A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America - Article Example

A Different Mirror Journal This journal has been written with utmost care and a fullreflection to explain the status quo in America. The paper has great importance to all the readers in an effort to explain the diversity that lies within our borders and gives a full reflection like that of a mirror. This paper takes the honors of our great diversity and will give a better understanding who United States of America is and her citizens. In this journal the word ‘Mirror’ has been used as a metaphor to show what has been happening in country for many decades those that have passed. We give thanks to historians that have kept an open eye to the restrictions of European immigrants that had origins of Greek, Italy, Poles and Russia. This was also a painful experience for our brother and sisters from Japan who later realized that their accomplishment in the American land didn’t yield any better results other than rejection. It’s remembered that during the World War II, unlike the German Americans and the Italian Americans for them they were far much placed in the Internment camps, (Takaki p. 414). This paper acknowledges that two-thirds of them were legal citizens by birth. It’s a total betray when its own Government declared them as alien enemies. As we talk today, Asian American has topped the list of the fastest single growing ethnic group. They all play an important role in our un-matched economic growth. Irish came here in masses and unlike the Chinese who fled from the so called ravages of then opium wars the Irish were then relocated from their home land by the English colony where they served low income jobs such as the factory operators and construction workers, (Perkins B. & Perkins G p.535). They worked hard to dominate the blue-collar skilled occupations that were available un-like the Chinese who were left with no alternative but to take the semi-skilled and whatever could come their way including the laundry works. The Jews joined hands with blacks and form strategies that helped them score a great stride in terms of their socio-economic welfare. Jews have a world record of being the most intellectual beings in the world, (Perkins B. & Perkins G p.596). They take lead in terms of technology, war crafts and have used this weapon of wisdom to dominate in wealth creations that have given them a cutting edge wherever they are since time immemorial. America has turned its challenges to work for her citizen; it has taken diversity as a tool of joining her citizens rather than scatter them. It’s well remembered that America’s worst crisis like the civil wars that have been fought over the issue of racism, the slavery and many alike. It has been a long journey that this country has made several steps that have been written and will appear in the books of history from our great thinkers professors, religious leaders that we have made a great stride to unite this great nation that everyone in the world has dream to visit United States of America, (Perkins B. & Perkins G p.659). It is from this great philosophy that we borrow our history and have learnt from our mistakes. America has had Wars that have been fought not to ever re-occur again in the rest of our generations to come. The land of Milk and Honey that will remain an icon that other would be reading from, (Perkins B. & Perkins G p.597). Our neighbors who have similar problems can run to us for refuge in this great Country. We will hold the Mirror image to give a true reflection of one people one country. We agree with our fore fathers that unity is strength. There is always the strong point of an individual and that what United States of America banks on. The word Mirror has been used as the metaphor to show us that, if one takes a mirror whatever s/he sees is the reflection of him/her. This is supposed to indicate that when one looks at the other race there should be an impression of him/her image. This would totally kill the fact that races would rise against the other race. To crown it all there has been a quote from the religious books, “Love your neighbor as you would love yourself” This paper acknowledges the great efforts that have been done by our learned friends and has made us to be the most economically stable country in the whole World. Work Cited Takaki T. Ronald: A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America, Revised Edition, Publishing Company: Little Brown, 2008 Perkins B. & Perkins G.: Kaleidoscope; Stories of the American Experience. First edition, Publishing Company: Oxford University Press, 1993 Africa American Journal The basic needs like shelter clothing and the housing facilities were provided meanwhile looking for the available form of employment. Sadly enough, most of the men came in search of Gold mountains and never turned back home in one piece. The poor Africans cursed the life they had in those olden days. Their blue collar jobs were hard to come by and the mean pay from the whites made their life even more miserable. Some just persevered due to luck of a better promising life and these cut from one generation to the other as poverty was their destiny, (Takaki p. 380). Tough moments call for tough measures, the reality of racial tension struck America like thunder in the night of April the 09th back in the early 1990’s. The Nation still recalls Los Angeles police constables that had been found not guilty of any crime of having brutality amongst the Rodney King. The Los Angeles woke up in shock of the explosion of race relationships. This is a night that runs cold chills amongst many of us where hundreds were killed arrest and property worth billions of dollars destroyed in this may hem. The live broadcast traumatized many Americans. The form of rioting that took place at that time is a bitter pill to swallow. The black smoke that filled the skies brought bad memories of oil burning in fields of Kuwait that occurred