Darker Shade of Queer,” Chung-suk Han
Chung-suk Han writes as a gay man of color who must confront racism in
“gayborhoods’ and gay organizations and must at the same time confront homophobia
among people of color. Ultimately, he says, the crisis for gay men of color is a crisis of
masculinity ” a crisis that manifests in different ways for gay men of diverse races.
According to the author, in the imaginations of gay white men, gay Black men are:
a. off limits
b. feminine
c. exotic beings who exist for the pleasure of white male consumers
d. hyper-masculine
“The Culture of Black Femininity and School Success,” Carla O”Connor, R.
L”Heureux Lewis, and Jennifer Mueller
Previous studies have found that Black girls are raised to be assertive and independent
with relatively high self-esteem and work oriented aspirations. However, these same
studies have indicated that these qualities of Black femininity have undermined girls in
their educational pursuits. O”Connor, Lewis and Mueller conducted a study of three age
cohorts and found that the culture of Black femininity has changed over time, and that
Black women’s socialization toward voice and power can be ” and often has been ”
productive in relation to securing an education. The authors conclude that a just society
is dependent upon schools and educators learning to build upon rather than attempt to
suppress “the socially productive nature of Black femininity.”
Many studies have found that Black families socialize their girls to take on the role of:
a. worker
b. stay at home moms
c. welfare mom
d. passive support for their husband’s success
“Becoming Entrepreneurs: Intersections of Race, Class, and Gender at the Black
beauty Salon,” Adia M. Harvey
Harvey applies the concept of intersectionality to Black women’s entrepreneurial
efforts, addressing how race, class and gender intersect to inform working class Black
women hair salon owners. She finds that intersections of race class and gender
influence both the process of becoming salon owners, and the relationship of owners
and stylists.
The decision to become a business owner offered many working class Black women
an opportunity to balance:
a. work and leisure time.
b. work and family responsibilities.
c. work and higher education goals.
d. work and community activism.
“Rethinking Families and Community: The Color, Class, and Centrality of
Extended Kin Ties,” Naomi Gerstel
Naomi Gerstel argues that limiting the definition of “family” to those composed of
husbands and wives or parents and young children misses much of the experience of
families as they actually exist. Calling for recognition of the importance of extended
kin, Gerstel illustrates that the development and maintenance of family support
networks is an important class-based survival strategy. In addition, Gerstel analyzes
how marriage and the nuclear family cut both men and women off from extended and
fictive kin, an idea that challenges much of classical theory on the subject.
Over half of Blacks and Latino/as compared to only about a third of Whites live within
two miles of:
a. friends
b. churches
c. schools
d. kin
“Are Emily and Greg More Employable Thank Lakisha and Jamal? Marianne
Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan
Recognizing that all measures of economic success show racial inequalities in the
United States labor market, these authors designed and conducted a study to determine
whether perceptions of race connected with an applicant’s name might influence
whether the applicant got called for an interview. They created fictitious job applicants
and assigned names suggestive of different races to identical resumes This article
reports their findings.
Bertrand and Mullainathan found that applicants in their study given White sounding
names needed to send out 10 resumes to get a callback. They found that applicants with
African-American sounding names needed to send out:
a. 15
b. 10
c. 29
d. 3