The American Ethnic Cultural Mosaic.ppt

The American Ethnic Cultural Mosaic What Will Become of Us? Hopi Reggae: Casper Lomayesva Our Hopi reservation no stretch far and wide It gives us sense of purpose, me say sense of pride Religion and our culture help keep us strong I’m proud of these people, that’s why me sing this song This reflects Oft-repeated process of cultural integration and modification Constantly changing subcultures and dominant culture Other examples Chicken Scratch (Tohono O’odham) New Age Music (American Indian flute themes) Alternative theoretical perspectives for understanding cultural change Acculturation (Milton Gordon): can be cultural blending, but generally seen as the adoption of dominant culture Examples Monogamy Language Multiculturalism (John Higham) Minority cultures contribute to the common American culture, and are in turn modified and transformed by it. “we are all multicultural and increasingly transnational” interconnected and interpenetrative Transculturation (Fernando Ortiz) Based on his observations of Cuban culture with its European, African, and indigenous influences Peter Salins: African, Hispanic, Jewish, Italian, Asian influences deeply embedded in the national cultural mix Blues, jazz, and Latin music all reflect transculturation Thanksgiving feast (indigenous turkey and pumpkin supplemented with cinnamon and nutmeg from Asia Religion Viewed as a predominantly Christian country However, in one square mile area of Queens, 40 houses of worship Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Korean, Chinese, Thai congregations Christianity 1998: 160 M in 164 denominations Roman Catholic: 61 million Southern Baptist: 16 million (predominantly white) United Methodist: 8.5 million 4 of 10 largest denominations are African American (National Baptist Convention, USA; National Baptist Convention of America, Church of God in Christ, African Methodist Episcopal Church) Ethnicity and Religion Roman Catholic and Methodist Churches often organize around ethic groups Los