Cultural Diversity

1. How do the conflict, functionalist, and labeling approaches apply to the social construction of race?
Conflict approach focuses on the differences that arise from a definite amount of possessions that are available to the society; functionalist approach puts more emphasis on social equilibrium while labeling approach focuses on the self-fulfilling divination that ascends for those who are named offenders (Schaefer, 2002).  
2. How would you describe the presence or absence of prejudice expressed between racial and ethnic subordinate groups?
Presence of prejudice may me of an advantage in some cases because it may lead to a positive attitude towards a certain subordinate group or it can also justify discrimination (Schaefer, 2002).  
3. Explain how the concept of environmental justice relates to understanding racial and ethnic groups?

Environmental justice relates to understanding racial and ethnic groups because it brings the concept of fair treatment to people of all cultures, races with regard to enactment, development and enforcement of environmental laws and their involvement in the government’s decision making (Schaefer, 2002).  
4. What are the functions and dysfunctions of immigration?
Immigration can be said to be good or bad. If there can be an economic boom and the government requires more people to work, immigration there becomes helpful so as to bring more people to take the available jobs. On the other hand it can be bad since those people immigrating can bring drugs and therefore encouraging crime and drug trafficking (Schaefer, 2002).
5. How have the court rulings affected religious expression?
The court rulings do not consider preaching as free speech and therefore, the church can lose its tax relieved position if the evangelist uses the stand for political purposes (Schaefer, 2002).
6. What is the relationship between Native Americans and the physical environment?
Native Americans have for a long time had an immediate relationship with the physical environment, the food that they ate during the historical time and even now, the clothes that they wear shows that they have an immediate relation with the physical environment. Their food mostly is from the animals they hunt and their clothes are from tree leafs and animal skins (Schaefer, 2002).
7. How are William E. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington both similar and different in what they sought to accomplish?
Both William and Booker T had similar mission in that they wanted an improvement of African-American situations. They had a common goal in trying to uplift the black community.  Both also had different opinions when it came to the involvement of the blacks in elections. Booker T believed that very black should be given a vote so as to participate in elections while William did not see any need of giving the vote to uneducated blacks (Schaefer, 2002).
8. How is race-based gerrymandering related to affirmative action?
Gerrymandering is related to affirmative action in such a way that it led to legalization of racial quotas for the admission to medical schools. Africans-Americans were encouraged to apply to medical schools without discrimination (Schaefer, 2002).
9. What are the major patterns that religion serves for the Hispanic community?
Religion in the Hispanic community serves a significant role, it influences the life of a family and community affairs. Immigration is also a major pattern because most people in the Hispanic community can migrate due to religion. Each local community in the Hispanic community celebrates its own saint’s day with considerable significance (Schaefer, 2002).
10. Are Mexicans Americans assimilated, and are recent Mexican immigrants likely to assimilate over time?
Mexicans Americans are assimilated and the recent immigrants are likely not to assimilate over time because of education. Education is the biggest obstacle when it comes to assimilation for Mexican Americans.  They have limited schooling locks leading to most of them living in a low socioeconomic stand (Schaefer, 2002).
11. How would you characterize the Muslim faith in the United States?
Race; most of the people in America who convert to Muslims are African-American; they believe that the Muslim religion is very important (Schaefer, 2002).
12. Distinguish among the different Southeast Asian groups in the United States?
Southeast Asians refer to people who originate from the Far East. These are people from the Indian subcontinent. They include Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Indians (Schaefer, 2002).
13. What made the placement of Japanese Americans in internment camps unique?
It was not a voluntary thing for the Japanese Americans to go there, they had been charged with no crime and therefore, could not leave without an official agreement. These Japanese Americans were able to work at salary labor in the camps and they endured at a lowest wage of $19 in a month (Schaefer, 2002).
14. Why is maintaining Jewish identity so difficult in the United States?
In the United States, most of the cultures who decide to settle there are pressured to assimilate other than holding on to their cultures. This becomes hard for the Jews as their ethnicity is highly valued. There have been laws in the United States that have been enacted to prevent discrimination in the work places but this does not prevent exclusion based on ethnicity of the Jews. This makes some of them to assimilate hence losing their Jewish identity (Schaefer, 2002).
15. What are the special challenges facing women of subordinate racial and ethnic groups?
The medium of supremacy is a word that defines the battle for women of a subsidiary racial circumstantial or ethnicity face. Instead of fighting only for fairness for women they have a tough battle that is harder as it normally would be because they are from an added plagued group (Schaefer, 2002).
16. How is color defined in Mexico and what are the social implications?
17. How would you describe the successes and limitations experienced by gay men and lesbians seeking to achieve equality?
Gay men and lesbians have faced lots of discrimination and have reduced access to Medicare. It has been a challenge for them to achieve equality because of these discriminations. The United States government legalized Gay Marriage and this is the only success these people have. They can be able to marry and live together in a normal life.


References
Schaefer, R. (2002). Racial and ethnic groups. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.