Transcript A Survey of USA

A Survey of USA:
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American Population
Prof. Niangen Huang
1. The Composition of the American Population
In the 20th decennial U.S. census, taken
in 1980, the resident population in the
United States numbered 226,547,346.
About 188.3 million (83.2%) were
classified as white, 26.5 mil- lion
(11.7%) as black, and 11.7 million
(5.1%) as members of other races.
1. The Composition of the American Population
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The history of the United States is really the story of
various immigrants groups working together to build
a unique nation. During the 1500s, French and
Spanish explorers visited the New World. But the first
Europeans who came to stay were mostly the English.
In 1790, when the first U. S. census was taken, the
white population of the 13 original states totaled
slightly more than3 million. About 75 percent of these
first Americans were of British ancestry; the rest
were German, Dutch, French, Swiss, and Spanish.
1. The Composition of the American Population
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The United States now is known as a "melting
pot“. By "melting pot", we do not mean that
it melt away all recollections of another way
of life in another place.
Most immigrants treasure all their lives the
traditions of their homeland and share a
special bond with people of the same national
origin. They merge into the American stream
only in certain aspects of life but keep too
many of their own customs and patterns
socially and at home.
1. The Composition of the American Population
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Now the most powerful and influential race in the
United States is the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants
who are the descendents of the early English settlers.
They make up about 45 percent of the American
population and control most of the national wealth
and political power in the nation.
The other white Americans whose forefathers were
from other European countries are not as influential
as the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, but their social
status is far better than the other American minorities.
1. The Composition of the American Population
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The most numerous minority in America is
the black people. The first blacks arrived in
Jamestown in 1619 as indentured servants.
They worked on plantations until their
contracts were over and then became free.
But very soon after 1619 blacks were brought
to colonies as slaves. After the Emancipation
in 1863, they were freed formally.
1. The Composition of the American Population
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Blacks can vote, get a meal where they
want, and stay at hotels. Yet, Those
victories did not change life conditions
for the mass of blacks who are still poor.
"One-third of all black families still live
below the poverty line -- cut off from,
white society alienated from the black
middle class.
1. The Composition of the American Population
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In the 1980 census, there were 1,418,195
people who designated themselves as Indians,
whose forefathers were the original
inhabitants on the continent.
However, ever since the discovery of the land
in 1492 the Indians have been cruelly treated.
They were driven to barren desert regions,
the so-called "Indian Reservations". They are
one of the most deprived and unhappy
minority groups in the United States.
1. The Composition of the American Population
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There are about 17 million Hispanics,
immigrants from Latin American countries.
One-third of them are descended from
citizens living in Mexican territory annexed to
the United States in 1884. The rest have
come to the U. S. in increasing number since
1920.
Most live in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and
California, but many now live in other parts of
the nation as well. Many of them live in great
poverty.
1. The Composition of the American Population
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The second largest group of Hispanics
consists of the two million Puerto Ricans who
reside on the mainland of the United States,
primarily in the "barrios" of New York,
Chicago, and other northern cities. Puerto
Ricans are in worst economic shape than any
other Hispanic group.
The third subgroup consists of about 800,000
persons who came from Cuba early in the
1960s. The Cubans mainly live in south
Florida.
1. The Composition of the American Population
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Among the Asian immigrants, the Chinese were the
first Asians to come to the United States. Beginning
in 1847, when young male peasants came to get
away from poverty and to work in America in mines,
on railroads, and in agricultural fields, the Chinese
ran into economic and cultural fears of the white
majority who did not understand them or their
culture. Facing this, and considering their intentions
to return home, the Chinese did not try to assimilate
but instead gravitated to "Chinatowns."
1. The Composition of the American Population
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Discriminatory immigration and naturalization retractions,
imposed beginning in1882, were strengthened in the following
years and were not removed until the end of World War II.
Since that time the Cheese has moved into the mainstream of
American society, and they are beginning to move into politics.
