Middle Eastern, North African, and Asian American History and Sociology Lecture Notes

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key concepts from the lecture, including the classification of MENA people, the Model Minority stereotype, Hawaii's colonial history, anti-Asian legislation, significant genocides, and the social roles of upstanders and bystanders.

MENA

An acronym for Middle East & North Africa; people of this descent are officially classified as "White" in the U.S. Census, making them statistically invisible as a distinct group.

Model Minority

A stereotype characterizing Asian Americans as hardworking, successful, and obedient, which is often used to invalidate racism and ignore struggles within those communities.

Perpetual Foreigner

The idea that certain groups, particularly Asians, are never seen as "fully American" regardless of how long they or their families have lived in the U.S.

Native Hawaiians

Polynesians who migrated from places like Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands using wayfinding and navigation techniques.

Ahupua‘a

A complex land division system developed in early Hawaiian society.

Overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy

An 1893 event where American missionaries and businessmen gained influence and seized control for economic and strategic reasons, such as sugar plantations and military location.

Mauna Kea Conflict

A dispute over the building of a telescope on a sacred mountain, highlighting the tension between Indigenous rights and scientific development.

Asian American (Term Origin)

A political term coined in the 1960s by activists like Yuji Ichioka to unite different Asian ethnic groups and reject labels like "Oriental."

Rock Springs Massacre

A historical example of anti-Asian immigration violence involving riots against laborers.

In-group

A social group with which an individual identifies.

Out-group

A group seen as different from one's own, often leading to bias, discrimination, and an "Us vs. Them" mentality.

Armenian Genocide

The mass killing and displacement of approximately 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1917.

Holocaust

The genocide led by Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany from the 1930s to 1945, resulting in the deaths of 6 million Jews and millions of others.

Page Act (1875)

A law that restricted Asian women from entering the U.S. under the claim of stopping prostitution, which effectively prevented Chinese families from forming.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

The first U.S. law to ban immigration based specifically on race, targeting Chinese laborers.

Scott Act (1888)

A law that prevented Chinese immigrants from returning to the U.S. even if they had previously lived there.

Japanese Internment

The forced incarceration of approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans in camps during WWII following Executive Order 9066 by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

NO HATE Act

A modern law designed to improve hate crime reporting and provide support for victims and prevention programs.

Nanjing Massacre

A 1937 event during the Japanese invasion of China involving mass killings and violence against civilians.

Coolie Trade

A system of cheap, contract labor involving workers from China and India that was similar to slavery.

Philippines (Migration Context)

As a U.S. colony, citizens from this region could migrate more easily to the U.S. to work in agriculture and service jobs.

Gold Rush (1849)

An event that attracted Chinese immigrants to the U.S., where they subsequently faced heavy discrimination.

Ethnic Enclaves

Communities such as Chinatowns that provided protection, cultural preservation, and economic support for immigrants.

Bystander

A person who witnesses an injustice but remains passive and does nothing to intervene.

Upstander

A person who takes active steps to stop injustice or help victims by speaking up, reporting, or providing support.