Americans Indians in the United States
Americans Indians in the United States
Introduction
Minority groups have experienced discrimination, oppression, racism and exclusion. Every ethnic group has experienced racism and discrimination. The experiences have solidified the status of minorities in the society. The experiences have led to inadequate social support, resources and prejudice. Also, the experiences have resulted to hostility, social seclusion and alienation. This has in turn, affected the functioning of minority groups psychologically and growth of children. The population of Americans Indians in the United States has increased greatly for the past few years. The population has grown by 2.9% since 2010, and the population in 2011 was 1.4 million. American Indians have experienced discrimination, oppression and isolation for the past decades, and this has affected their achievement. American Indians have been secluded, and this has affected growth of children as they are unable to get quality education and employment.
Discussion
Interviewee details
M is an American Indian aged 85 years. I have known M for the past five years as he is a friend. M lives in Navajo Indian Reservation, Arizona. As an American Indian, he has experienced a wide range of challenges while growing up. He has experienced political, economic and social challenges. The challenges affected his growth and development. American Indians started realizing that they were living in a dominant society after the Second World War. M realized that he was growing up as a member of the non dominant ethnic group in the American society after the Second World War. This is because of the problems American Indians experienced after the war and how they affected his growth and development (Muhammad, 2009).
Political, social and economic events that influenced M development and growth
Several political events happened when M was growing up. Political events affected his life and the lives of other American Indians such as the Second World War II. World War II had a negative impact on the American Indians as they participants in the Second World War, in large numbers., The participation of American Indian in the war exceeded any other ethnic group in the country. Most of the American Indians lived off reservation by 1940. The experience of the Americans Indians in the war reflected the population according to M. The Second World War had a huge impact on American Indians living on reservations in remote areas. Most people who left the reservation during the war did not return after the war. The war meant draft for young men and good paying jobs in distant cities. The men drafted during the war worked in integrated units. The American Indian men got to know dominant groups such as the whites. The whites respected the American Indian men and the men got training. This enabled them to acquire skills required by the military. The white soldiers honored them and called the “chief” (Muhammad, 2009).
The contact with the outside world influenced the American Indian culture greatly. The Second World War disrupted the American Indian life and hence growth and development. M claims that the war affected the habits, perception and economic wellbeing of the American Indians. The war affected employment opportunities as it resulted to shortage of labor. It made it difficult for American Indians to get high paying jobs. The American Indians found it difficulty to adapt to their new life after the war. M asserted that the American Indians experienced varying degree of success while rejoining the civilian life after the war. Some of the American Indians went back to the reservation, where economic opportunities did not look good. However, the Navajo viewed the veterans as an important force whose experience with the war had a positive impact on the tribe.
The veterans got a check of $20 in a week for 52 weeks if unemployed. In addition, the veterans received G.I Bill benefits like free high school education and college education. They also got low cost houses. The veterans moved to urban areas, and this increased the population of Native Americans in the cities. They lived in various places such as Los Angeles, California and San Francisco. Only a few of the veterans got steady jobs after moving to urban areas. The median income for American Indian males living in urban areas differed from the median income for white males. The median income for American Indians totaled $1,198 annually, and median income for white male $3,780 annually (Muhammad, 2009).
The poverty rates among American Indians increased after the war according to M comments during the interview. Almost 14% of the American Indians were poor. The American Indians lived on big reservations with poverty rates of 40% or more. However, the American Indians continued to live in reservations as they saw it as a cultural center for their ethnic group. In addition, M claimed that the American Indians lived on the reservations as they received funded benefits from the government that they would not have received otherwise. Thus, most American Indians preferred to live on a reservation to improve their lives. M claims that his parents lived on reservations as they benefited from the government funded benefits (Muhammad, 2009).
The military services and urban residency led to American Indian activism after 1960s. It also led to the establishment of the American Indian movement. It also led to self determination. Self determination was a movement that American Indians used to restore their tribes, self government and renew their culture. They also used the movement to control education and have equal input into decisions made by the government regarding policies according to M. The creation of the Indian reorganization Act in 1934 had a harmful effect on the American Indians M claimed. The Act enabled the American Indians to reorganize their government and strengthen their communities. However, M claimed that the Act led to allotment of their lands and made them loose control over their territories. The Act also led to the establishment of many boarding schools where American Indian children were compelled to abandon their native language and culture. Moreover, the boarding schools established had a negative impact on Native Americans as they could not access adequate and quality education like whites. The boarding schools had a double effect of insufficiently educating reservation youth and fostered resentment of formal education. American Indians considered western education a cultural destruction during the boarding period. This is because boarding schools led to destruction of culture. Most of the people did not access education, and only few had high school diplomas. The Roosevelt administration considered the Act important and admitted that the paternalism was unfair to the American Indians. The government policy changed, and politicians encouraged the termination of the special relationship the American Indians had with the government. The politicians encouraged assimilation. This forced activists to advocate for civil rights and American Indian rights (Muhammad, 2009).
