Chapter 3 : Culture and Society

The term cultural diversity can not only be used to describe the range of cultures that exist around the globe, but also the richness of subcultures within our society. Our culture today reflects the contributions by many different cultural groups, as they came and settled in the United States. We can see this in our language (cookie from the Dutch, pronto from the Spanish, klutz from the Yiddish); in our cultural traditions (Cinqo de Mayo from the Mexicans, Mardi Gras from the French, St. Patrick’s Day from the Irish); and in our cuisine (taco, pad thai, chowder, danish). In this data exercise you will learn more about the history of immigration and consider how immigrants contribute to cultural change.

Part I:

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 11.1 percent of the American population is foreign born; this represents slightly more than 31 million people. More than two-thirds of this population has arrived since 1980.

To understand more about the history of immigration, and to answer the questions below, you might want to check out the following websites:

• Center for Immigration Studies
• Internet Modern History Sourcebook, U.S. Immigration
• U.S. Census Bureau, “Historical Census Statistics on the Foreign-born Population of the United States: 1850-1990”

Writing Assignment 1:

Using your sociological imagination, try to answer the following questions:

Why do people come to the U.S.? What are some of the "pulls" that attract immigrants? What are some of the forces that have pushed immigrants out of their native countries?

Historically, what factors have contributed to this nation's relative success in making space for so many immigrants?

Do we still have the jobs and opportunities to accommodate all the people who want to come here?

Part II:

As noted in Chapter 3 of your text, unlike the earlier immigrants, today’s immigrants are drawn primarily from Central and South America as well as Asia. While coming from cultures that are often significantly different from our own, they have nevertheless infused the American cultural landscape with elements of their home cultures.

But how do Americans feel about immigration today? In 1996, respondents were asked their views on immigration in the General Social Survey . Table 1 presents the results for this question.

Writing Assignment 2:

As you look over the table, what factors might explain these views? What were the views of the majority of Americans back in 1996? What do you think their views would be if they were asked the same question today?

To further explore Americans’ attitudes, we can look at some different social factors. First, let’s see whether there might be regional differences in attitudes. If immigrants are clustered in certain parts of the country, maybe people living in those regions will feel differently towards immigration than people in other regions. Before we take a look at the survey results, let’s go briefly to the U.S. Census website. Using information from the 2000 U.S. Census, we can learn more about regional patterns of immigration.

Go to the main page for the U.S. Census Bureau and then follow these steps in order to view a map of the U.S.:

1. At the American Fact Finder page, click on the button labeled “People” located along the left side of the page.
2. On the People page, scroll down until you see the category “Origins and Languages” and then select the “Percent of People who are Foreign Born by State, Map.”

Writing Assignment 3:

The map displays the percentage of each state’s population that is foreign born. Once the map is up on your screen, take a look at where immigrants are living. Which states have the largest percentage of foreign-born residents? Which have the least? If you were to divide the states up into regions (New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West), what do you think the views of people living in those different regions would be? Can you develop a hypothesis that would express these differences?

Now, let’s take a look at the survey responses by region of the country, presented in Table 2.

Writing Assignment 4:

What does this table suggest about regional differences in attitudes towards immigration? As you can see, the Chi-square test for a relationship between region and attitudes was significant, providing support for the claim that there are regional differences in attitudes. Where do you see the strongest support for reducing immigration? How can you use the previous information on residential patterns of immigrants to develop a sociological explanation for these results?

Another factor that may contribute to differences in attitudes is social class. To investigate this, we need to also identify the respondents’ social class. In the GSS, respondents were asked, “If you were asked to use one of four names for your social class, which would you say you belong in: the lower class, the working class, the middle class, or the upper class?” What differences in attitudes towards immigration do you think there will be between these social classes? Will people who are lower or working classes be more or less opposed than people from the middle or upper classes? What would a research hypothesis be?   Table 3 provides the results of cross-tabulating social class and attitudes towards immigration. 

Writing Assignment 5:

Again, as you can see, the Chi-square test for a relationship between social class and attitudes towards immigration was significant, providing support for the claim that there are significant differences in attitudes. Where do you see the strongest support for reducing immigration? How can you use the sociological perspective to develop an explanation for these results?

Part III:

In this final part of the exercise, you will learn more about immigration in your state and local community. Go to the main page for the U.S. Census Bureau and then follow these steps:

• At American Fact Finder http://factfinder.census.gov/, click on the button labeled “People” located along the left side of the page.
• On the People page, In Box 1 (“To Change Geography”), click on the State Box and scroll down until you find your state (you do not need to fill in any other information at this point). Then, scroll down until you see the category “Origins and Languages” and click on “Citizenship, Year of Entry, and Region of Birth.”

Spend a bit of time and explore the information that is in Table QT-P14.

Writing Assignment 6:

What percentage of your state’s total population was foreign born at the time the census was taken? From what regions of the world did people come from? In what ways have these new arrivals contributed to your state? What challenges have they presented, because of cultural differences?

Now, return to the Census page.

• At American Fact Finder http://factfinder.census.gov/, click on the button labeled “People” located along the left side of the page.
• On the People page, in Box 1, enter the name of both your local community and your state. Then scroll down and once again click on “Citizenship, Year of Entry, and Region of Birth.”

Writing Assignment 7:

What percentage of the population living in your local community is foreign born? From what regions of the world did people come? In what ways have these new arrivals had an impact on the local culture? How does your community compare to your state or the United States as a whole?

Part IV:

Writing Assignment 8/Essay:

In this exercise you have learned a lot about immigration, both the history and current patterns of immigration to the United States. For this final part of the exercise write a reflection essay in which you discuss how immigrants not only enrich our culture, but also provide challenges. Use the knowledge you gained from the articles, the GSS, and the U.S. Census in your reflection.