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Introduction

I. As an introduction to our course, I think it important for us to pause and examine briefly the cultural context of the last decade.

After reading this, focus on Paragraph IV. (Assimilation means that all groups in a society must adopt the cultural values of the larger society-- This perspective assumes that everyone is granted full equality of opportunity, regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion. Pluralism also makes this assumption, but takes the perspective that all groups should be permitted to hold on to their individual cultural values and beliefs). What is your opinion on whom should be allowed into the United States? Should our doors be left completely open, or should we place some restrictions on who can immigrate to this country. Do we as a society, have room enough for all those who want to enter?

A. Important world events over the last 20 years: (If you look at the introduction to Chapter 1 in Parrillo on pages 3 and 4, you’ll see a similar theme to the one that I have expressed, below: (“In this decade, there has been the horror of terrorist killings in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iraq, the Philippines, Spain, Turkey, and the United States…” p. 3) We could also mention the explosions in London’s Tube (Subway). Parrillo goes on to mention “ethnic cleansing” in Eastern Europe, genocide in Rwanda… My own summary continues, below.

1. The Breakup of the former Soviet Union and its aftermath. We are still feeling the impact well over ten years later-- What consequences do we see besides the danger of nuclear proliferation?

a. Ethnic conflict/warfare between numerous nationalistic groups

2. The Fall of European Communism-- Consequences?

a. Turmoil in Yugoslavia-- "Ethnic Cleansing" by Serbs (Christian) against Croates (Muslim), followed by the events in Kosovo between Serbs and ethnic Albanians.

b. Breakup of Czechoslovakia-- (Peaceful perhaps because both share a similar religious background--Christian).

c. Both #1 and #2 above stimulate flow of refugees to more stable countries which tax already limited resources and give rise to renewed racism and ethnic discrimination.

(1) Nazi Skinheads attack immigrants; foreign workers, and Jews in Germany

(2) The United States experiences the largest wave of immigrants since the early 1900s-- many of whom are very different from the "cultural norm."

3. Troubled World Economy

a. This is exacerbated, in large part, by all the above. When economic resources are taxed, potential for conflict over them is increased.

b. This spurs the flow of immigrants and refugees to other countries again creating the potential for ethnic tension and racial discrimination.

4. Acute Food Shortages (in many regions of the world)-- especially Africa; Somalia; Ethiopia; North Korea; to name a few

a. These shortages result not from natural disaster or calamity, rather political rivalries and warfare bring them about.

(1) U.N. Attempts to ship food to war-torn Yugoslavia are just one example.

(2) In Kenya, armed bands of people raiding villages, killing residents and stealing cattle.

5. Political Instability

a. Africa (most notably Liberia) is a prime example today, but it exists virtually in all regions of the world

(1) The Caribbean-- Haiti, Cuba; Central and South America-- Guatemala; Honduras; Bolivia; Argentina

(2) The Middle East is a most salient example

(3) Even places where the U.S. has been able to exert military power and achieve success in toppling oppressive regimes (Afghanistan and Iraq) are very unstable and dangerous places to live.

B. Events here, in the United States (over the last two decades—Moving from the most immediate to the recent past):

1. 9/11/01 The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center-- (An earlier attack using a truck bomb at the beginning of President Clinton’s first term was quickly forgotten even though it caused extensive damage to the underground parking deck).

2. The Bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building

a. Charges of Police Brutality by the FBI and ATF after the Waco massacre and the FBI's settlement of a multi-million dollar law suit placed by a man whose wife was killed by an FBI sniper.

3. Racial division in the wake of the O. J. Simpson Trial. Detective Mark Furman's perjury-- racial slurs and invectives; apparent admissions of his own brutality against African Americans.

4. Charges of Sexual harassment that accompanied the appointment of Justice Thomas to the Supreme Court.

5. The Los Angeles Race Riots that occurred in the aftermath of the trial involving the police who beat Rodney King.

a. The beating of white truck driver, Reginald Denny, by black youths during the riots-- and the ensuing trial.

