Other Americans Seek Justice Progressives fought to advocate 2 things: 1.) working-class rights 2.) women’s rights …but they often neglected the rights of minorities Remember us?

African Americans Jim Crowe laws Jim Crowe laws Low-paying jobs Low-paying jobs Refusal to rent homes in “white neighborhoods” Refusal to rent homes in “white neighborhoods” Jobless whites took out anger on blacks, as they could get away with it (that’s messed up!) Jobless whites took out anger on blacks, as they could get away with it (that’s messed up!) 1890s = 1,000+ African Americans were lynched: murdered by mobs 1890s = 1,000+ African Americans were lynched: murdered by mobs

Booker T. Washington speaks for many African Americans & presses white & blacks to live in harmony. NAACP: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, founded by W.E.B. Du Bois, promoting equal rights for African Americans The System: 1.Work patiently to move up in society 2.Learn trades & earn money 3.Then they’d have the power to demand money

Mexican Americans Thousands move to the West & Southwest U.S. 1910: famine & revolution in Mexico = pushing them into the states Met with a lot of racism & prejudice – Worked as field hands – Build roads – Dug irrigation ditches – Factory workers – Paid FAR less than white workers – Denied skilled jobs (not even given the opportunity to succeed)

Neighborhoods Barrios: Mexican neighborhoods where language & culture is preserved, traditional festivals & memories of Mexico are shared. – Los Angeles = nation’s largest barrio Mutualistas: mutual immigrant aid groups who pooled money to buy insurance and pay for legal advice. They also collected money for the sick and needy.

Asian Americans Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) sparked racism & Kept Chinese from settling in U.S.

Still a demand for cheap labor – Philipinno & Japanese workers came Many come to Hawaii: sugar plantations Very skilled in farming, lumbering & mining

STILL STILL – Asians denied skilled jobs and paid less than whites Forced to attend separate schools Barred from owning any land in the U.S. Japan was creeping up on the radar as building a VERY strong Navy… we wanted to keep good ties with them, so as to not create an enemy

Gentlemen’s Agreement: 1907 – agreement between the U.S. & Japan to limit Japanese immigration – Teddy Roosevelt would lift the segregation in schools between whites & Japanese students – Japan would stop any more workers from going to the U.S. if the U.S. would allow Japanese women to join their husbands who were already in the country

Native Americans Dawes Act (1877) divided reservation lands into family plots, where Indians were supposed to become farmers & assimilate with American life (sound familiar?...) Dawes Act (1877) divided reservation lands into family plots, where Indians were supposed to become farmers & assimilate with American life (sound familiar?...)BUT Much of the land these Indians received was in-farmable Much of the land these Indians received was in-farmable Many had no farming skills ( Hunter gatherers) Many had no farming skills ( Hunter gatherers) Sold land at cheap prices to white pioneers Sold land at cheap prices to white pioneers No land, money, food, shelter No land, money, food, shelter

Native Americans Society of American Indians: group that worked for social justice and tried to push Native Americans into the American mainstream – Writers – Artists – Christian ministers – Lawyers – Doctors – Worked for social justice and to educate white Americans about Indian life