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Chapter 19. Summary and Conclusions
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C Ch ha ap pt te er r 1 19 9 Summary and Conclusions FLORENCE M. MARGAI AND JOHN W. FRAZIER INTRODUCTION Americans have long been a people on the move, seeking a better life and environment for their families . Notable indicators of this longstanding tradition of geographic mobility include the westward expansion to new frontiers, international migration, the Great Migration from South to North and back, intra-urban migration across neighborhoods, and the occupational transition from farm labor to manufacturing and high-tech jobs (Dimond, 2000). In the process, America has been transformed, within a relatively short period of time, from a wilderness into the largest and most technologically advanced economy the world has ever known. This accomplishment required capital, ingenuity, risk, and a multicultural labor force. Unfortunately, not all participants have been fully recognized for their contributions, nor allowed to share equally in the success generated by this achievement. An Anglo-dominated American society has controlled participation and rewards, regulating the means of access and level of participation. The study of U.S. multicultural geographies is an attempt to correct these imbalances by first acknowledging the pluralistic and increasingly diverse nature of the American society, and then documenting the historic and recent contributions of various groups in the construction of distinctive places and landscapes across the country. The unique challenges and opportunities facing some racial and ethnic groups and the persistent spatial inequalities in housing, employment, health, education and the environment are also examined. In this book, we have documented spatial patterns of U.S multiculturalism by i) tracking and evaluating the composition and dynamics of the population in different communities; ii) describing the patterns of segregation and related impacts; iii) mapping the old and new cultural landscapes and settlement forms; iv) describing the historical and current experiences facing the various minority groups; and v) examining the issues that continue to affect these groups and hinder the nation’s progress toward an inclusive and equitable multicultural society. We fully recognize that racial and ethnic geographies remain dynamic, continuing to evolve in the 21st century. Observing and understanding the changes in these human geographies is essential to an informed citizenry and for informed decision making. The chapters of the book were grouped into five parts including a section on each of the major racial /ethnic groups, African Americans, Asian Americans and Latino-Americans. Even though these sections focused on the unique identities and experiences of each group, certain commonalities emerged from the essays. This purpose of this chapter is to summarize these broad themes and discuss their relevance in understanding the emerging geographies, and their role in promoting tolerance and equity in contemporary America. The chapter is divided into two parts. The first provides a summation of the contexts for the current population dynamics in the United States. This is followed by an overview of the five themes that emerged from the book. 278 Florence M. Margai & John W. Frazier SUMMATION: CONTEXTS FOR AN ANGLO-DOMINANT BUT DIVERSIFYING POPULATION Early America evolved as a small but distinctly Anglo-dominant agrarian society that built its southern agricultural economy on slavery. By 1790, blacks accounted for approximately 20% of the total U.S. population and were highly concentrated in a few southern states. The 1800s, characterized by rapid technological change that transformed American geography, witnessed westward expansion, industrialization and urbanization that necessitated a large, cheap labor force. Asians, Mexicans and Europeans provided the sources. Coming as guest workers or permanent residents, they cleared the land, built the railroads, constructed cities, and worked in rapidly expanding factories. Europeans dominated the flows of permanent immigrants and slowly were permitted to assimilate into Anglo society. Others were welcomed for their labor but were less acceptable as permanent citizens , especially during downturns in the economy when some whites found it difficult to find employment. By the 1920s, the U.S. had implemented a series of actions that limited or excluded particular groups’ entry into the country. Restrictions particularly applied to Asians and controls were also established later for Mexican guest workers. Blacks continued to struggle and were restricted by numerous institutional measures that guaranteed their access to the benefits of Anglo culture would remain very limited. Meanwhile, although immigration was numerically restricted, the quota system gave preferential status to Northern and Western Europeans, who were viewed as more similar and acceptable to the existing American-Anglo culture. During the same period, only a small number of blacks resided in Northern cities. Those that did paid more...