Deck 6: The Nation As a Kaleidoscope

Question 1

When a group experiences prejudice and discrimination, yet seems to have succeeded economically, socially, and educationally without resorting to political or violent confrontations with Whites, it is said to be a ________.

A) model minority
B) passive minority
C) dominant group
D) melting pot

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Allen, a scientist, was stopped and frisked repeatedly at an airport because of his ethnicity. This action by airport officials is an example of ________.

A) racial profiling
B) acting White
C) ethnocentrism
D) color-blind racism

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The model minority stereotype of Asian Americans contains an implicit critique of Blacks, Hispanics, and others for failing to succeed as well as the model minority has. This could be viewed as an instance of ________.

A) color-blind racism
B) blaming the victim
C) discrimination
D) brain drain

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The analogy that best describes the United States society today is the ________.

A) salad bowl
B) puppet state
C) melting pot
D) kaleidoscope

Question 5

Studies on the present status of Hispanics and African Americans show that they have ________ when compared to the past few decades.

A) more schooling
B) lower household income
C) higher poverty rates
D) shorter life expectancy

Question 6

Porter, an immigrant to the United States, opined that immigrants like him do not feel alienated because of their harmonious relationship with the dominant community. Porter attributes this to the integration of the immigrant communities into the dominant culture and the eventual development of a new, unique culture. This is an example of ________.

A) color-blind racism
B) a bamboo ceiling
C) a melting pot
D) racial profiling

Question 7

Which of the following is true of the changes in the status of minority communities in the United States over the years?

A) Black Americans today exceed the life expectancy that Whites had a generation earlier.
B) Asian Americans have become the largest minority group in the United States in recent years.
C) The household incomes of African Americans and Hispanics have increased over the years.
D) Almost every Asian American group has a lower poverty rate than non-Hispanic Whites.

Question 8

Eugene, a student belonging to a majority community, is of the view that the minority students at his university have fared well in recent years in terms of academic performance and enrolment rates. Joshua, a minority student in the same university, feels that more needs to be done to improve the performance and enrolment rates of students belonging to his community. Which of the following statements reflects Eugene's viewpoint?

A) The university faces the yellow peril.
B) The glass is half empty.
C) The university resembles a kaleidoscope.
D) The glass is half full.

Question 9

The metaphor of the glass half empty refers to ________.

A) the progress made to date by subordinate groups
B) the progress still to be achieved for all minorities
C) the paradox of income and education change
D) civil rights for gays and lesbians

Question 10

People supporting the model minority view are likely to ________.

A) hold the education system responsible for the poor achievement levels of some minority groups
B) consider racism to be a peripheral issue
C) agree with the fact that Asian Americans should receive all the benefits available to other minority groups
D) attribute the excellence achieved by Asian Americans to their families

Question 11

The model minority image is frequently applied to ________.

A) Asian Americans
B) Hispanic Americans
C) Italian Americans
D) American Indians

Question 12

Which of the following is true of the differences between Asian Americans and Whites in terms of their economic status?

A) Asian Americans as a group have significantly more formal schooling but have lower household family income when compared to Whites.
B) Whites earn less than their Asian American counterparts aged 45 and older.
C) Whites earn less for each additional year of schooling than Asian Americans do.
D) Asian American family incomes approach parity with that of Whites because of their greater achievement than Whites in entrepreneurial activities.

Question 13

Hate crimes against Asian Americans is a consequence of the phenomenon known as ________.

A) yellow peril
B) acting White
C) color-blind racism
D) racial profiling

Question 14

Labeling Asian Americans as a model-minority is considered a variation of ________.

A) acting White
B) blaming the victim
C) racial profiling
D) ethnocentrism

Question 15

Which of the following results because of the existence of the bamboo ceiling in the United States?

A) It causes people to blame African American parents for their children's failures.
B) It results in the absence of cultural capital in Asian communities.
C) It causes people to make negative judgments about Asian Americans.
D) It makes people classify all immigrants as heathen and morally inferior.

Question 16

Matthew, a manager of foreign origin at a multinational company in the United States, is considered highly successful in his professional and social life by his fellow managers. Several people from Matthew's community are successful in various fields despite the difficulties faced by them. Therefore, Matthew's community can be categorized as a(n) ________.

A) model minority
B) marginalized group
C) ethnocentric cluster
D) pure race

Question 17

Irene, a sociologist, is of the opinion that the United States has a population that is multiracial and multi-ethnic that cannot be defined in concrete terms. This is because of the constant change in the cultural makeup of the American society. According to Irene, the United States resembles a ________.

A) kaleidoscope
B) melting pot
C) colony
D) bamboo ceiling

Question 18

In the context of the model minority image of Asian Americans, which of the following statements is true about the study of California's state university system and Asian Americans?

A) Asian Americans often are viewed as poor performers at college.
B) A number of Asian American students appear to be experiencing intense stress and alienation.
C) Asian American faculty and staff members form a majority in most of the top universities in the United States.
D) Most Asian American students do not experience racial harassment in universities.

Question 19

The ________ caused Asian immigrants to be characterized as heathen, morally inferior, drug addicted, savage, or lustful.

A) bamboo ceiling
B) yellow peril
C) model minority image
D) melting pot analogy

Question 20

________ have ceased to be subordinates and are no longer disadvantaged according to the proponents of the model-minority view in the United States.

A) Hispanics
B) African Americans
C) Asian Americans
D) Latinos

Question 21

Which of the following locates the source of Black miseducation in the African American household?

A) racial profiling
B) color-blind racism
C) the yellow peril
D) the acting-White thesis

Question 22

Hernandez, a student from a minority group, refrains from speaking proper English and scoring good grades despite being intelligent. Hernandez's behavior shows that ________.

