Thursday, November 10, 2011

Walker and "nativity"

How do you understand Walker's use of the term "native"? He uses the word "native" in the following sentence: "The population of 1790 was almost wholly a native and wholly an acclimated population, and for forty years afterwards immigration remained at so low a rate as to be practically of no account; yet the people of the United States increased in numbers more rapidly than has ever elsewhere been known . . ." (417). In reflecting on the effect of immigration on this "native stock," he later writes, "The appearance of vast numbers of men, foreign in birth and often in language, with a poorer standard of living, with habits repellent to our native people, of an industrial grade suited only to the lowest kind of manual labor, was exactly . . . [the] cause" of a population slump among the "native" population (418). What do you make of Walker's theory? Can you see any evidence that such theories persist today?

15 comments:

  1. Walker uses the term "native" to refer to the people in America who have been there and have been accustomed to the way of living. Walker claims that the new immigrants are not acclimated and are trying to change how the "native" people live. Today, new immigrants must abide by our laws, but they do try to change things for themselves. In New Mexico, people were trying to pass the Dream Act to improve college opportunities for immigrants. Indians who have been here can only practice some of their spiritual rituals on their reservations. Thus, there are some things that aupportWalker's theory yet others that do not.

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  2. Walker would define the term "native" as a person who was born in America and whose parents were also born in America. In my understanding, Walker believed that these people were better than the immigrants because the grew up in a better environment, causing them expect a better life and work situation than incoming immigrants or their children could hope for. Today, incoming immigrants are similar to those coming in in the 1800's. They are often more likely to take lower skill level jobs because they lack education that "native" Americans are privy to. I do not agree with Walker in his statement that all the immigrants can do is manual labor. I feel that if they could get an education, the could be as successful as any native, but they do not have the same opportunities, thus they cannot lead parallel lives to people who were born in America.

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  3. In a country like Germany or France the term native can refer to the people who have lived there for coutless generations. People who have been shaped by time to be simmilar in many ways and share many things such as a culture, language, dialect, history, and so on. America is different as we are not a homologous mixture of people with these shared characteristics. We are a country of immigrants who come from different backgrounds. The only people who can be called native are the people who lived here before the days of colonial exploration. I disagree with Walker's use of the word to describe well established Americans as people who are native to this country. There is indeed a difference between an recently imigrated family and people who have lived here since their distant relatives arived. This is not the distinction foreign people and native people, they are all imigrants with different degrees of ancestry in this country. If a German family lived in England for generations, they would still be thought of as German people because of their characteristics. In America when someone sees another person with distinct ethnic characterictics we think of them as Aisian, Black, ect. America is unique because of the fact that the majority of our people are not native. Perhaps lawmakers should take that into consideration when crafting our immigration policies.

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  4. Walker defines the term "native" as those individuals who were born in the United States and live an "American" lifestyle. The immigrants from previous generations would assimilate to the American lifestyle and would become just like all of the other Americans. Walker argues that newer immigrants are not assimilating into Americans and keep their foreign ways and customs. Walker states that all immigrants can do is manual labor, which is not true. With education, they can do whatever they want. However, manual labor is actually very important in keeping the economy going, which is why immigrants doing manual labor can be helpful, but they do not have to chose this career path.

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  5. Walker's use of the word "native" in the sentence above was referring to the people who lived in the United States before the huge immigration wave. They were the people who were used to the land and the fact that the nation was still developing.
    Her theory seems to be that the immigrants coming in changed the culture of the natives drastically- that their lower standard of living changed the economy and the work place, and their numbers caused the native "population" to lower because of the increasing ratio of immigrants to natives.
    Her theory is supported- a lot of families that come from immigrants or even direct immigrants are treated differently today, and a lot of families of the natives that were here first do not get treated in the sort of "respect your elders" way that is accepted in society.

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  6. Walker used the word "native" to describe the population of America as being mostly ancestors of parents and grandparents who grew up on American soil. He means that the population is mostly full-blooded Americans now and that immigrants to the country will only mess up the "pure" American population. He believes that immigrants are not as accomplished, intelligent, or well off as American citizens. I don't believe in Walker's theory because I believe that immigrants are just as capable as any other person to make a life for themselves and to succeed. Today, many immigrants have come into our country and have helped America to become the strong country that it truly is. America is proudly a "melting pot" nation.

