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Analysis Of A Different Mirror By Ronald Takaki

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Emily Ikeda Music 171 10 March 2023 Reflection Paper (Takaki) In his chapter "A Different Mirror" from Multicultural America, Ronald Takaki highlights the neglected stories of different ethnic groups in American history, arguing that the Eurocentric lens used to present American history erases the contributions and experiences of people of color. To create an inclusive and just society, Takaki emphasizes the significance of acknowledging and celebrating America's multicultural past. He sheds light on the impact of systemic racism on marginalized communities, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the diversity of American history. Takaki's discussion of the Chinese immigrant experience in America in the late 1800s and early 1900s is one of the specific points that stands out. He explains how they were subjected to racism and discrimination, scapegoated for economic hardships, and excluded from …show more content…

I had always thought of race as a biological construct, but Takaki's argument that whiteness is a social construct created to maintain power and privilege for white people challenged my understanding of race in society. He challenges the previous understanding of race and how it operates in society by explaining how different ethnic groups were considered "non-white" but eventually assimilated into mainstream American society by adopting whiteness. Takaki's exploration of the concept of whiteness is particularly insightful as it reveals how social constructs can be used to oppress and marginalize certain groups. This idea highlights the importance of understanding the ways in which power and privilege operate in society and how they affect different communities. Overall, Takaki's chapter serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of recognizing and celebrating the diversity of America's history and the ongoing struggle for social

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The fourteenth chapter of Ronald Takaki's A Different Mirror briefly covers American dilemmas during the Second World War. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaiian military governor General Delos Emmons declared: "We must distinguish between loyalty and disloyalty among our people"(Takaki 342). At first, this assured faithful Japanese citizens and aliens of Hawaii that the government would not produce mass concentration camps due to their ethnicity. President Roosevelt eventually settled for the internment of 1,444 Japanese after his original demand for 20,000 following Emmons' argument claiming that "such a removal of Japanese would severely disrupt both the economy and the defense of Hawaii" (Takaki 342). Meanwhile, on the west

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Reader Response of Chapter 2 of A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America by Ronald Takaki In the book, A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America, Ronald Takaki gives an anecdote about how the lives of both the Indians and the Irish were dramatically destroyed and how they were even almost extinct because of the violent and corrupted acts of the English. Moreover, the English expansion led to the “making of an English-American identity based on race” (Takaki 26). Furthermore, the Irish were the first people to be considered as savages. The English felt as if the Irish did not have any respectful manners or obedience to God.

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During the 19th century, America promised land and opportunities for all. Though some groups of individuals left their homes willingly in order to take advantage of what America had to offer, others were forced to flee due to inhabitable conditions in their homelands. Both Chinese and Irish immigrants, however, were often disappointed with their treatment upon arrival in America. The Anglo-Saxons that first inhabited America viewed immigrants as uncivilized and quickly declared their superiority, forcing immigrants to work for them. They created laws that prevented groups from accessing similar privileges as them and racialized these groups based on their cultures and languages.

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Along with his other book “Double Victory: A Multicultural History of America in World War II,” which discusses the mistreatment of Asian Americans suffered during World War II, Takaki amply reveals the mistreatment and immorality of interning tens of thousands of Japanese Americans. Takaki explores the impacts of the war on Asian Americans, African Americans, Mexicans, Jews, Germans, and more. Takaki also wrote books focusing purely on black history. His work, “A Pro-Slavery Crusade: The agitation to Reopen the African Slave Trade” highlights how the the economy in the South was affected by abolition, the abolishment of slavery.

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The major thesis in this book, are broken down into two components. The first is how we define racism, and the impact that definition has on how we see and understand racism. Dr. Beverly Tatum chooses to use the definition given by “David Wellman that defines racism as a system of advantages based on race” (1470). This definition of racism helps to establish Dr. Tatum’s theories of racial injustice and the advantages either willingly or unwillingly that white privilege plays in our society today. The second major thesis in this book is the significant role that a racial identity has in our society.

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Introduction In Ronald Takaki’s book, A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America, Takaki argues that despite the first slave codes emerged in the 1660’s, de facto slavery had already existed and provides evidence to support this claim. While he provides a range of data, these facts can be categorized in three groups: racial, economic, and historical. These groups served as precursors to what eventually led to slavery codes to be enacted and the beginning of one of the darkest chapters in American History. Racial

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Ronald Takaki a renowned pioneer in the field of ethnic studies has over the years authored numerous books on diversity in American society. As a grandson of Japanese immigrants who became the first black studies professor at UCLA, Takaki for many years has continually tried to bridge cultures and ethnic groups in the United States. In his book “A different mirror: A history of multicultural America”, Takaki addresses the idea of multiculturalism in our society, and also talks about how for many years we have been told to acknowledge the notions that the core principles of our nation uprooted only from one group rather than a contribution from other various cultures as well. The ‘master narrative’ posed by Takaki describes the growing

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