Write a 4-5 page double spaced essay responding to the following questions and citing
the texts A Different Mirror and the Prologue in The New Americans. Be sure to include
the page numbers using MLA citation style after each quote.
In reflecting on the diverse histories of each ethnic group discussed in by Ronald Takaki
in A Different Mirror, what role does labor exploitation and legalized racial discrimination
play in the building of the United States?
Give two specific examples (one example for labor exploitation and one example for
legalized racial discrimination) for each ethnic group: Native Americans; African
Americans; Irish Americans; Mexican Americans; Chinese Americans; Japanese
Americans, and Jewish Americans. Then put your historical discussion in conversation
with the contemporary experiences of Ruben Martinez (from the Prologue in The New
Americans) and his discussion of immigration today. Do you see any relationship
between the past and the present? What in your opinion does it indicate about the
building of the U.S. today?
