Reflection: Final Post

Race, labor and migration are not only issues that define early American history, but continue to pose issues and debate in modern discourse and daily life.  While these topics may seem like a thing of the past, in reality, those same issues prevail today in different forms, but often times confronting the same issues.  Reflecting back on the course and what I have gained, I think the biggest take-aways  are an understanding of the racial complexities within 20th century migration and current day struggles, and injustices that are much more significant than what may have been originally perceived because of their deep roots in historical racial discrimination.

I have learned that racial issues stem much further than solely between black and white.  Racial history of the United States often focuses heavily on slavery and the progression of that relationship. This history, often largely taught in public schools, still does not confront the major complexities of the variety of races immigrating to the United States, like novels such as Carlos Bulosan's American is in the Heart does. This text has allowed me to begin to see the huge array of other racial tensions that were present in the time of industrialization and post-reconstruction era.  While there were still many black and white racial conflicts, the stories of Asian American immigration was very absent from by previous education.  While I have briefly been exposed to the actions taken against Japanese Americans during the time of internment and introduced to the Chinese exclusion act, Bulosan presented a much deeper exposure to the daily battles Filipino immigrants faced between other immigrants, even of Asian decent, between foreman and bosses and even with themselves and they battles alcoholism and addiction.  American history of slavery and racial mistreatment goes much further than the African American struggle, and stems much more broadly to all non-white immigrants whose battle to earn legal benefits was much harder fought.

Another key element of the class that really stuck with me was the overlapping issues present in the past and here, today in the future.  Films like Ethic Notions that relay the history of minstrelsy in America, allow viewers to consider modern day African American figures that are seemingly harmless but in reality, speak to a history of propaganda.  Examples like the Aunt Jemima pancake mix, feature a happy motherly,African American figure.  This image has a deep historical significance as it mirrors the character of the Mammy.  The Mammy being a loyal, cheerful and motherly maid to a white household works to portray African Americans laborers as happy, grateful and content to be working for white families, justifying their almost slave-like status in society.  This one example demonstrates the racial issues that still penetrate today's culture.  

These instance of realization for me have matured my understanding of race, labor and migration and forced me to look more critically at the issues prevalent today and to always consider past events to ground current concerns with historical evidence.