Abstract The following paper critically analyzes the concept of "Melting Pot" which is a term that supposedly defines America as a land of the free and home to all cultures, races, and ancestries. The author makes reference to two journal articles which claim that "Americanness" is an idea that has always been linked with "Whiteness" and that "whiteness" can not exist, without something against which to define itself - "blackness".
From the paper:
?But in the 1960s and '70s, a more inclusive ideology was suggested -- "a stew" or "mixed salad" term was beginning to emerge as the American label. This term recognized that immigrants to America might maintain their distinct cultures, languages and traditions, their ethnicity or ancestry, while at the same time recognizing their ?Americanness.? (Chideya, 1999) While this term equally recognizes the presence of many different cultures, in my opinion, it doesn?t quite articulate the mixture and combing and cultures as it is in America.?
Tags: cultures, races, and ancestries assimilation ideology white black individual development
Abstract This paper considers the life of Joanna of Castile by examining her ancestry and childhood. Reflection is then given to the circumstances surrounding Joanna's marriage and relationship with her husband, while also considering the worldviews of the 14th century. The paper concludes by attempting to respond to whether Joanna was truly mad, or whether the men who controlled her were just using this accusation as a way of obtaining their political ambitions.
Outline:
Introduction
Ancestry and Childhood
A Wife, a Mother, and 14th Century Worldviews
Conclusion
From the Paper "Joanna of Castile (1479-1555), or "Joan the Mad," the daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, is "best known for her infatuation with her husband and apparent madness after his death" (Jeannine Dugan, 2007). Wild, impetuous, but possibly not insane, Joanna spent the majority of her life imprisoned by her own father not long after the birth of her youngest child in 1507. Almost fifty years later, abandoned and alone, and considered as being totally mad, Queen Juana l of Castile died in her windowless prison at the age of 75 years. "
Reviews Bliss Broyard's "One Drop: My Father's Hidden Life - A Story of Race and Family Secrets", which addresses the idea that a society can always be color-blind.
Abstract This paper is critical of Bliss Broyard's "One Drop: My Father's Hidden Life - A Story of Race and Family Secrets". The author points out that the problem with "One Drop" is that it is not only the story of Broyard's discovery that she has some African-American ancestry and what that means for her opinion on race. It also is the story of her father, Anatole Broyard, her immediate family, her father's family and the history of race relations in the United States. The paper concludes that Broyard's complex memoir makes very clear that she spent much of her life feeling very conflicted about race. The reader is left with no real answer to her questions about America's system of race discrimination and its impact on people of mixed ancestry.
From the Paper "Broyard's story of her father and his decision to pass reveals a level of dishonesty by the man that was so dramatic that it actually evokes a feeling of pity for him. The decision to pass as white, whether it was initially intentional, or a just the side effect of not being rejected as a black man when people mistakenly believed he was white, was clearly something that impacted Anatole's life in a dramatic manner. He distanced himself from his family, and his children had no real relationship with either of his sisters or his parents, though their grandmother was alive for much of their childhood."
Abstract This paper starts by looking at the origins of the two practices, the Ashkenazi from northern Europe and the Sephardic from Spain. It goes on to discuss the cultures of both; it compares a number of areas including religious ceremonies, diet, assimilation, language, politics and non-Israeli populations.
From the paper:
"Jewish people are divided into two major groups based upon their ancestry ? Sephardic and Ashkenazic. Although the Sephardic group was the among the first Jews to have settled in America, dating back to the 1600s, Ashkenazim now populate most of the United States Jewish population. This paper will take a brief look at the differences between the groups.
Ashkenazic Jews originate from Germany, France, and Eastern Europe. "Ashkenazic" is actually derived from the Hebrew word for ?German.? Sephardic Jews, on the other hand, originate from Spain. "Sephardic" is derived from the Hebrew word for ?Spain.?1 Sephardim was expelled from Spain in 1492 and migrated toward the Middle East, Turkey, and Northern Africa."
Abstract This paper examines how Henry II was capable ruler who introduced a number of legal and social reforms enabling England to turn into a prosperous nation. The author looks at Henry's early years, his ancestry, his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his tumultuous friendship with Thomas Becket. The paper also explores his legal reforms, and Henry's role as a military leader.
From the Paper "Henry II was born in 1133 and died in 1189. He was the son of Matilda and Geoffrey of Anjou and the grandson of Henry I. Henry succeeded Stephen and married in 1152 to Eleanor of Aquitaine. Henry ruled an empire that stretched from the River Tweed to the Pyrenees. In spite of frequent hostilities with the French king, his own family and rebellious barons (culminating in the great revolt of 1173-74) and his quarrel with Thomas Beckett, Henry maintained control over his positions until shortly before his death. His judicial and administrative reforms, which greatly increased royal control and influence at the expense of the barons, were of great constitutional importance. One of the most remarkable things about Henry II of England is that he perfected the Norman government, which involved the tax and law system, and he was responsible for creating a capable and strong bureaucracy."
