Abstract This paper describes the war that existed in the Philippines after the Spain's defeat at the hands of the United States during the Spanish-American War. As a direct result of the war, the Philippines were given to the United States and the Filipino people who originally believed that they were fighting a war for freedom and independence against the Spanish begin to turn against American troops who they view as simply another occupying force. The first part of the paper gives a background to the Filipino insurgency and its main leader, General Emilio Aguinaldo. Aguinaldo's tactics of fighting a guerrilla war against American troops is examined, as well as the effectiveness of these attacks on shocking the American public back home. Feeling betrayed by America who promised the Filipino people freedom after the Spanish were defeated, Aguinaldo embarked on a series of deadly attacks on American soldiers in the Philippines. As a result, American troops responded with equal brutality in their reprisals with very little organized military command holding them back. Diaries are heavily cited in this section of the paper, giving primary sources that tell of how desperate the American soldiers were at the time and how they needed to racially dehumanize the enemy in order to commit such vicious acts of reprisal. The second part of the paper deals with how the American press responded to the war. Numerous newspaper articles and other criticisms of the war are given as examples, some written by the early 20th century's most prominent figures such as Mark Twain. The general point of this section is to show how deeply divided the American public was over the war in the Philippines and how many felt that it would lead to American involvement in other world affairs. A direct parallel is also drawn to the Iraq War in modernity. Finally, the paper ends with a detailed account of how individual soldiers from both sides viewed the conflict. The Filipinos clearly viewed the insurgency as a necessary action in order to preserve their promised independence, while many American soldiers were disgusted and frustrated with why they were in the country to begin with, and often responded violently towards the natives since they began to view them as subhuman. The psychology of warfare is briefly discussed, as soldiers often dehumanize the enemy as a means of justification of their own violent behavior. The end of the insurgency is also discussed, with American troops brutally putting down the rebellion and establishing a tight control over the entire area for decades.
From the Paper "On April 11th, 1898, the President of the United States William McKinley went to Congress and asked the elected body to declare war on Spain for their role in oppression overseas and to accommodate public opinion that was strongly anti-Spanish due to the sinking of the United States battleship Maine only a few months earlier that was blamed on Spanish agents. Congress eventually sanctioned the war, and the Spanish-American war commenced with several battles over Spanish colonies such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The war itself was over fairly quickly, as hostilities were ended only a few months after war was officially declared. The involvement in the former Spanish colonies clearly demonstrated that America had shifted to a strong imperialistic attitude when it came to the Western Hemisphere and indeed the world in general, and would be forced to endure all of the benefits and tribulations that came from being an imperialistic power."
Tags: aguinaldo, american, emilio, filipino, history, philippines, spanish, war, wars
Abstract This paper examines the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II by comparing this action with the freedom experienced by German-Americans during the same period. The author questions the inherent racism of Americans that enabled such an occurrence to be legally sanctioned, while German-Americans lived their lives freely, although Hitler and Germany were also enemies of America during World War II. The paper then presents a detailed background of the Japanese immigrant experience in America, contrasting this with the American ideal of freedom and the reality of racism. The experiences of African and Native-Americans are also considered. The paper then describes the actual Japanese internment, which was unprecedented event in American history. The paper further states how the Internment still has an effect on the psyche of the Japanese-American population today. The author concludes that the internment of Japanese-Americans during the Second World War was one of the great tragedies of American history.
Outline:
Introduction
Background: The Japanese Experience in America
Prejudice Unleashed: The Internment Experience
Conclusion
From the Paper " Naturally, the situation was worse the further removed from the Anglo-Saxon ideal a group might chance to be. After the Civil War, the newly reunited nation demanded a huge supply of cheap labor to build its rapidly expanding railroad network. In the West, this labor was provided, to a large extent, by settlers from Japan and China. Labor Contractors, generally Japanese or Chinese themselves actively recruited these workers and brought them to America. They helped to lay the foundations of America's industrial prosperity. White American racial attitudes combined with a nationwide railroad strike in 1877 to create the necessary conditions for a crackdown on Asian immigration. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was soon followed by other, stricter acts, in 1892, 1902, and 1904. And as White America saw little, if any difference, between Japanese and any other Asians, the anti-Chinese immigration laws were followed by a Japanese Exclusion Act in 1907. By 1924, the United States had imposed an almost total ban on all immigration from East Asia, ..."
