Chapter 7

Chapter 7 introduced much information on the gorwth of immigration in America. Chapter 7 mostly focused on Italians, Greeks, Arabs, and Amerians coming to America and how their journey came to be. I was suprised while I was reading because I did not know the amount of Italians that had come to America. There was twice more Italians than Jews during the ninteenth century in America. I did not know how much until reading this chapter. The largest groups were the French, Greek, and Italain that immigrated to America. It was fascinating reading about how many came to this country because you see how diverse and different any individaul from another country is.

chapter 6

In the second part of chapter 6 I learned much about the German Immigration that happend in the earlier days. I found the German Immigration to be very interesting because alot of Germans came from different backgrounds. For example some spoke different languages but still followed German culture. The German population in America back in the day was very high, so I enjoyed reading about Germans settling their lives in America. Since America is filled with so much diversity and ethnicity I always find it important to stay open-minded to different cultures. I have family in Austria so reading about the descendants from Austria was also interesting because I have been to the country and learned much about their culture. Too think of how it was before and how it is now it's fascinating how different our country is and how much more German culutre we have in our country.

Coming to America Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of the book Coming to America explains about African slaves coming into the "New World" I found this chapter to be very intresting because we don't really get real actual facts about the African slaves coming into America. Until my senior year of high school I started learning more about how americans and europeans kidnapped people from Africa to bring them here as slaves. Although we read this in history books or in movies the author explains in chapter 3 that we wont ever know the reality of an African slave because we will never be in their position. I agree with what he stated because all these facts that we are given arent coming from the real source. I find that trading of slaves was a very important factor in building America because it brought alot of money and labor. Of course now things are completely different from how they use to be, it's always interesting to find out how things started and how they turn out.

Coming to America Chapter 2

Chapter 2 was a very interesting chapter in this book because it talksed about the many rules and belifes America had when it just strated becoming this powerful nation. I learned about the indentured service and also the census of 1790. I never realized how they disrespected Indians due to their race and didnt include them in the constituional mandate. It made them feel low and unwanted by the country they lived in. I learned that many Europeans and African Americans came first here to America also known as the "New World", each person that came to America came here for a new better life and too see what everyone was so excited about this "New World". This chapter reminded much of how our country is in the present time. Since many Europeans and African Americans immigrated into a new country for a better life, we still see many people leaving their country to come to America for a new "better life" until this present day. Although back in the days Europeans and African Americans were very seperated its always fascinating too see how much has changed now. African Americans were known as slaves and Europeans were the "white people" with money. If you look at our country now, we are so diverese its not only Europeans and African Americans, we have a diversty of Asians, Middle Easterns, Central Americans, Mexicans, South Americans. and many other people from countries. This chapter made me understand how America really came to a beginning with the people who migrated from different countries.

The Problem of History

Reading chapter 3 of "American Indians and American History made me understand more about our real history of America and how I was raised up learning a different story. Many people today don't value or learn about the real history of Indians first coming into America instead we usually give our attention to Christopher Colombus. In middle school when I first learned about history we always were taught that Christopher Colombus was the first person to ever be in America and he was praised as a heroric figure in our country, we even have a holiday for him. Truth is that America tried to cover Indians and there history to others till this day. As my education has evolved I am learning real facts about the founding of America and this chapter made me understand more about American Indians and how they seem to be forgotten in our history text books.

"Americas America?"

In chapter one of "The Americas: A Hemispheric History" I learned about how America was first looked at through the eyes of Europeans, Asians, and Native Americans. America was known as "the New World" which had many people wondering what America was all about. Many of us today don't know much about how America was discovered, most of us think that Colombus was the first man to ever step foot on America but way before Colombus discovered "the New World", Native Americans had set a life in America. I always found it interesting that many people don't know the real history behind America, and how Colombus and Native American founded this new world. Chapter one also discussed about how others define people who live in America. For example I was born in Nicaragua but I was raised in the Bay Area, but whenever I go back to Nicaragua to visit my family everyone in the small town where my family lives knows I'm from America and they refer me as an "american". Usually it doesnt offend me but sometimes many people jump into sterotyping and consider me as someone with alot of money, which is not the case. Chapter one was trying to help us understand how America is looked at sometimes and how it all got started. Even in the present time we always try to expand our culutre into America, which makes America so different. For example living in America has opened my mind and made me learn many new things about different culture and since its been going on for years now its become normal to us. Saint Patricks Day, 4th of July, or even Chinese New Year isnt part of my Nicaraguense culture but I still celebrate it because our country has opened up to so many culutres and its something to be very grateful of.