Abstract Canada is internationally recognized as a culturally diverse nation that emphasizes the concept of "The Mosaic". No other country in the world encompasses inhabitants from so many different backgrounds who exhibit strong loyalty towards Canada, while still preserving their cultural heritage. This is contrasted to the American ideal of the "Melting Pot", which attempts to shape all of their citizens into a set mold. Canada's philosophy is believed to be more effective and respectful than that which is possessed by our American neighbours. The following discusses the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches, and analyzes the impact of the structures on each country's society.
From the Paper "Canada is world renown for being one of the most tolerant, welcoming, and democratic countries in the world - a dynamic mosaic of multiculturalism where people live and work together in harmony. Over the past 150 years, more than 14 million people have immigrated to Canada, with 16% of the 30 million citizens being first-generation immigrants. The Government of Canada is committed to a policy of diversity designed to preserve and enhance the multicultural heritage of Canadians, while striving to achieve equality in the economic, social, cultural and political aspects of Canada. In 1991, the Department of Multiculturalism and Citizenship conducted a survey, which revealed high levels of Canadian values and identity. Six out of ten interviewees portrayed a "deep emotional attachment to Canada" and 95% believe they can be proud of being a citizen and of their ancestry simultaneously. As a nation, Canada is continually becoming more diverse in its practices, which requires residents to expand their knowledge and appreciate other cultures."
Abstract This paper explores Maya Angelou's "The Heart of a Woman". The writer of this paper examines not only the work but also the author and her life. The things that brought her to the point of writing the book is examined and many sources about the book and the author are used to round out the discussion.
From the Paper "The Heart of a Woman by Maya Angelou is a book that can be read many times to glean all of the underscored lessons and meanings provided by the author. The book is about the author's life but it also explores the options in many lives or many women when it discusses the life of the author. She is a woman who has endured great tragedy both in her childhood and her adult years. This book is a clear cut example of the fact that the author is a feminist and a primer for those who want to live feminist lives themselves. Angelou proves throughout the book that determination can cause success. "
Abstract An examination of the evolution of man from the earliest Australopithecus through to the three branches of the "family tree" to the dead end species of neanderthalensis and finally to modern homo sapiens. Anatomically modern man did not just spring up from nowhere, he comes from a long line of hominids that extends back many millions of years. The author discusses evidence such as tool types including social structures and the development of language.
From the Paper "Other diverse aspects that mark differences between the Australopithecines and Homo habilis are possible social organizations and the aspect of communication through language, however these diverse changes were still beginning and therefore were not as organized or developed as compared to those of Homo sapiens.
The Homo Erectus followed the Handy man it can be seen by the later too types and development of this hominid that new ideas and understandings were being developed which leads archaeologists to realise that as with the evolutionary changes to physiology and skeletal frames the brain case was changing and developing the human mind."
Abstract Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was a noted poet and satirist of Irish ancestry. "Cadenus" was one of Dean Swift's many pseudonyms, and it is an anagram of the word "decanus," which is Latin for "dean." The poem "Cadenus and Vanessa" is one of Swift's best poetic works. It was written in 1713 and published in 1726.
From the Paper "Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was a noted poet and satirist of Irish ancestry. "Cadenus" was one of Dean Swift's many pseudonyms, and it is an anagram of the word "decanus," which is Latin for "dean." The poem "Cadenus and Vanessa" is one of Swift's best poetic works. It was written in 1713 and published in 1726. The poem provides an account of Swift's relationship with Esther Vanhomrigh, and it was intended to discourage her passion for him. The delay in publication was because Esther asked that the poem not be published until after her death (Jaffe 291).
"Cadenus and Vanessa" is Swift's longest poem. It is addressed to one of the two most important women in his life and is central to Swift's beliefs:
It uses his narrative powers to present a moral fable..."
Abstract In the year 2000 the Irish population of the United States (those of Irish ancestry) numbered 33.1 million, almost nine times the population of Ireland itself. The paper shows that aside from the sheer number of their population, the Irish historically have had an influence on labor and the labor movement ever since they arrived. This paper examines data from the 1990 consensus and the 2000 consensus to discuss several facts about the Irish-American population in the labor force.
