Differing, Part II.

The following is the second part an opinion paper I wrote for my expository writing class. I'll post the last part in the next few days.
 
African-Americans have not been the only group to suffer the government’s--and the general public’s--incompetency. Immigrants of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century encountered  problems of their own. When immigrants from southern and eastern Europe and especially Ireland,  they were promised a land that would not discriminate, a land that can make all their dreams come true. Sadly, this was not the case for many of them. It is no secret that urban life in the 1800s and early 1900s was appalling: lack of plumbing and a proper sanitation department meant filthy conditions, inadequate tenement housing made for unimaginable cramped quarters, and very low wages meant staying in these conditions. All in all, many immigrants had a pretty dismal life in urban areas, especially in New York City. To add insult to injury, these immigrants were largely resented by “Americans” who were also toiling and struggling to survive. Store owners in cities like New York and Boston would post “Irish need not apply” to their store fronts. Italian immigrants were thought of as “unclean” people. These groups lived in among the worst neighborhoods, such as the infamous Five Points in Lower Manhattan.

Essentially, there was a vicious cycle occurring in urban areas: immigrants that were considered inherently “nonwhite” and therefore savage and violent, would only get hired at places with minimal wages. Because of their low wages, they lived in abysmal places. Because they lived in abysmal places, poor quality of life was rampant which contributed to drunkenness and violence. Because of the drunkenness and violence that emerged from immigrant neighborhoods, it would continue to fuel the stereotype that these ethnic groups were savage and violent. What occurred to the Irish and the Italian immigrants of the 19th century could have been prevented. It was the narrow mindset of Americans as identifying these groups as stupid and useless that led to the demographics of the urban slums. In other words, this was discrimination at its absolute worst.

I would like to believe American society has come a long way since Reconstruction and the immigration waves of the 1800s. I was under the impression activists made great strides with the Civil Rights Movement, the Brown vs. Board of Education decision, and the final dismantling of Jim Crow laws. I truly wanted to believe we were moving towards a post-racial society, where race was not an indication of one’s “value” or “worth.” This law in Arizona says otherwise. It says that “differing” is alive and well, that it has to be the “American” way, or the high way.

Part III soon!