Now the Chinese-Americans are about 800,000. They have
proved to be industrious and intelligent. Many of them have
found high-in-come positions in universities, laboratories,
hospitals, architectural and engineering firms. The employment
rate and average income of Chinese-American families are now
higher than the national average. They have come to be viewed
as a "model minority", clean and hard working.
2. Population Distribution
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The United States is a highly urbanized country. Most
of its people live in cities or metropolitan areas. The
distribution of population in America is rather uneven.
The most densely populated region is the
northeastern part of the country, which includes the
states of New England, the Middle Atlantic, and the
Middle West. The region takes up about one-quarter
of the total land area of the country, but about a half
of the country's population are living here. This
region has many great cities such as New York City,
Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Boston.
2. Population Distribution
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New York City, the home of the United Nations, is the
largest in the United States with more than 17 million
people living in its five boroughs and surrounding
suburbs.
Chicago, the second largest city in America, has a
metropolitan area population of 7 million people.
Since most of the people live in many metropolises,
northern New England is still rather empty with wild
picturesque scenery for tourists while the Middle
West still has huge, sparsely-populated open Space
for farming.
The Northeast as a whole has had a low increase in
population.
2. Population Distribution
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The Great Plains between the Mississippi and
the Rocky Mountains are an area with a
comparatively Small population. Texas is the
largest state in this region. It has about 12
million people. The northern part of the Great
Plains is rather empty and featureless. In the
combined area of North and South Dakotas,
Nebraska and Kansas, an area as great as
France and Italy put together, there are only
five million inhabitants.
2. Population Distribution
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The South, including Virginia, North and South
Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi,
Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Arkansas, has a
population of almost 51 million people. This number
of population is not very large against the size of the
South. There are also some big metropolitan areas in
this region. Atlanta, for example, has a population of
2 million people, and Miami, of over 1.6 million
people, The South used to be sparsely populated, but
now many Americans are moving there. The South,
at present, leads in numerical increase in population.
2. Population Distribution
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The West, including all the states west of the Rocky
Mountains, is not densely populated, except for some
metropolitan centers like Los Angles, and San
Francisco. The population distribution in the West is
quite uneven. Some states with very small areas may
have a large population. For example, the State of
Washington with 176,000 square kilometers has a
population of over 4 million, while Montana with
381,000 square kilometers 0nly has 793,000 people.
California, the most populous state in America; has
more than 24 million people. Now the West has
about 20% of the nation's population. It leads in
percentage increase in population.
3. Internal Migration
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Americans are and have always been a highly mobile
people. What factors cause them to move? The
desire for economic betterment is generally the most
important force inducing migration. Thus the volume
and direction of migration are usually determined by
geographic difference in economic opportunity, as
reflected by such factors as differences in
employment opportunities and earning power for
workers and differences in the availability and the
price of land for farmers. This is not to deny the role
of non-economic factors, such as climate, racial
attitudes, and family ties, in influencing migration.
3. Internal Migration
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Here is a case showing clearly the trend of migration
in the country. When New England was declining in
textile industry, there were many people moving out
of it. When California has the phenomenal growth of
the aircraft, motion picture, and electronic industry,
there is a large scale of immigration to the state.
Since 1970, there has appeared a new trend of
migration in the United States. Moreland more
Americans migrated from cities to suburbs or nonmetropolitan areas. There are several factors for this
phenomenon.
3. Internal Migration
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The widespread use of automobiles and the construction of
express highways made it possible for people to live farther
away from their jobs. The telephone reduced the need for them
to work or live in close proximity to one another. Besides these
economic and technological changes, important social factors
were involved.
Suburban areas offered more living space than cities, lower
crime rates, less pollution, and superior schools. It is generally
believed that they are a better place for raising children. Many
middle-income families now live in the suburbs. This new trend
in migration prevailed in all regions except the South, where the
metropolitan areas had the highest growth rate of population.
Despite the new trend in migration, about 70 percent of
American population are still living in metropolitan areas.
American Population
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End of Chapter 2