during the Desert Storm, (Takaki p. 382). Many sections of Los Angeles resembled a bombed town. “Really is this the America we all know?” many of the shocked viewers asked themselves. “Can this be fixed and we all get along?” Rodney pleaded (Perkins B. & Perkins G p.522). Political leaders calling for calm in the city, “honestly we all can do it and get along. Let’s all join hands and give a trial.” (Takaki p. 403). One of the lessons that have been learnt from the Los Angeles saga is the acceptance that America is multicultural society and the term race can’t divide the country into two the whites and the blacks. There should never be this form of exclusions. The Asians, the Hispanics and the rest of the groups we are one Nation one people. Statistics have shown 13 percent of the Los Angeles population, are blacks. Hispanics take a lion’s share of 40 percent, where this also reflected in the most of the businesses that were destroyed were Hispanic owned. Many of our Korean immigrants’ dreams were shuttled in ashes during this conflict. Most definitely, one of the crucial ways for our society is to live in harmony. This can be done by sensitizing the issue of the various walks of life that we currently hold and build a plat form of understanding amongst ourselves. Suggestions of learning about each other cultural back grounds, economic situations histories will go a long way in bidding this community together and have a concrete un-shaken foundation that our other generations to come will have a smooth ride with each other, (Takaki p. 411). The monster of racism can be simply ice melted, by shedding the understanding, from the grassroots and all the stake holders in our communities’. Our political leaders have the burden on their shoulders to harmonize the country; religious leaders cannot be left behind in this noble undertaking, (Perkins B. & Perkins G p.528). There’re many fights that have been reported among Islam’s and Hindus in the Asian communities. This is the high time this should come to an end. Work Cited Takaki T. Ronald: A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America, Revised Edition, Publishing Company: Little Brown, 2008 Perkins B. & Perkins G.: Kaleidoscope; Stories of the American Experience. First edition, Publishing Company: Oxford University Press, 1993 Asian American Arts Journal It has come to our attention as a country that we have to re-think and bridge the cleavage in our diversity. Americans have been a mirror to the rest of the world and have been proud mentors that have a similar diversity in terms of Multicultural history. Our learned friend Takaki has illustrated this in his must read book a different mirror that give every reader a reason to smile for his colorful art of words. This paper will give an eagle’s eye view, why all of the America’s several groups cannot be exhausted in a single book or journal for that matter. This paper will give a mirror reflection on the English immigrants and their fore fathers streaming down to their loved descendants that require our attention, (Perkins B. & Perkins G p.322). They all hold a vital component that defines the great American culture that at some point has made the public policies. In America we have great minds that look for the good of this country. Great Men like Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson and John Winthrop have spent sleepless night with a common vision of uniting this great Nation, (Takaki p. 342). They all deserve big salutes from her citizens. This paper highlights on the general trends or rather patterns that form our fabric. This paper also displays what our Asian Americans, African Americans, Jews, Irish, Chicanos and the Indians alike. This has a great way defined who we are and how the society takes us in general from they we conduct ourselves at social gatherings and they we trade with each other, (Perkins B. & Perkins G p.322). This has been traced back the early years 1868 where our great grandfathers had migrated to San Francisco. This was great adventures that our Asians counterparts had taken this as their second home. It was business as usual, where every morning the green vegetable peddlers could freely walk down the streets on their “loose pajama like” costumes vending their farm produce on their shoulders. They would do this business with an aid of a pole and their melodies would run down the streets that would announce their presence for anyone in need of their products, (Takaki p. 343). This population had grown to nine blocks by the clock of the ninth year of stay the North of California street to south of Broadway. A heavy presence was felt by the year 1852 commonly known as the secret society. Our lovely historians called them the Kwang-tek-tong. The challenge of meeting the immigrants, not failing to mention the tongs proliferated in the Country. There was an extension of all forms of activities that went beyond mutual assistance. Our Asian fathers were hell bent to control the opium business as well as sex trade and gambling in the Chinese neighborhoods. At this point the immigrants had also formed fongs, village associations and movements that were from the larger groups which were defined by the clans. This formed what in the modern world can refer to as the social centers, (Takaki p. 360). It is believed from the religion point of view, they had temples, and due to their strong religion beliefs, they had the task of shipping back the bones and bodies of their deceased. It also wise to note that, they had district association, who had the responsibility of welcoming the newcomers, giving orientation to the life in the city, (Perkins B. & Perkins G p.329). Work Cited Takaki T. Ronald: A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America, Revised Edition, Publishing Company: Little Brown, 2008 Perkins B. & Perkins G.: Kaleidoscope; Stories of the American Experience. First edition, Publishing Company: Oxford University Press, 1993 Read More