Racial Diversity: Historical Worksheet Essay

†¢ Throughout most of U.S. history, in most locations, what race has been in the majority? What is the common ancestral background of most members of this group? Throughout most of U.S. history, in almost all locations the race which has been the majority is the â€Å"white Americans which comprises Hispanic Americans. White Americans are the majority in forty-nine of the fifty states, with Hawaii as the exception. White Americans, trace their ancestry to the original peoples of Europ, the Middle East, and north Africa. †¢ What are some of the larger racial minorities in U.S. history? What have been the common ancestral backgrounds of each of these groups? When did each become a significant or notable minority group? Some of the larger racial minorities in U.S. history would be African Americans, Native Americans. Native Americans who were first to be in North America. In 1871 the Federal Government declared them American Indians and were forced to move to reservations. This is where they were forced to adapt to Christianity instead of their own religion, schools that were done in English. African Americans were the other larger racial minorities. African Americans arrived with the first European explorers from Africa. Shortly after they arrived they became slaves due to their color in 1776. In 1865 Congress abolished slavery everywhere. †¢ In what ways have laws been used to enforce discrimination? Provide examples. These laws were intended against which racial minorities? Laws have been used to enforced discrimination by having consequences for your actions when discriminating against a person or any minority group. An example of this is when an employer does not want to hire a certain race or only wants to hire one certain type of race, but still hires you only because he/she has to have a certain percentage of that race. I believe that these laws were intended to end racism between different races, mainly with whites and blacks in the United States. The reason why is because the history with both races. Whites have always over powered blacks and treated them unfair and now they placed the laws in place so that can not happen anymore and everyone can be treated equally. †¢ In what ways have laws been used to eliminate discrimination? Provide examples. Did the laws work to eliminate discrimination? One example I could think about would be when putting down your race or gender on an application or some type of form. Now it gives you the option to do so or not to do so. What I had found hard about answering the race question is the fact that I am biracial and most of the time they only want you to pick one race or if you do pick just one and they see you then they question it. This law was intended to stop employers to discriminate against women and different kinds of race. However what they law did was make it a point to have a percentage of a race or gender in that work force, so that may be the only reason of getting hired on.