From the Paper "The data collected from the 1990 census, where statistics on demographic populations were broken down by ancestry, not just general racial categories, indicates that this situation has now changed. Both the Labor Force Characteristics for Selected Ancestry Groups and the Selected Characteristics for Persons of Irish Ancestry were used. Data in the 2000 census was collected differently to comply with laws enacted several decades ago. Lost in this new configuration, however, is the ability to draw information about groups based on ancestry. For that reason, the 1990 census is a more effective gage of the current status of Irish-Americans in the present United States labor force. There is little doubt that despite the fact that Irish-Americans were once the pariahs of the labor market, the assimilation and acculturation of that population into the American mainstream has changed that situation drastically."
Abstract The writer argues that there are very distinct similarities and differences in the histories, philosophies and beliefs that shape Korean and Japanese Buddhism, both in their homelands and in the United States. The paper compares and contrasts issues such as dress, temples, daily schedule of prayers and doctrine. Finally, the writer concludes that both Korean and Japanese Buddhism are part of the collective human experience, and as such each may be viewed historically, culturally and even doctrinally.
From the Paper "It became clear that Korean Buddhists rely very heavily on the interaction of their ancestors as motivating phenomena. The weight of the burden passed on by every ancestor accumulates, resulting in an increasingly heavy karmic load for each subsequent descendant. In traditional, or Japanese and Chinese, Buddhism, the burden follows the individual (or in a worst case scenario, one of great sin or wrongdoing, follows the immediate family). However, in Korean Buddhism the weight of all things left unresolved follows all of the members of the family until it is settles. This holistic approach is so incredibly thorough that Korean Buddhists alive today are still carrying the unfinished cosmic burden of ancestors from a thousand years ago. (Buswell, 131-3)"
Tags: temples, meditation, doctrine, ancestry, Asia
Abstract Joy Kogawa's "Obason" tells a story that is both familiar to people living in the Western United States and yet subtly different, for hers is the story not of the displacement and internment of Japanese-Americans ? a story that is by now relatively well known ? but of Canadians of Japanese ancestry. The paper analyzes Kogawa's book, focusing on the protagonist, Naomi and her life as a Japanese living in World War Two Canada. The paper shows how "Obasan" uses a combination of personal narrative, lyrical outpourings, official letters and dreams to protest the treatment of Japanese-Canadians during World War II.
From the Paper "Throughout this novel ? as is also true of much of the literature written by Japanese-Americans about the internment of themselves and their families during the war ? runs the question of why they should be singled out for such treatment. This question is at the same time both valid and yet also troublingly naive. While it is certainly true that the Japanese-Americans and Japanese-Canadians who were interned were loyal citizens of their New World countries, they were also recent immigrants of a country that had attacked the United States. Japanese-Canadians were not the only ones to bear prejudice during World War II, for Germans and Italians often faced racist actions against themselves as well ? and neither Germany nor Italy had attacked the United States."
Abstract This paper looks at Anthony Quinn's ancestry, birthplace, adolescence and young adult years. It covers his beginnings in the film industry, his rise to fame, the movies he starred in, his personal life after he achieved success and his slow demise in the film industry.
From the Paper "Before he launched his acting career, Quinn worked at a variety of odd jobs including a boxer, butcher, street corner preacher and a worker in a slaughterhouse. At one point, he had even been a painter before trying his hand at acting. He launched his film career playing small character roles in several movies in 1936, including his debut in a movie called Parole. He also had small parts in Sworn Enemy and Night Waitress in 1936 before signing with Paramount, where he had an exclusive contract until 1940, generally playing gangsters and Indians. Some of the films he did for Paramount, include The Plainsman in 1936, which was directed by Cecil B. DeMille, who eventually became Quinn's father-in-law, Waikiki Wedding, The Last Train from Madrid, Daughter of Shanghai, all done in 1937, The Buccaneer, Tip-Off Girls, Bulldog Drummond in Africa, King of Alcatraz, all done in 1938, King of Chinatown, Television Spy, Union Pacific, all done in 1939 and Parole Fixer, The Ghost Breakers and Road to Singapore, all done in 1940."
Abstract Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic and disabling disease that affects one out of every ten-thousand people, is most common among those of Northern European ancestry, and typically appears between the ages of twenty to thirty. MS is a progressive neurological disorder that affects the functions of the physical structures and systems of the body with symptoms ranging from numbness and lowered motor control of the limbs to paralysis and blindness. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the specific needs of patients with MS, the description of the disease, treatment, and the projected outcome.
Abstract This paper examines the Pan-African movement as a response to modernism by a group of people living outside of Africa, who are trying to connect their experiences to the continent of their ancestors. The paper tries to answer the question as to how successful Pan-Africanism has been in meeting the perils that modernity poses to people of African ancestry.
From the Paper "Is it true that "modernization" and "modernity" have rendered the traditional cultural cores of all ethnicities essentially the same, recasting them in the model of the modern West? To answer this question we must understand what modernization itself is. This is difficult, for we are ourselves so deeply embedded in modernism that it is hard to see outside of it."
