Chapter 1: Overseas Migration from Europe

I remember learning about the Australopithecus "Lucy" when I was 13 in eighth grade. Even ten years later, I still can't fully understand that she lived 3.2 million years before us. I'm just going to assume she looked more like an ape than a human. I remember I was told she was around 3 feet tall.

"The New World, last to be settled, was apparently uninhabited by man until some thirty thousand years ago, when Asian migrants crossed the then-existing land bridge between Siberia and Alaska and deployed throughout the two Americas, creating cultures of great variety and complexity." (Daniels 3)
I like this quote because it shows that Asians were the first to settle in America and therefore eventually became known as the "natives". Asians were the first Americans!

I love how Daniels says things in his text like, "...in the so-called Age of Discovery ("so-called" because everywhere Europeans went, they found people there before them)" (Daniels 1-2). It's funny because it's subtle sarcasm that points out how ethnocentric Europeans were during that time.

Eek. The numbers from Cal of the estimates of the Central Mexican population from 1519-1605 are quite alarming. Within less than 100 years, their population dropped from 25,200,000 to 1,075,000 (a decrease of 24 million people). Good job conquistadores.

How did the royals fund Columbus since he didn't know where he was going, where he had been, and when he'll be back? If he didn't find the Americas, I'm sure they would've felt like they wasted their money. How inefficient. "Here's a bunch of money, people, food, and whatever else you want! Hopefully you find something!" In our world, Columbus would not have any investors. I wonder what name North/South America would have otherwise.

On the last page of chapter one, the author says he'll focus on the history of immigrants including "jet-set" immigrants. I've never heard that terminology before! My mom came to America from Manila by plane in 1968 so she falls under that category. My dad came to America from Hong Kong in 1963 by boat. Asian laborers from the 19th century and 20th century aren't part of the jet-set immigrants but they have every right to be part of America's history and therefore the author should've categorized them differently if he even covers them in the book.

Bonjour!

My name is Tiffanie and you've stumbled onto my blog about the ethnic history in America. Enchanté.

This is for one of my history classes. As demonstrated by the title of this blog, my entries will be about America's ethnic history. I find it interesting that we have to diffinciate between regular U.S. history and its ethnic history. The United States is a country built by immigrants of different origins and culture so why can't it just be included under the broad term, "U.S." history. The color of someone's skin, their ancestral roots, or the like shouldn't dictate who decides who is American.

I'm very excited to start my blog about everything history! It's a lot more productive than most things I post on Tumblr...although looking at kitties wearing mustaches is pretty funny.

The book we're using: Coming to America: A History to Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life by Roger Daniels

Au revoir!