Who Are Americans?

Flashcards about the social composition of the American population and its changes over time.

Social Composition

The makeup of a population, including race, ethnicity, age, religion, socioeconomic status, and geographic location.

Nativist Fears

Anxiety among established groups (e.g., those of British ancestry) about losing their dominant position due to new immigrants.

National Origins Quota System

Immigration Act of 1924 that favored immigrants from northern and western Europe and limited those from eastern and southern Europe, with bans on Asian and African countries.

Naturalization Act of 1790

Law that restricted naturalized citizenship to free White people.

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Law that outlawed the entry of Chinese laborers to the United States.

Indian Citizenship Act of 1924

Act that officially recognized Native Americans as citizens but did not include suffrage.

Fourteenth Amendment

Granted citizenship to formerly enslaved people in 1868.

Majority-Minority Country

A country where no single racial or ethnic group makes up the majority of the population; projected for the U.S. by 2050.

Plyler v. Doe (1982)

Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing undocumented immigrants access to K–12 education.

Racial Wealth Gap

The disparity in assets between typical American households across racial and ethnic groups.

1965 Immigration Act

Lifted tight restrictions of the 1920s, allowing expanded immigration from Asia and Latin America.

Undocumented Immigrants

Immigrants living in a country without legal authorization.

Foreign-Born Population

Percentage of the population born outside the United States.

Urban Areas

Cities and surrounding areas; over 80% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas today.

New Gilded Age

Period of widened economic inequality caused by factors like deindustrialization, globalization, and technological change.

Wealth

The difference between a household's assets and debt.

Socioeconomic Status

An individual's or group's position within a hierarchical social structure. Socioeconomic status depends on a combination of factors, including income, education, and occupation.

Reapportionment

The process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives based on population changes after each census.

The Gilded Age

A period in the late 1800s characterized by the emergence of a new, extremely wealthy elite.

Hispanic

Term used by the census to classify people of Spanish or Latin American descent.

Latinos

People of Spanish or Latin American descent (term generally used instead of Hispanic).

Majority-Minority Country Projection Year

Year by which the United States is projected to become a majority-minority country: 2050.

Distribution of Household Wealth

How wealth is divided among different segments of the population (e.g., top 10%, next 40%, bottom 50%).

Aging Population Challenges

Difficulties in funding safety-net programs like Social Security as the elderly population grows relative to the working-age population.

Two or More Races

A category added in 2000 to the Census, now includes more than 33 million Americans.

Racial Differences in Wealth

Disparities in wealth are more prominent among Blacks and Latinos.

Demographic Shifts

Changes in the characteristics of a population, such as age, race, ethnicity, and geographic location.

Impact of World War II

The US becoming allies with China, leading to the removal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1943

Shifting Religious Affiliations

Changing patterns of religious identification, including a growing number identifying with no organized religion.

Population Movement

Historically, Americans have migrated from rural areas to urban centers.