Essay Preview: Race
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The informal political structure in Chinatown used race and ethic identity for its own advantage. As stated by Kwong, “Chinatowns employers can exploit working people because they are able to ignore minimum labor standards without worrying about government enforcement.”(Kwong 81) This exploitation is able to exist because it exemplifies the principles of Imperial China.
The ideology of tax collection and preventing local rebellions within the informal political structure of Imperial China has made its way overseas along with many Chinese immigrants. Although it may be an abomination of civil rights outside the gates of Chinatown, a huge emphasis on tax collection went unquestioned due to the ethnic practices of the Chinese people (i.e. political structures).
The Steinberg book possesses the title, “The Ethnic Myth”, as an attempt to divulge the parables behind many alleged certainties concerning ethnicity. The title presents a portal to a realm of ethnicity that embodies the potential to reconfigure entire, or fractions of, the readers perspectives regarding ethnicity. The books exposure of, The Jewish Horatio Alger Story, exhibits information that depicts far more creditable facts for closure on Jewish success, as opposed to more controversial ones.
The prevailing factor that seemed to be the “Achilles heal” of many ethnic groups was literacy. Embodying high levels of literacy enabled ethnic economic success, and embodying high levels of illiteracy enabled ethnic economic plateau or regression. For example, if a group was highly illiterate then there chances of higher education, which results in a greater chance for occupational security, would be significantly out of reach. Recapitulating on Steinbergs analysis of Catholics and Jews, “Not only did high levels of illiteracy slow the pace of cultural adjustment, but Catholic immigrants also lacked the occupational skills that facilitated economic mobility for other groups.”(Steinberg 148,150)
In concurrence with Steinbergs theory of literacy, I feel that literacy has a substantial affect on the economic status of many groups. Reiterating my above logic on literacy, not only would it enable occupational security, but it could construct a more ergonomically lifestyle (Reading: directions, want ads, laws, etc.).
Many influential historical factors may be responsible