Descriptive essay, Asian americans or African Americans

1.  Write a
descriptive essay that summarizes the contributions of either Asian Americans
or African Americans to the culture of America. Use the diagram or
chart that you created on either African Americans or Asian Americans.

African
Americans “instead of the diagram”

The reading assignments will focus on African Americans
using information from these documents.

U.S. Census 2000

U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. “African Reflections on
the American Landscape, Chapter 1: Africa in America: An Introduction.”
2012. http://www.cr.nps.gov/crdi/publications/Africanisms-Chapter1.pdf.

These reading assignments discuss the cultural contributions of African
Americans. The concept of Africanism will also be discussed. These articles
describe the works of various authors and their opinions of the social and
cultural status of African Americans.

The Black population: a
Snapshot.

“In the total population, 34.7 million
people, or 12.3 percent, reported only Black. An additional 1.8 million people
reported Black and at least one other race. Within this group, the most common
combinations were “Black and White” (45 percent), followed by “Black and Some
other race” (24 percent), “Black and American Indian and Alaska Native” (10
percent), and “Black and White and American Indian and Alaska Native” (6
percent). These four combination categories accounted for 85 percent of all
Blacks who reported two or more races. Thus, 36.4 million, or 12.9 percent of
the total population, reported Black alone or in combination with one or more
other races.”

Source:
U.S. Census 2000

The Black Population Increased Faster Than the
Total Population Between 1990 and 2000

“The 1990 census showed there were 30.0 million
Blacks. Using the Black alone population in 2000 shows an increase of 4.7
million, or 15.6 percent, in the total Black population between 1990 and 2000.
If the Black alone or in combination population is used, an increase of 6.4
million, or 21.5 percent, results. Thus, from 1990 to 2000, the minimum-maximum
range for the increase in the Black population was 15.6 percent to 21.5
percent. In comparison, the total population grew by 13.2 percent, from 248.7
million in 1990 to 281.4 million in 2000.”

The Majority of the Black Population Lived in
the South

According to Census 2000, of all
respondents who reported Black, 54 percent lived in the South, 19 percent lived
in the Midwest, 18 percent lived in the Northeast, and 10 percent lived in the
West.

Source:
U.S. Census 2000

“The places with the largest Black
populations were New York and Chicago.”

Census 2000 showed that, of all places in the United
States with populations of 100,000 or more, New York had the largest Black
population, with 2.3 million, followed by Chicago (1.1 million). Three other
places—Detroit, Philadelphia, and Houston—had Black populations between 500,000
and 1 million.

“Of the ten largest places in the United States,
Detroit had the largest proportion of Blacks, 83 percent, followed by
Philadelphia (44 percent), and Chicago (38 percent). Blacks represented less
than 10 percent of the population in Phoenix (6 percent).”

Source:

U.S. Census 2000

Asian
Americans “Instead of the diagrams”

“Of the total United States population,
10.2 million people, or 3.6 percent, reported only Asian. An additional 1.7
million people reported Asian and at least one other race.”

“Within this group, the most common combinations were “Asian and White”
(52 percent), followed by “Asian and Some other race” (15 percent), “Asian and
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander” (8.4 percent) and “Asian and Black
or African American” (6.4 percent). These four combination categories accounted
for 82 percent of all Asians who reported two or more races. Thus, 11.9 million
people, or 4.2 percent of the total population, reported Asian alone or in
combination with one or more other races.”

U.S. Census 2000

The Asian Population
Increased Faster Than the Total Population Between 1990 and 2000

“The 1990 census counted 6.9 million Asians. Using the Asian alone population
in 2000, this population increased by 3.3 million, or 48 percent, between 1990
and 2000. If the Asian alone or in combination population is used, an increase
of 5.0 million, or 72 percent, results. Thus, from 1990 to 2000, the range for
the increase in the Asian population was 48 percent to 72 percent. In
comparison, the total population grew by 13 percent, from 248.7 million in 1990
to 281.4 million in 2000.”

U.S. Census 2000

Over Half of All People Who Reported Asian Lived in Just
Three States

“Over half (51 percent) of the Asian population lived in just three states:
California, New York, and Hawaii, which accounted for 19 percent of the total
population. California, by far, had the largest Asian population (4.2 million),
followed by New York (1.2 million), and Hawaii (0.7 million). The ten states
with the largest Asian populations in 2000 were: California, New York, Hawaii,
Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Washington, Florida, Virginia, and Massachusetts.
Combined, these states represented 75 percent of the Asian population, but only
47 percent of the total population in the United States.”

U.S. Census 2000

The Asian
Population was Concentrated in Counties in the West, Especially in Hawaii and
California

“Of the 3,141 counties in the United States, 122 counties had Asian populations
greater than the national average of 4.2 percent, of which 39 counties had at
least twice the national average.”

“The
overwhelming majority of counties (2,382) had lower concentrations of Asians
(less than 1 percent).”
“Not surprisingly, the counties with the highest concentration of Asians (over
25 percent) were in Hawaii. Honolulu County, by far, had the highest proportion
of Asians (62 percent). Three other counties in Hawaii were more than 47
percent Asian.”

U.S. Census 2000

“The two
places with the largest Asian populations were New York and Los Angeles.”

“Census
2000 showed that, of all places in the United States with 100,000 or more
population, New York had the largest Asian population with 872,777, followed by
Los Angeles with 407,444. Eight places had Asian populations over 100,000: five
in the West, and one each in the Northeast, Midwest, and the South. Of the ten
largest places in the United States, San Diego had the largest proportion of
Asians (15 percent), followed by Los Angeles and New York with 11 percent each.
Asians represented 1.3 percent of the total population in Detroit, the lowest
percentage among the country’s ten largest cities.”

U.S. Census 2000