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  7. Walker uses the term "native" to characterize the Americans that have been in America for several years, considering those that have had ancestors here and were native born. He wanted to keep America this way, with just pure American blood in the population but once more immigrants started to move to America he did not approve that the mixture of this native blood and the immigrant blood. Walker's theory is far from logical. America is based upon immigrants coming to a land of freedom and willing to have a better life. He does not recognize the virtues that America was build upon, not "native" people but the idea of freedom and unify many different people together.

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  8. Walker's theory has many holes in it. His definition of native is Western Europeans, excluding Native Americans, who are the real native people. He uses his definition of native to exclude and demean other groups of people, trying to avoid racism, yet racism is at the heart of Nativism. This idea is still prevalent today through groups such as white supremacists. They identify with only white people and want to exclude every other group from the benefits Americans have. This type of thinking is wrong and lacks any merit.

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  9. Walker's theory is flawed. His definition of native refers to the revolutionaries that came to North America when in reality it should be the Native Americans. Second, not all immigrants are "of an industrial grade suited only to the lowest kind of manual labor." There are immigrants who bring their skills and experience to America, which benefits America greatly. Sadly, the idea that his theory presents is still present today.

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  10. I believe Walker opines that "native" applies to those who form a majority of the population and possess a lifestyle that persists throughout the United States. The resistance to immigration of other cultures and people are viewed increasingly negatively, mainly due to the fact that the majority always wishes to maintain high numbers. Such a theory is reflected in contemporary society in that people who identify as Hispanics as well as African-Americans are strengthening in population, whereas the so-called "white" or Caucasian group is steady or almost declining. Furthermore, the groups mentioned earlier also perform jobs that are usually seen as menial work and not ordinarily suited for the "natives."

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  11. When Walker talks of being “native” he is refereeing to the idea of being born in the United States. I would even go further to describe the usage of this term to describe the white Anglo saxon christians of the United States. I don’t believe that his theory is not correct, to say that there was a slump in native populations would mean that the “Natives” of this country stop or slowed their procreation process, and I don’t believe that the flood of immigration had any effect on that. Now if he was to say the population of the “Natives” in respect to the foreign population was decreased he would be correct.

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  12. It seems that Walker's term "native" is almost completely based off of people who are similar to himself in class, race, beliefs. He says that the immigrants are only suited to manual labor, decrying it the job of the poor nonnative people. What Walker fails to recognize is that there are people who's families had been living in America for generations who still have "a lower standard of living" and work manual labor jobs. I see no connection between an influx of immigrants and a population slump in what Walker deems as the natives.

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  13. Walker's term "native" meant to him people that were born in America. Natives' parents that were born in America. Walker did not want immigrants to come and change the whole way of living in America. But, immigrants are what makes America a "melting pot" nation. I do not believe that immigrants are any less adequate than natives. Immigrants do not always do manual labor as said be Walker. Seen here at tech, foriegn people are studing along side with natives.

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  14. Walker uses the word native to refer to people who have been born and raised in America, preferably with parents who were born here too, but it is not a necessity. As Walker seems to see it, "natives" are those who have left behind their own customs and lands in order to adopt and take on the new "American" traditions. Thus, not even all people born and raised on American soil would be classified by Walker as "native". This viewpoint is entirely wrong, in my opinion, as not only is the concept of a homogenized "American" culture a pipe dream, but also, even if there did exist a truly American culture, it would be one consisting of elements of all cultures which have been assimilated into American society. Additionally, the idea that immigration is somehow "lessening" the nation is something ridiculous. Not only is a constant influx of new citizens a sign of strength in a country, but also the arrival of new (or old, as it may be) ideas and values into society can be a bolstering agent of change in the "American" culture.

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  15. Walker's use of the term “native” is very exclusive and also ironic. It is exclusive because it applies only to the American population of 1790, and ironic because they themselves are almost all immigrants. Walker's theory is anti-American at its core because this is a nation populated with immigrants and built on the work of immigrants. Unfortunately, theories such as Walker's do persist today, if not Walker's theory itself. The reasons given for the recent passing of anti-immigration legislation are very much the same as Walker's reasons. These theories are in opposition to what this country is about: a free land with opportunity for anyone who can work for it.

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