The self determination movement gained strength in 1960s and helped American Indians fight for their rights. According to M, self determination was not an official policy in the country, and it became official after Richard Nixon addressed the problem in 1970. Nixon argued that the US- American Indian policies had changed and that the government recognized the American Indians. The government recognized the capacities and ideas of American Indians. The president claimed that it was important to create a condition for a new period in which American Indians future is determined by their acts and action. As a result, the government established the Indian self determination and education assistance Act of 1975. The Act enabled the government to make contracts with the American Indians directly. The government contracted with the tribe to manage education and health care benefits (Shoemaker, 2000).
M stated that the US government did not respect the rights of the American Indians as they were a non dominant group in the country. The government passed the Indian civil rights Act after noting that the termination of the Indian policies in 1960s was not successful. American Indians fought hard to maintain their culture and regions, but the government encouraged assimilation. However, Nixon stopped the assimilation process and developed the Bill of rights. The Indian civil rights Act protected the American Indians from mistreatment by the tribal governments. American Indians experienced economic hardships that affected their development and growth according to M. The United States implemented a strategy that led to the avoidance and elimination of native people.
The government developed the reservation system after US expanded into tribal lands. White settlers found it hard to live near native people and developed treaties to limit where native people lived. “The reservation system led to concentrated poverty,” said M. The reservation areas did not have facilities including schools, housing, job opportunities and health facilities. This led to increase in the rate of unemployment and poor health conditions. However, boarding school system and policies developed by the government had affected the American Indian culture, local economies and families negatively by the time the government made changes. The poverty rates had increased greatly before the self determination (Shoemaker, 2000).
The social, political and economic events affected American Indians development negatively according to M. M stated that the history of oppression affected familial experience of American Indian families. The oppression led to substance abuse, depression and low academic achievements among American Indians. American Indian youths engaged in substance use at a tender age and continued to use. In addition, the substance use leads to delinquency and depressive symptoms. “Boarding schools had an adverse effect on American Indian youths”, said M. Boarding schools led to risk behaviors among American Indian youths. The boarding schools led to separation of American Indian youths from their families. This disrupted cultural transmission and caused loss of spiritual traditions, communication practices, parenting skills and American Indian heritage. M claimed that boarding school system affected him negatively as he was separated from the parents (Shoemaker, 2000).
Additionally, the economic, political and social challenges affect American Indian education as most children were unable to access education. M claimed that he could not access education due to lack of funds and boarding school system. This hindered him from getting high paying jobs. However, his identification with the American Indian culture enabled him to cope with some of the challenges, and he did not engage in substance abuse like other youngsters. The American Indian cultural values and assistance from the family prevented him from using drugs and other substances. The parents enabled him cope with stress and depression resulting from the challenges and discrimination (Cornell, Kalt, Krepps & et al, 1998).
Adjusting to ethno cultural status
Ethnic and racial groups in US relate in different ways. Assimilation and pluralism explains how different ethnic groups in the country relate. In assimilation, a separate group shares a common culture with other groups and mergers with them. In pluralism, the group maintains its individual identities. In a pluralistic society, ethnic groups remain distinct and maintain their cultural identity. Some of the American Indians are pluralistic as they have preserved their culture. Others have been assimilated into the dominant American society. The assimilated Native Americans have abandoned their culture and embraced some elements of the dominant culture (Cornell, Kalt, Krepps & et al, 1998).
The societal stressors including limited job opportunities, services, housing, education and discriminations place minority families and children at a higher risk compared to dominant groups. The challenges enable ethnic minorities to have a strong identification and a sense of belonging to their ethnic group. Attitude about a person’s functioning is vital to the psychological functioning of an individual living in a society where his or her culture is poorly represented. Minority’s attitude is essential in living in the American society where they are discriminated and poorly represented economically, socially and politically. Ethnic identity among minority groups offers a basis for understanding resilience. Self identification with an ethnic group influences the psychological health of a person. Self identification helps in developing self concept. Researchers claim that a person needs a strong sense of group identification so as to have a sense of well being. However, having a sense of group identity in minority groups has a negative effect. Members of minority groups are forced to identify themselves with dominant groups if members of dominant groups criticize them. This affects psychological wellbeing. Therefore, ethnic minorities should develop understand and accept their own group even when being discriminated or oppressed (Cornell, Kalt, Krepps & et al, 1998).
