A Portrait of Americans Chapter One

Who Americans Are Section One

Americans are Diverse Live in different areas in different types of homes—rural/city, single-family homes, apartments, condos, farms, etc. Today’s workforce has almost equal numbers of men and women; most work in the service industry We have more old people than ever before (thanks Baby Boomers)!

America: A Cultural Mosaic Section Two

The American Identity We’ve moved from being a melting pot to a cultural mosaic

European Americans Beginning in the 1600s; mostly from England, Ireland, and Scotland Next were immigrants from Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia From 1830 to 1920 came the largest numbers from Germany, Slovakia, Russia, Ireland, Italy, and Greece Although they settled in certain areas of the country, most tried to assimilate

Hispanic Americans Also called Latinos; come from any Spanish-speaking country First Spaniards settled the south in the 1800s Today, they’re from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean

African Americans The majority of these ancestors did not come to the United States by choice led to future discrimination

Asian Americans Earliest settlers were from China, looking for California gold in 1849 Some established businesses to serve the miners Success led to exclusion laws—keeping Asians from immigrating to the U.S.—from 1882-1952 Immigration increased after 1972

Native Americans Were pushed further west with the beginning of European settlements Today, they’re making a push into the tourist/entertainment industry

Today’s Population We’re a diverse nation with the same goal: enjoying the land of opportunity. We did have some changes between the last three censuses taken: 1990 Census 2000 Census 2010 Non-white 20% 25% 28% Hispanic Americans 9% 12% 16% Largest Minority African Americans

The Values That Unite Us Section Three

Beliefs are certain ideas that we trust are true. Values are our standards of behavior.

Basic American Values Equality: everyone must have the same rights and opportunities in life Discrimination still exists though. Equal Opportunity: race, sex, religion, background, and opinions cannot limit our chances at success Freedom: we can make our own choices Justice: although we do not have to be treated the same, we need to be treated fairly