A) he believes in the metaphor that the glass is half empty
B) he is not capable of competing with his classmates
C) he firmly believes in color-blind racism
D) he does not want to be caught acting White

Question 23

People often state that racism is couched in a "backstage'' manner. Which of the following statements supports this argument?

A) Minority groups that succeed are excluded from social programs meant for minority groups.
B) Black students are often relegated to less demanding curricular programs.
C) Racism results in the creation of a bamboo ceiling that prevents professional growth.
D) Affirmative action and profiling for national security constitute racism.

Question 24

Researchers at Smith College found that White students were much more likely to voice antiracist sentiments when they see ________.

A) another White student express strongly antiracist opinions
B) another White student express opinions justifying racism
C) an African American student express strongly antiracist opinions
D) an African American student express opinions justifying racism

Question 25

In the context of race, schooling, and income, which of the following statements is true of the various groups making up the American society?

A) Whites earn more than their Asian counterparts of the same age.
B) Asian Americans' average earnings increase for each additional year of schooling.
C) Whites have significantly more formal schooling than Asian Americans.
D) Asian Americans as a group have significantly more household family income than Whites.

Question 26

The term used to describe the barriers that women and minority group men encounter in the workplace is ________.

A) racial profiling
B) yellow peril
C) social capital
D) glass ceiling

Question 27

Which of the following is a component of cultural capital?

A) acres of land under cultivation
B) family background
C) investments in stocks
D) past investments in government bonds

Question 28

The collective benefit of durable social networks and their patterns of reciprocal trust is referred to as ________.

A) cultural capital
B) pluralism
C) social capital
D) ethnocentrism

Question 29

The ________ reflects the cultural values and social norms that impact Asian professionals' interactions with others.

A) bamboo ceiling
B) yellow peril
C) model minority image
D) tendency to act White

Question 30

The acting White thesis emphasizes ________ over other factors responsible for Black miseducation.

A) personal responsibility
B) quality of schools
C) curriculum standards
D) teachers

Question 31

Martha, a professor, is an advocate of the use of color-blind policies for defending the racial unequal status quo in educational institutions. Therefore, she is likely to ________.

A) ensure that disciplinary actions are initiated whenever necessary against all students
B) blame the Black culture for the difficulties faced by Black students in school
C) accept the fact that educational institutions in the United States are underperforming
D) relegate Asian American students to less demanding curricular programs

Question 32

Cultural capital refers to ________.

A) the collective benefit of durable social networks and their patterns of reciprocal trust
B) noneconomic forces such as family background and past investments in education
C) the monies that immigrants return to their countries of origin
D) rights and immunities that exist as a benefit or favor for being White

Question 33

The concepts of social and cultural capital were popularized by sociologist ________.

A) Max Weber
B) Karl Marx
C) Pierre Bourdieu
D) Robert Park

Question 34

Whites differ from minority groups in their perception of racism in that Whites ________.

A) assume that all the problems faced by minorities are a result of their incompetence
B) attribute all acts of institutional discrimination against minorities to racism
C) accept a racism charge if there are explicit acts of discrimination against minorities
D) see racism as central to society

Question 35

Rachel belongs to a family that places a high emphasis on education and art. Rachel attends the best educational institutions in the country and also a well-known artist. Therefore, Rachel's family has high levels of ________.

A) social capital
B) cultural capital
C) ethnocentrism
D) pluralism

Question 36

In the context of the perceptions of racism among different groups, Whites are likely to ________.

A) apply the label of racist to only one or a few individuals who were actually responsible for the act
B) see racism as central to society
C) see racism as an institutional problem
D) call most members of a college racist for allowing racist practices to persist despite making such practices unlawful

Question 37

Kevin belongs to a community that has a rich history. In his community, family reunions are regarded as a major event. Therefore, it can be concluded that ________.

A) Kevin is more likely to be subjected to racial profiling
B) Kevin is an ethnocentric person
C) Kevin's community has low levels of cultural capital
D) Kevin's family has a strong social capital

Question 38

African Americans have in the past faced significant restrictions in receiving quality education. It is likely that African Americans ________.

A) find it necessary to develop informal social ties with their White coworkers and neighbors
B) pass on less cultural capital from one generation to the next
C) do not treasure their rich heritage
D) have developed strong social capital that facilitates professional success

Question 39

Studies comparing attitudes and performance among Black and White students show that ________.

A) Black slackers giving a hard time to the advanced placement kids are considered normal
B) Black students have the same attitudes about achievement as do White students
C) Black students are more likely than White students to have bad attitudes about achievement
D) Black students face difficulties in school because of their opposition to act White

Question 40

Which of the following makes developing social capital more difficult?

A) residential segregation
B) friendly relationships between different ethnic communities
C) bilingualism
D) a pluralistic society

Question 41

Explain how different ethnic and racial groups have different perceptions about various issues.

Question 42

Explain cultural capital.

Question 43

Define the model minority image.

Question 44

Studies indicate that African Americans and Hispanics are better off today than they were in the 1970s using education, income, percent below poverty, and life expectancy as indicators. Given this, provide an explanation for the conclusion that the inequality between minorities and Whites remains, and in some cases has increased.

Question 45

Suggest a metaphor for the racial and ethnic diversity and history of the United States to replace the melting pot and salad bowl analogies. Explain how it represents the racial and ethnic story of the United States.

Question 46

College campuses have been the scenes of racial tension and violence. How do problems in communication contribute to racial discord?

Question 47

Discuss social capital.

Question 48

Define cultural and social capital. How do these assets impact the economic status of one's family and future?

Question 49

Discuss the effect of the bamboo ceiling.

Question 50

Explain the concept of acting White.