Chapter 1: A Portrait of Americans Social Science

The American Workforce  The portrait of American life is measured by using demography, or the study of the size, growth, and distribution of human populations  Earlier in American History, Americans settled on farms and small towns in the East  Once more Americans came, they moved all over the country  Now, 4 out of 5 Americans live in urban areas, where more jobs are available  The American workforce is made of 60 million women and 70 million men in 30,000 different careers  Most hold service jobs, or jobs that provide a particular service for other people

Ages and Backgrounds  The average age of Americans changes over time  Now, the majority is between the ages of  There are more older Americans today due to improvements in medical care and the baby boom, or the dramatic rise in the number of births that occurred between  Nowadays, those baby boomers are having fewer children  May be bad for social security, medical services, and the workforce in the future  Americans are a people known for their diversity, or difference  Reflective in different jobs, home towns, ages, and cultural backgrounds

America: the Mosaic  America has been known for its immigrants, or people who move from one country to make their homes in another  Brought their cultures and traditions with them  America has been referred to as a “melting pot”  People from all over the world come here and “melt” into American society  However, nowadays, it is more like a “mosaic”  Immigrants continue to speak their language and practice in their traditions

European Americans  Among the first Americans to settle were Europeans seeking religious and political freedoms and opportunities  Most came from England, Scotland, and Ireland, while others came from Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia  Between 1830 and 1920, Central and Eastern European peoples began coming to the United States  Added crop failures to their reasons for coming  Despite coming from the same continent, the cultures of many Europeans were different, and because of this, many settled together in different parts of the United States

Hispanic Americans  Hispanic Americans share common customs and a common language from different Spanish-speaking countries  First became Americans when Spanish territories, such as the southern states, were added to the United States  Latino immigrants now come from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean  Many Hispanic traditions have been infused with American cultures  Spanish is the most spoken minority language, and Spanish foods have been added to American cuisine

African Americans  Unlike other peoples, African Americans did not come here by choice  Were slaves in early colonial times until 1865  Many have suffered discrimination, or the unfair treatment of a group of people compared to another group  Until the 1960’s, African Americans were exposed to racism, or the belief that members of one’s own race are superior to those of other races  Because of the Civil Rights Movement, many African Americans are now presented with many opportunities for success  Many still live in poverty, but many are also working towards success

Asian Americans  Many Asian Americans came over during the Gold Rush in 1849 in order to make money and send it back home to their families  Found success in building railroads, fishing, and farming  Because of resentment of their success, the United States passed exclusion laws, in 1882 and 1907, prohibiting any further immigration from China and Japan  Repealed in 1952  Many in Southeast Asia began coming to the United States after 1972, due to war and revolutions in their country

Native Americans  Native Americans have been living in North American for thousands of years  Some relied on farming, while other relied on hunting and fishing  As Europeans came and settled in the United States, they began pushing the Natives farther west, into poor regions  Today, many are using their lands to create tourist businesses, mineral resources, and others are pressing the government for reparations for taking their land

The Census  A census is a population survey that is taken every ten years  In 2000, the census showed that the population was becoming more diverse  Number increased 25%, and for the first time, Hispanic Americans became the largest minority in the country  The United States is diverse because many of our ancestors came from all different parts of the world, and many are still coming to the United States for better opportunities

The American Dream  All Americans, despite their cultural differences, are held together by common values, or our standards of behavior and beliefs, or certain ideas that we trust are true  Our common belief is that everyone, despite their differences, has worth and importance, and that all people have equal rights and should be treated with equal respect  Supported by three basic values: equality, freedom, and justice

Equality, Opportunity, Freedom, and Justice  Equality, or the condition of permitting everyone the same rights and opportunities, is based upon the notion that if everyone has equal rights, everyone can contribute to society  Opportunities may depend on one’s abilities, energy, and interests, but our race, sex, religion, background, and opinions can not be used against one’s opportunities  Freedom, or the ability to make choices, are given to everyone, but can not be used to interfere with another person’s freedoms  Justice, or fairness and being treated fairly, comes from equal respect, but does not require that everyone be treated the same

The American Ideal  American society is held together by the shared beliefs we just discussed, and we judge our society by how well we live up to these beliefs  We do not always achieve our ideal, however, because we sometimes do not give respect to newcomers or those who are different from us  We sometimes distrust those who don’t look like us or believe in things we don’t believe in  Because of these attitudes towards those who are different, work still needs to be done in order to achieve our American Ideal