Chapter 1

“A Portrait of Americans”

Sec. 1: Who Americans Are

• Diversity: differences (ex: race, age, social class, where we live, etc.)

• America is probably the most diverse nation in the world

• Two popular nicknames for America are “Melting Pot” and “Cultural Mosaic.” Both nicknames refer to our diversity

Americans on the Move

• In the early days of our country, most people lived on farms or in small towns on the East Coast

• Gradually people began to move westward and also from rural area (country) to urban areas (cities)

• Today, many people are moving both south and west (warmer weather!). This is called the Sunbelt. (ex: Florida, Arizona, California,and Texas.

What work we do

• A hundred years ago, most Americans worked in farming and manufacturing

• The development of modern farm machinery and electronic technology in factories has lessened the need for these types of workers

• Today, nearly 3 out 4 Americans

work “service jobs.” (ex: doctor,

teacher, mechanic, plumber, etc.)

How old we are

• There are more older Americans now than ever before

• Improvements in medical care have increased our life expectancy (77 yrs.)

• Also, the “baby boom” (1946-1964) has led to a greater number of “older” Americans today.

• Parents today are having fewer children than did people of their parents generation

• This slide is gray – get it!

Sec. 2: America – A Cultural Mosaic

• America is often called a nation of immigrants. Consider: we are still one of the younger nations in the world! (232 years old)

• There are five major groupsOf Americans:

• European Americans• African Americans• Hispanic Americans• Asian Americans• Native Americans

– *List is compiled largest to smallest

Native Americans

• The original inhabitants of America (before it was ever called that) were the NativeAmericans.

• Today, they make up the smallest of the five groups at just about 1%. With the arrival of the Europeans in the 1600s and 1700s, many Natives were forced out of their lands and onto reservations.

• Native Americans are a very diverse group, with many different tribes, religions, and customs.

European Americans

• European Americans make up, by far, the largest of the groups at nearly 70%.

• European Americans come from many different countries, including England, Ireland, Germany, Italy, France, and more.

• Many came here in search of new opportunities and freedom.

• European Americans have brought may customs

» From their homelands which

» have been key ingredients in

» our Melting Pot.

African Americans

• Unlike the other groups, African-Americans were brought here largely against their will

• From the 1600s up to the early 1800s, African Americans were brought as part of the slave trade

• Both by law and custom, African Americans have suffered from discrimination

• Since the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s (MLK), opportunities for African Americans have greatly expanded

Two definitions!

• Discrimination: the unfair treatment of a group of people

• Racism: the belief that one race is superior to others

• These are sometimes the negative consequences of living in such a diverse country/ lots of intolerance

Hispanic Americans

• Hispanic Americans share a common heritage from Spanish-speaking countries

• Many share a common religion – Catholic• Many Hispanic Americans came here fleeing

economic hardship and political persecution• The largest concentration of Hispanic Americans

is in southern states (esp. Florida)• Hispanic Americans are the fastest growing group

in our country today

Asian Americans

• The California Gold Rush in 1849 led many Asian to immigrate to America. May settled in CA (esp. San Francisco)

• Many Asian Americans prospered, and their success led to resentment from other groups

• Exclusion Laws were passed in the late 1800s and early 1900s to limit Asian immigration

• Asian Americans include: Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodians, etc.

Sec. 3: The Values That Unite Us

• The three American values are:• Equality

• Freedom (or Liberty)

• Justice

Five definitions!

• Beliefs: ideas that we trust are true• Values: our standards of behavior• Equality: the condition of everyone having

the same rights and opportunities• Freedom: the opportunity to make personal

and public choices• Justice: fairness; the idea that every person

deserves to be treated fairly

Quick Section/ Chapter Summary

• The glue that holds American society together is our shared belief in equal respect and in our values: equality, freedom, and justice

• America is an “imperfect society.” Our history and newspapers show that we do not always achieve our ideal. Still, we strive to be united and a great and tolerant country.

• America is known for it’s great diversity and for having opportunities and freedoms that many other countries have never known.