The most concerning is racist social constructs and stereotypes created during the post reconstruction period that let to the Jim Crow era.

The most concerning is racist social constructs and stereotypes created during the post reconstruction period that let to the Jim Crow era.

What comparisons can you make from this week’s materials to today? Be sure to include examples from all sources.

Chapter 17 of the textbook covers the beginning of a new political group: the populists. The populists aimed to please and work with those of ordinary people, such as farmers or craftsmen. One issue faced by the farmers that can be comparable to today is the mass production of cotton dropping the prices of it, thus decreasing income and increasing demands placed on small farmers. Today, we see this with small businesses and mom and pop shops being kicked entirely out of markets due to larger corporations beating them in quantity and price.

We also see the theme of immigration, which is prevalent today, emerging in the text again as well. Rather than the prior flux of immigrants (Irish, English, and Germans) entering the US, it was instead Italians and Russians during this decade. The rationalization made by white Americans that the southern European immigrants were “lower level civilians” (pg. 659) which made them willing to work for lesser wages is an ideology that is similar to today’s. Many people in modern times construe that we have immigrants coming from places that must be “backwards” or lesser to facilitate their desire to come here and work for less. As Chinese immigrants began to also make their way to the US during the late 1800s and early 1900, Americans responded in kind with ideas of them such as “they were odious, abominable, dangerous…” which connects easily with Edward Said’s modern concept of ‘Orientalism’––The idea that people from the east are considered dangerous, exotic, and mysterious to those of the west.

NO.2

The 19th century, especially the period from 1890 to about 1905, was a period marked by widespread debate on the definition of freedom. Many non whites were treats as second class citizens and political unrest continued to divide the nation. After reading the lecture, it’s evident many of these attitudes have found their way into the present day.

The most concerning is racist social constructs and stereotypes created during the post reconstruction period that let to the Jim Crow era. Blacks in the eyes of the government remained in a lower class in addition to immigrants arriving in the hope of obtaining citizenship. The supreme court enabled southern state governments to enact unjust laws under the pretense of separate but equal. These included, “ increased punishment for petty crimes … [to] create cheap, involuntary labor. [Most notable] was the poll tax which included a citizen fee, literacy tests and an understanding of the state constitution.” While these types of laws have been outlawed today, the ideology of inferiority amongst minority groups lives on.

We can also observe this in the Immigration Policy of today. President Trump’s Republican agenda calls for stricter border security despite a lack of statistical data to prove some groups are more crime prone than others. That’s not to say crime does not go on in these communities as a result however we must analyze where these ideas come from. America, built as a nation of immigrants, seems to be deviating from principles and values that have made us who we are.

Lastly, the imperialist agenda set forth by our government is also a reflection of this ideology. The Spanish American war for example came with the acquisition of new territories such as the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam. American ignorance felt the duty to “uplift and civilize” these nations despite opposition from native populations. While I’m not arguing that industrialization of these communities was not beneficial by any means, it was generally unwanted. Militarization around the world has dramatically increased since then. The United States is now a dominant superpower globally and is known for our “democratic” initiatives