6. Renewed attacks from the far right-- KKK; Aryan Nations; and various neo-Nazi hate groups

7. Unemployment, downsizing, outsourcing, lower paying jobs, shrinking middle class, faltering economy, high levels of poverty-- (approximately 13 percent of the population since 1980).

a. 9 percent of whites; 31 percent of blacks; and 27 percent of Hispanics fell below the poverty level in 1993-- for all races women and children are most affected by poverty. The strong economy of the 1990s brought some improvement—nearly 8 percent of whites; 23.6 percent of African Americans; and 22.8 percent of all Hispanics, fell below the official poverty level in the U.S. in 1999—Most recent U.S. Census figures for 2005 indicate the following: 8.7 percent of whites; 24.9 percent of African Americans; and 21.8 percent of Hispanics. (The official poverty level in 2005 for a single person was $9,973. For a family of four it was $19, 971.00)

8. Politics:

a. The 1994 Congressional elections which delivered a majority of Republicans (conservatives) to both the House and Senate. (Is this a check on a president perceived to be too liberal?) The "Contract with America"

b. In 2003 the successful recall initiative against Gov. Gray Davis that resulted in Arnold Schwarzenegger becoming governor in California.

d. In 2006, the balance of power in the House and Senate shifts to the Democrats. Recent remarks by Virginia legislators at the national, state and local levels-- Former Senator Allen— (Mccacca); Representative Goode’s insensitive comments over the swearing in of a newly elected member of the House of Representatives using the Koran; Virginia Delegate, Frank Hargrove’s (“get over it”) comments on proposed legislation calling for an apology for slavery in Virginia’s history.

9. Recent Presidential Elections:

a. 1988 Presidential Election (George H.W. Bush vs. Michael Dukakis)-- Racial slurs and innuendos; (Willie Horton)

b. The 1992 Presidential Election—(Bill Clinton vs. George H. W. Bush) racial slurs and innuendos-- family values; softness on crime; attacks on candidates' wives, etc.

c. The 1996 Presidential Election—(Bill Clinton vs. Robert Dole) The "character" issue; role of the first lady in national affairs. Politics of power and sex involving the President.

d. The 2000 Presidential Election—(George W. Bush vs. Al Gore) Hanging chads, charges of disenfranchisement of minorities in Florida, etc.

e. The 2004 election, one of the most vicious in U.S. history.

10. The continuing popularity of talk radio-- G. Gordon Liddy; Rush Limbaugh-- some call it Hate Radio; Others call it an attempt to return to American values. The emergence of liberal talk shows: e.g. Al Franken

11. Natural disasters experienced in both the world with the Tsunami in December, 2005 and most recently, the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Gulf Coast. In the U. S. , the response to these disasters strongly illustrates the disparities of race still existing in our country today.

II. The period we're going through now reminds me of the opening of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities:

A. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way..."

III. "The best of times; the worst of times"

A. Actually, looking at the immigration of peoples to America over history, and the history of this country itself, we could say that, in each era we found the best of times and the worst of times.

IV. Stanford Lymen's introduction to the earlier edition of our text:

A. Central question is who is to be admitted to our country?

1. Started with early religious thinkers like the Puritans who wondered who should enter the kingdom of God-- what qualities are needed?

2. Continued with secular thinkers, including the sociologists at the early part of this century at the University of Chicago-- Who would best fit in to this country?

3. At this time Assimilation was the theoretical perspective explaining majority/minority relations-- but some groups appeared to assimilate better than others.

4. This changed in the sixties when people acknowledged that assimilation, as a theory was flawed because equal opportunity was not extended to minorities-- i.e. the problem was structural. Pluralism began to emerge as a paradigm for the remainder of the century, but it too, is flawed.

B. Lyman concluded that none of the three perspectives work very well to explain dominant/minority relations in this country-- assimilation; amalgamation; pluralism don't work very well because they are so politically charged. Instead he says that we, as a nation have taken on a civil rights orientation that is concerned with opportunities left open to people.

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