A Survey of USA: ----- American Population

Prof. Niangen Huang

1. The Composition of the American Population

In the 20th decennial U.S. census, taken in 1980, the resident population in the United States numbered 226,547,346. About 188.3 million (83.2%) were classified as white, 26.5 mil- lion (11.7%) as black, and 11.7 million (5.1%) as members of other races.

1. The Composition of the American Population

The history of the United States is really the story of various immigrants groups working together to build a unique nation. During the 1500s, French and Spanish explorers visited the New World. But the first Europeans who came to stay were mostly the English.

In 1790, when the first U. S. census was taken, the white population of the 13 original states totaled slightly more than3 million. About 75 percent of these first Americans were of British ancestry; the rest were German, Dutch, French, Swiss, and Spanish.

1. The Composition of the American Population

The United States now is known as a "melting pot“. By "melting pot", we do not mean that it melt away all recollections of another way of life in another place.

Most immigrants treasure all their lives the traditions of their homeland and share a special bond with people of the same national origin. They merge into the American stream only in certain aspects of life but keep too many of their own customs and patterns socially and at home.

1. The Composition of the American Population

Now the most powerful and influential race in the United States is the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants who are the descendents of the early English settlers. They make up about 45 percent of the American population and control most of the national wealth and political power in the nation.

The other white Americans whose forefathers were from other European countries are not as influential as the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, but their social status is far better than the other American minorities.

1. The Composition of the American Population

The most numerous minority in America is the black people. The first blacks arrived in Jamestown in 1619 as indentured servants. They worked on plantations until their contracts were over and then became free. But very soon after 1619 blacks were brought to colonies as slaves. After the Emancipation in 1863, they were freed formally.

1. The Composition of the American Population

Blacks can vote, get a meal where they want, and stay at hotels. Yet, Those victories did not change life conditions for the mass of blacks who are still poor. "One-third of all black families still live below the poverty line -- cut off from, white society alienated from the black middle class.

1. The Composition of the American Population

In the 1980 census, there were 1,418,195 people who designated themselves as Indians, whose forefathers were the original inhabitants on the continent.

However, ever since the discovery of the land in 1492 the Indians have been cruelly treated. They were driven to barren desert regions, the so-called "Indian Reservations". They are one of the most deprived and unhappy minority groups in the United States.

1. The Composition of the American Population

There are about 17 million Hispanics, immigrants from Latin American countries.

One-third of them are descended from citizens living in Mexican territory annexed to the United States in 1884. The rest have come to the U. S. in increasing number since 1920.

Most live in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and California, but many now live in other parts of the nation as well. Many of them live in great poverty.

1. The Composition of the American Population

The second largest group of Hispanics consists of the two million Puerto Ricans who reside on the mainland of the United States, primarily in the "barrios" of New York, Chicago, and other northern cities. Puerto Ricans are in worst economic shape than any other Hispanic group.

The third subgroup consists of about 800,000 persons who came from Cuba early in the 1960s. The Cubans mainly live in south Florida.

1. The Composition of the American Population

Among the Asian immigrants, the Chinese were the first Asians to come to the United States. Beginning in 1847, when young male peasants came to get away from poverty and to work in America in mines, on railroads, and in agricultural fields, the Chinese ran into economic and cultural fears of the white majority who did not understand them or their culture. Facing this, and considering their intentions to return home, the Chinese did not try to assimilate but instead gravitated to "Chinatowns."

1. The Composition of the American Population Discriminatory immigration and naturalization

retractions, imposed beginning in1882, were strengthened in the following years and were not removed until the end of World War II.

Since that time the Cheese has moved into the mainstream of American society, and they are beginning to move into politics.

Now the Chinese-Americans are about 800,000. They have proved to be industrious and intelligent. Many of them have found high-in-come positions in universities, laboratories, hospitals, architectural and engineering firms. The employment rate and average income of Chinese-American families are now higher than the national average. They have come to be viewed as a "model minority", clean and hard working.

2. Population Distribution

The United States is a highly urbanized country. Most of its people live in cities or metropolitan areas. The distribution of population in America is rather uneven.

The most densely populated region is the northeastern part of the country, which includes the states of New England, the Middle Atlantic, and the Middle West. The region takes up about one-quarter of the total land area of the country, but about a half of the country's population are living here. This region has many great cities such as New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Boston.

2. Population Distribution New York City, the home of the United Nations,

is the largest in the United States with more than 17 million people living in its five boroughs and surrounding suburbs.

Chicago, the second largest city in America, has a metropolitan area population of 7 million people.

Since most of the people live in many metropolises, northern New England is still rather empty with wild picturesque scenery for tourists while the Middle West still has huge, sparsely-populated open Space for farming.

The Northeast as a whole has had a low increase in population.

2. Population Distribution The Great Plains between the Mississippi

and the Rocky Mountains are an area with a comparatively Small population. Texas is the largest state in this region. It has about 12 million people. The northern part of the Great Plains is rather empty and featureless. In the combined area of North and South Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas, an area as great as France and Italy put together, there are only five million inhabitants.

2. Population Distribution The South, including Virginia, North and South Car

olinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, 　 Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Arkansas, has a population of almost 51 million people. This number of population is not very large against the size of the South. There are also some big metropolitan areas in this region. Atlanta, for example, has a population of 2 million people, and Miami, of over 1.6 million people, The South used to be sparsely populated, but now many Americans are moving there. The South, at present, leads in numerical increase in population.

2. Population Distribution The West, including all the states west of the

Rocky Mountains, is not densely populated, except for some metropolitan centers like Los Angles, and San Francisco. The population distribution in the West is quite uneven. Some states with very small areas may have a large population. For example, the State of Washington with 176,000 square kilometers has a population of over 4 million, while Montana with 381,000 square kilometers 0nly has 793,000 people. California, the most populous state in America; has more than 24 million people. Now the West has about 20% of the nation's population. It leads in percentage increase in population.

3. Internal Migration

Americans are and have always been a highly mobile people. What factors cause them to move? The desire for economic betterment is generally the most important force inducing migration. Thus the volume and direction of migration are usually determined by geographic difference in economic opportunity, as reflected by such factors as differences in employment opportunities and earning power for workers and differences in the availability and the price of land for farmers. This is not to deny the role of non-economic factors, such as climate, racial attitudes, and family ties, in influencing migration.

3. Internal Migration Here is a case showing clearly the trend of

migration in the country. When New England was declining in textile industry, there were many people moving out of it. When California has the phenomenal growth of the aircraft, motion picture, and electronic industry, there is a large scale of immigration to the state.

Since 1970, there has appeared a new trend of migration in the United States. Moreland more Americans migrated from cities to suburbs or non-metropolitan areas. There are several factors for this phenomenon.

3. Internal Migration The widespread use of automobiles and the construction of e

xpress highways made it possible for people to live farther away from their jobs. The telephone reduced the need for them to work or live in close proximity to one another. Besides these economic and technological changes, important social factors were involved.

Suburban areas offered more living space than cities, lower crime rates, less pollution, and superior schools. It is generally believed that they are a better place for raising children. Many middle-income families now live in the suburbs. This new trend in migration prevailed in all regions except the South, where the metropolitan areas had the highest growth rate of population. Despite the new trend in migration, about 70 percent of American population 　 are still living in metropolitan areas.

American Population

End of Chapter 2