Tags: Japanese-Americans, internment, World, War, II, immigrant, experiences
This paper traces the evolution of America's identity using elements of the musical 1776. It concentrates on the Founding Fathers and their drive for freedom and the large role that an American identity played in independence.
960 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 3 sources, 2002, $ 34.95
Abstract This paper uses extensive information about colonial America and discusses the issue of an American identity. Analysis of the film 1776 and Thomas Paine's Common Sense is used to demonstrate the strength of this identity. The thesis is as follows: As the film 1776 clearly demonstrates, during the American Revolution an American identity was stronger than it had ever been.
From the paper:
"Early American colonies were viewed as very individual and indeed in many instances had much closer ties to England than they did with each other. However, ties with England began to fray due to the poor of the colonies by England. Early examples of this were the Navigation Acts of 1660, which regulated commerce and ensured that ?everything went through England.? From this time, an American identity began to form. As tensions between England and the colonies grew stronger other factors arose to further the development of an American identity. "Choice" in shopping and material possessions and the "standardization of consumer behavior" (similar goods being available throughout the colonies ) enhanced unity throughout America. As the film 1776 clearly demonstrates, during the American Revolution an American identity was stronger than it had ever been."
Tags: 1776, american, common, fathers, founding, independance, revolution, sense
Reviews both American non-fiction and American fiction works of art to support the notion that the American spirit is reflected in both types of literature.
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 4 sources, 2002, $ 44.95
Abstract One of the most poignant quotes in American literature comes from Donald Briscoe, who stated that "To understand American Literature, it is necessary to examine both its fiction and its non- fiction because the key to the American Spirit can be found in both." This paper assesses Briscoe's quote through addressing two works of American fiction and two works of American non- fiction with the intent of proving how the spirit of the American people is reflected in both types of literature.
Abstract This research paper examines the attitudes of Arab-American students since September 11, 2001. The paper looks at the backgkround of Americans who come from Arab and Muslim countries. The paper also studies the status of Arab Americans before and after the 2001 terrorist attack on the U.S. The paper concludes with an examination of the effect of U.S. foreign policy on Arab-American students. The paper includes results of interviews with Arab American college students.
From the Paper "The terrorist attack which took place in the United States on September was responsible for the development of new and negative attitudes toward Arabs and Muslims in the United States. However Susan M. Akram states..."
Tags: Arab-Americans, September 11, 2001, democracy, discrimination
Abstract This extensive paper examines a number of issues related to African-American women and breast cancer, with an emphasis on detection, treatment and survival. The paper gives a brief overview of cancer, the breast and types of breast cancers. The author then describes the purpose of this study, which was to determine the impact of racial disparity on breast cancer survival. The study also addresses socio-economic factors, such as lack of health insurance, and low incomes. The study attempts to identify the reasons why African-American women have a higher mortality rate than all other ethnic groups. Finally, the author questions whether education, community out-reach programs, resources would influence the probability of reducing breast cancer mortality rates among African-American women.
Outline:
Introduction and Problem Background
The Breast
Development of the Breast
What is Cancer?
What is Breast Cancer?
