Whites in the United States 1820s to 1920s Nearly 40 million Europeans migrated to the United States Work related clashes between Irish German Polish and Italian immigrants and residential segregation were common Insiders versus Others Different ethnic White groups used their invisible ethnicity to define Americans as White insiders Blacks and immigrants of color were considered as others and were not to be admitted to the institutions of larger society Becoming White in America White ethnic groups became dominant through o Overt actions of the government o Recognition that the way to become American was to assert their Whiteness o Intermarriage with Whites that diluted the differences among White groups o Invisibility of their ethnicity White Privilege Myth of meritocracy Idea that society s resources are distributed on the basis of individual merit o Unearned privileges confer racial dominance and grant control simply due to race or sex o Failure to question and resist unearned privileges is a moral and ethical concern White as Anti Racist Allies History indicates that Whites have participated in the quest for equality for many ethnic groups as o Abolitionist and hosts o Workers in the Underground Railroad for runaway slaves o Participants in boycotts Relevant Legislation and Cases Title VII of the Civil Rights Act Applicable to Whites since it prohibits discrimination on the basis of race and national origin Used less often because Whites are less likely to be targeted by discriminatioin Unemployment Level by Educational Attainment and Race At every educational level non Hispanic White men ear more than other ethnic groups Across educational levels White and Asian womxn have highest earnings I Clicker Questions Symbolic Ethnicity Has little impact on one s daily life is invoked at will Research on White identity development indicated that symbolic white identity is related to negative outcomes Experiences of White men women The Naturalization Law 1790 granted citizenship
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