INSTRUCTIONS:

The exam consists of a variety of questions.  One section will include identifications.  You will be asked to define, describe (provide and example) and explain the significance of the items.  Some of these items will come from the vocabulary and lecture notes for the course.  Others will come from this list: anti-Semitism, Zionism, Judaism, immigrant, sojourner, refugee.

Study questions are given below. BRING  BLUE BOOK and Scantron to the exam. Prepare a well-thought-out response. You must prepare your answers thoroughly. Generalized, vague answers will not get you a good grade. You must demonstrate you know the material well. Include dates where applicable.

The questions for the multiple choice will come primarily from the readings and lectures. You must do the readings to be able to do well on this part of the exam. Don't wait until the night before.

1)  Discuss the European immigrant experience as the prototype (a pattern) for all subsequent immigrants and minority groups. What are some of the basic assumptions and expectations around assimilation that underlie this pattern?

2) Discuss the concept: "stereotype." Give examples of stereotypes of the majority group in the United States. What are the common traits identified with being a member of the majority? How has the immigration of new groups affected this definition?

3) The film "Eye of the Storm" focused on an experiment to teach an understanding of prejudice and discrimination to children. What happened on the two days of the lesson? What was the teacher's approach and what was effective about it? Can we reduce prejudice through increased interaction and education? Explain your answer.

4) Anti-semitism, hatred of the Jews, is a form of prejudice that exists in extreme definitions of what it is to be American. Discuss the issue of anti-Semitism in terms of freedom of religion, bigotry and prejudice and in terms of defining who is and who is not a member of American society.

5) Define the concept: "self-fulfilling prophecy." What effect has it had upon racial and ethnic groups in the United States? Give specific examples.

6) Discuss the push-pull factors contributing to increased immigration between 1880-1920.

7) Define the concept: "blaming the victim." What impact has this had on preceptions of minority groups? Give examples of specific issues.

8) Define the following terms:  prejudice, bigotry, racism, discrimination, institutionalize discrimination and genocide.  How do they differ?  How do they relate to one another? 

SECOND EXAM

INSTRUCTIONS:

The exam consists of a variety of questions.  One section will include identifications.  You will be asked to define, describe (provide and example) and explain the significance of the items.  Some of these items will come from the vocabulary and lecture notes for the course.  Others will come from this list below: General Allotment Act of 1887 (Dawes Act), Indian Removal Act of 1830, Termination Act of 1871, Trail of Tears.

1) It has been theorized that prejudice, discrimination and segregation are steps in a progression to genocide. Discuss this theory in terms of the experience of Native Americans with European Americans.

2) What has been the policy of the United States government toward the Native Americans (American Indians) in regard to their position in American society and education? Provide specific examples of that policy.

3) Freedom of religion is given as an important safeguard of the American way of life. What do we mean by freedom of religion? What are current issues that have arisen around the concern of the separation of church and state?

4)  The film, “In Whose Honor?” looks at the portrayal of Native Americans as sports mascots and especially focuses on the controversy over Chief Iliniwik.  Do you think these portrayals of Native Americans is honorable? What are the implications of portraying Native Americans in this way?  How would you feel about the portrayal of the group you identify with in this manner?

5) Conflicting demands of assimilation and de jure and de facto discrimination have had an impact of the development of minority groups. Discuss this in terms of the experience of Native Americans, provide specific examples.

THIRD EXAM

INSTRUCTIONS:

The exam consists of a variety of questions.  One section will include identifications.  You will be asked to define, describe (provide and example) and explain the significance of the items.  Some of these items will come from the vocabulary and lecture notes for the course.  Others will come from this list below: Niagara Movement, Jim Crow, Thurgood Marshall, middleman minorities, Lau v. Nichols, Yellow Peril, Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, model minority, bilingual education.

You should know all the cases listed in the civil rights Supreme Court decisions.

Essay:  Prepare a well-thought-out response. You must prepare your answers thoroughly. Generalized, vague answers will not get you a good grade. You must demonstrate you know the material well. If there are multiple questions be sure you answer all of them.  Include dates where applicable.

(l) Some individuals reflect the approaches groups take to change their relationships to other groups in society. In this context, contrast the four areas: background, tactics, ideology and goals of Martin Luther King, Jr., W.E.B. DeBois, Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X.

(2) Discuss the issues and current difficulties in developing an effective bilingual program in the USA. Define bilingualism. Why is this issue directed at the Hispanic minority? What fears regarding the composition of the United States does this illustrate?

(3) Describe and compare the significance of the following Supreme Court decisions: Dredd Scott vs.Sanford, Plessy vs. Ferguson, Brown vs. Board of Education Topeka and Korematsu vs. United States.

(4) Recent research has challenged the belief of the Asian "Model Minority." Define the concept. Discuss its similarity and differences with the process of assimilation. What has brought about this rethinking of the "Asian Success Story?"

(5) The internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII is said to be a constitutional crisis. What aspects of the constitution are threatened? Discuss the internment and the Korematsu, Hirabayashi and Yasui cases (presented in the film "Unfinished Business") in terms of the protections of the constitution and the influence of racism. Refer also to the articles on reserve (in blue binder American Ethnicities) that include primary data on the internment.

(6) How do majority and minority formation (the process by which these groups come into being) contribute to patterns of majority/minority relations? Illustrate with examples.

(7) Discuss the issues involved with the acceptance of assimilation or pluralism as a goal for American society. Provide examples.

(8) "It has often been argued that racial enmities between people will disappear only when all physical differences between them have been obliterated."  Is this a fallacious argument?  Discuss this in the context of race and ethnic relations in the United States.
 
(9)  Many women have been involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Identify 5 women and discuss their participation and contributions to gaining equality for minorities in the United States.

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