Major Types of Breast Cancers
Risk Factors for developing Breast Cancer
Purpose of Study
Research Objectives
Limitation
Assumptions
Definition of Terms
Scope of Study
Review of Related Literature
Historical and General Background
Possible Barriers to The African-American Women having Mammograms
Existing Studies
Another Study of Racial Disparities in Breast Carcinoma Survival Rates
Methodology
Instrumentation
Statistical Approach
Relevant Results and Significant Studies
Summary of the Literature Reviewed
Findings
Association Between Socio-economic Status and Breast Cancer Survival
Relationship between racial difference in treatment, and breast cancer mortality among the African-American women and the Caucasian-women
Summary, Conclusions, Recommendations
Summary
Conclusions
Recommendations
References
From the Paper "The incidence of breast cancer among the African-American women is slightly lower than it is for the Caucasian women. In any given year, 95 out of 100,000 African-American women are diagnosed with breast cancer, compared to 112 out of every 100,000 the Caucasian women. However, the African-American women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer after age 50 (www.netwellness.org, 2004). Breast cancer is the cancer with the second highest death rate for both the African-American women and the Caucasian women. The overall lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer is 10% for the African-American women and 14% for the Caucasian women. However, about 31 out of every 100,000 the African-American women died from the disease each year compared to just 27 out of every 10,000 the Caucasian women from 1989 to 1992, but the rate also rose by 2% for the African-American women during the same period."
Abstract This paper examines the African-American experience as it is expressed in the work of several notable writers. The author states that the works of black writers reflect aspects of American life and the development of American society over time. Several works are discussed that highlight various themes in African-American life, such as slavery and discrimination. The paper concludes by stating that the black experience is as American as any other and complements the experience of the majority society in many respects even as it extends it to new areas.
From the Paper "Ralph Ellison is a black man and approaches the world from that perspective, finding a way to express how society treats the black man through the character of the Invisible Man, a persona that enables him to hide even when in a crowd. For Ellison, blackness has been made by society into the defining characteristic of his existence. In a sense, he adopts the point of view of the white by making himself invisible. He is treated as if he were invisible, and he finds the benefit in that stat and uses it to his advantage in commenting on whit society. The main character in The Invisible Man is invisible only in a metaphorical sense, so that he seems invisible both to himself and to others. The hero of this novel is a black man who is invisible in white society because he is black. He is invisible in black society because of the way he takes on various roles expected of him by white society, though he recognizes how demeaning and false many of those roles are. He is invisible to himself because he has adopted certain roles and so cannot allow himself to exist as a real person with his own point of view. The existence of such a character is a devastating indictment of the dehumanization process in American society based on racial discrimination."
Abstract This paper examines the attempts of Native-American Tribes to retain their cultural heritage despite many years of repression and attempts by the colonial majority to force its culture on them. The paper looks at the major means whereby Native Americans are trying to preserve and even spread their culture amongst the various groupings and tribes living today in the United State of America. The author then goes on to examine the historical background to the American Indian's cultural repression. He examines, in some depth, the rebirth of Native-American literature and oral history and its impact on the Native-American population and attempts to evaluate its success.
From the Paper "Individual Indians seek to define who they are through culture in varied ways, and are frequently challenged by distance. The revival of culture is centered around reservation life. Reservations schools attempt to transmit the traditions of the past, along with language through native reservation schools that teach language through a bilingual system or through submersion programs and yet many Native Americans live far from home and family, as a result of the pressures of modernization and the fact that economic and higher education opportunities are limited on many reservations. To many Indians it is a challenge to meet the goals of a highly connected social network of family and nation as distance creates change that challenges their ability to meld their historical culture with the white culture they frequently live within. Yet, it is also clear that individual definitions of self are strongly associated with family and cultural connections and traditions. It is for this reason that Native American creativity is expressed in novel ways through many avenues and medias as well as the reason why individual and collective vision become a constant recurring theme in many of these interpretations."
Tags: native americans, indians reservations history culture assimilation tradition
Abstract This paper argues that the Americans provoked the Mexican-American War of 1846 - 1848. The writer details the events leading to the war and then explains why it was the fault of the Americans that the war took place. It examines the impact of the war on the Mexican citizens and the effects of relationships between the two countries until today.