“Adjusting to American Indian ethnic cultural status today is difficulty,” said M. M claimed that he is not comfortable adjusting to the ethnic-cultural status today just like other American Indians. American Indians are not comfortable in adjusting to their ethnic-cultural status today as they are not able to make alterations that enable them to embrace change. American Indians still face economic and cultural challenges that have affected their development and lives status (Yasui & Dision, nd).
M lives in an American Indian reservation and American Indians reservations face distinct conditions and poverty challenge. The income, employment and education achievement in reservations is lower than national ones. United States has 334 reservations occupied by American Indians. A third of the American Indians in the country live on reservations. Almost half of the Indians living on reservations are found in the 10 biggest reservations. Though the reservations differ in terms of size, popular and culture, they have a similar history and face similar problems. Poverty is a major problem in reservations and has affected American Indians negatively. The poverty rate in such areas is 28.4% which is higher than the national poverty rate. The poverty rate in the United States is 15.3%. 36% of families with children living on reservation areas live below the poverty line. Only 9.2% of families with children in US live below the poverty line. Reservations in New Mexico, California, Georgia, Washington, Arizona and North Dakota and South Dakota have a high rate of poverty. 60% of people living in these areas are poor.
The income levels for the American Indians living on reservations are low compared to income levels of whites, and this has affected their ability to adjust. Some of the lowest per capita incomes in US are found on reservations. Some of the reservations including Pine ridge, South Dakota and Allen have the lowest per capital income of $1,539 annually. The per capital income of American Indians in US is half the income for Americans. The Median income for American Indians living on a reservation is $29,097 and the national income $41,994 per year (Cornell, Kalt, Krepps & et al, 1998).
According to M, the rate of employment among American Indians is high due to lack of education. American Indians living in urban areas have at least a high school diploma. The number of American Indians graduating from high school has increased. However, many American Indians do not have a bachelor degree. Only half of the American Indians have a bachelor’s degree compared to other citizens. The number of American Indians graduating from college should increase so as to compete with other citizens in the country. The rate of unemployment on the reservation is high than the rate unemployment the US. Most of the American Indians living in reservation areas are unable to compete with other members in the American society in the job market. This is mainly due to lack of education. The education attainment on the reservation is low. M has not been employed because he has no education. M claims that failure to embrace change and integrate with other ethnic groups has hindered him from attain education. M has preserved his culture, beliefs and practices like other American Indians (Yasui & Dision, nd).
In addition, M is unable to adjust to his ethnic- cultural status due to denial. “Most of the American Indians do not accept their ethnic cultural status in the American society and this has hindered them from adjusting to their status” asserts M. This has prevented them from embracing change and competing with other minority and dominant groups in the country. M has not associated with the dominant culture though his ethnic group is continuously discriminated. Also, he says he has not identified himself with the dominant culture despite the American Indians being poorly represented politically, economically and socially. He believes that identifying himself with the dominant culture will affect him psychologically as he will be forced to abandon some of the American Indian cultural practices and beliefs and embrace cultural practices of the dominant culture. M has not understood and accepted his ethnic group despite the discrimination and oppression. This has prevented him from adjusting to his ethnic cultural status (Shoemaker, 2000).
Conclusion
M story shows the challenges American Indians have faced for the past decades and how they have affected their lives. American Indian have been oppressed and discriminated for the last decades, and this has affected the development of children. The poor representation of American Indians politically, socially and economically affected the growth of American Indian children. The challenges led to increase in rate of poverty among the American Indians. In addition, the challenges led to lack of employment among the American Indians. American Indians did not get high paying jobs like the whites. The establishment of boarding school system affected the growth of minority children as they were separated from their parents. This led to loss of spiritual traditions, communications, substance abuse etc. The political, social and economic challenges affected M negatively as he was unable to access quality education and he was separated from his parents. The American society should change their perception about American Indians regarding education, employment and challenges they face today. They should understand the influence political, social and economic challenges of the past had on the American Indians. Hence, this will enable the American Indians adjust to their ethnic cultural status and avoid identifying themselves with other cultures.
Reference
Cornell, S., Kalt, J., Krepps, M., & et al. (1998). American Indian gaming policy and its socio-economic effects. The economic resource group inc.
Muhammad, D. (2009). Challenges to Native Americans advancement. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/Guest/Downloads/Recession%20and%20Native%20America.pdf on 15/12/2012
Shoemaker, N. (2000). American Indians. Wiley
Yasui, M., & Dision, T.J. (nd). The Ethnic Minority Context of Child and Adolescent Problem Behavior. Retrieved from http://www.pitt.edu/~ppcl/ESP_Publications/Cultural%20resilience%20paper%208.17.06.pdfon 15/12/2012
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