Glazer’s Theory of an American Ethnic Pattern Essay

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The discussion of ethnic and racial diversity in America has been active for the past decades due to increasing globalization in the world. Some experts have opposing opinions regarding the issue. For instance, Nathan Glazer’s theory of an American Ethnic Pattern claims that individual’s identity in the US is shaped by three major factors that contemplate common citizenship norms: religion, race, and ethnicity. This essay will discuss Glazer’s theory and its implications to American societies.

Factors that shape person’s identity according Glazer’s theory mean that even though law sees every citizen equally, there is still social injustice towards racial, religious, and ethnic minorities. Glazer (1963) believes that this pattern is repeated throughout American history and that all Americans have experienced similar patterns of racism. However, Takaki (1993) argues that Glazer’s theory is limited and does not consider the experiences of all racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Takaki (1993) points to the limitation of the theory that Glazer only uses the work and philosophies of elite white men to support his argument. Moreover, he does not review the experiences of racial minorities who have been excluded from the American dream. For example, the Irish immigrants who came to the United States in the early 19th century were met with prejudice and discrimination from the Protestant majority. Similarly, the Chinese immigrants who came to the United States during the California Gold Rush were subjected to violence and exclusion.

I believe that Glazer’s theory has limitations and cannot be applied to every racial and ethnic group in the United States. While it is true that anyone can enter the United States, not all groups have been treated equally or given the same opportunities. For example, Glazer does not consider the experiences of Native Americans, who were forcibly removed from their land, or African Americans, who were enslaved. Additionally, Glazer’s theory does not contemplate the fact that many immigrants have been required to abandon their group culture to assimilate into American society.

In conclusion, Nathan Glazer’s theory of an American Ethnic Pattern is a useful framework for understanding the shaping of race and ethnicity in the United States. However, the theory has limitations because it does not consider experiences of racial minorities or indigenous people of America. The theory needs to be revised for the modern day and later applied to fit all citizens of the United States.

References

Nathan, Glazer. (1963). The Emergence of An American Ethnic Pattern in Beyond the Melting Pot. Harvard University Press, 18 (2), 3-20.

Ronald, Takaki. (1993). Reflections on Racial Patterns in America in A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. Little, Brown and Company.

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