From the Paper "Throughout the history of the nation we have weathered many storms. This latest round with Afghanistan is just one more. In most cases we do not start wars. We are content to live in peace and just oversee the way things go around the globe, however there have been exceptions and the Mexican American War was one of them. While both sides were at fault in that war it was the American side that started the process, which built on both sides until it finally cumulated in a war."
Tags: war, american, mexico, Texas, Rio, Grande, independance
A paper which explores the way American society has emerged through the granting of rights and liberties to various groups and classes of Americans through the years.
Abstract A study of the progress of the granting of rights to various races and classes throughout American history. The paper shows this progress by examining the relevant literature that bears on the history of rights and freedoms -- Ben Franklin's ?Autobiography,? Frederick Douglass? ?Narrative of an American Slave,? Michael Shaara's ?Killer Angels,? John Locke's "Second Treatise of Government" and the American Constitution. The paper shows that these documents have contributed greatly to the fact that individual liberties and rights have increased steadily since colonial times.
From the Paper "But here, Franklin develops the early system of checks and balances in government. The King may not act without colonial assent, and the colonists may not act without royal asset. Once assent is given on either end, it is not retractable. Rights, then, are permanent in Franklin's assessment. The King, once he acts, may not go back on his word and retract rights. However, there is a sort of double standard, as naturally the colonists may continue to ask for more rights on top of the ones that the king has already granted. This logic leaves a balance of the power tilted towards the colonists and their Assemblies rather than towards the King: the very start of our progress of individual rights and freedoms."
Tags: African, Americans, internment, camps, Japanese
Abstract This paper discusses how American culture highly regards individuality compared to many other cultures and for this reason, it is more difficult to distinguish the dominant values, beliefs and traditions of American life, because the lives of Americans differ so much, depending on their race, class and beliefs. It examines how the authors Tracy Ore, John Langston Gwaltney and Lillian Rubin in their three different articles each add a unique perspective to the values that dominate our culture. It also looks at how they provide valuable insight on the American dream and how different groups experience it, due to the cultural differences that America has labeled them with.
From the Paper "Ore makes an excellent point when she says that Americans categorize each other by race and culture. In many cases, race and culture work closely to create significant distinctions among groups within a larger society. Often, race plays a part in establishing separate cultural groups. In the United States, people are disturbed when they are unable to classify someone based on their race. If it is unclear what race someone is, they will ask one another, "What are you"? (Ore, p. 1)
According to Ore, ?the culturally defined classifications are significant in that they are structured as categories that are fundamentally different from one another. (p. 1). People expect to be able to tell is someone is black or white, for example, and are confused when someone is in between. However, while someone may be different, it is not a negative thing."
Abstract Often people have the wrong concept of an American Indian. Children 's conception of Native Americans often is developed from the media. Often Native Americans are sent to school and lose their concept of the Native American as well as the language of their people.
Abstract The 'American Dream' is the assertion that any individual can become fabulously wealthy and that fabulous wealth, in turn, produces great happiness. It pervades American society and, consequently, American literature. Its thematic impact on The Great Gatsby and "Death of a Salesman" is explored.
Abstract This essay discusses how the "American dream" is one of individual liberty, prosperity, success, and equal inclusion. Some Americans have been able to make the dream come true. Others have been less fortunate. The paper demonstrates how American industries and the United States government helped individuals and groups to turn the dream into reality in the period 1896 to 1932. Nonetheless, because of inequality, many Americans were excluded from the dream.
Abstract This paper deals with the political, economic, cultural, social and cultural changes in the United States between 1963-1992 and American foreign policy issues since 1960. In the first essay, the author examines the personal experiences of six Americans of different racial, religious, economic, and geographical backgrounds. In the second essay the author refutes charges that America is imperialist, and that American foreign policy is driven by capitalist greed.
Tags:AMERICAN STUDIES AND HISTORY, political economic cultural
