Reference no: EM133647331 , Length: 2 pages

Assignment:

1. From a historical perspective, what does the phrase "Black Power" mean? What was the impact of this movement on African American identity? Is the concept outdated if used today in the 21st Century? Or, is there some new perspective that African Americans should employ as they attempt to gain full access to the American identity. 100 words

2. There is much controversy surrounding the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan at the close of World War II. Historians continue to debate many of the questions asked in the aftermath of the devastation. Here is your topic for discussion: Was the use of atomic weapons justified? Was it necessary to drop the second atomic bomb so soon after Hiroshima? Did the bombings ultimately reduce the potential death toll of U.S. soldiers, Japanese soldiers and Japanese civilians? 100 words

3. What are your thoughts on this issue? You may even try to make a respectful argument in support of Christian Zionism. Be mindful and considerate. 100 words.

Professor Takaki discusses (in Chapter fourteen) how Jewish victims of Nazi Germany were nearly overlooked by American society. Today, however, there is a strange amount of attention by so-called Christian Zionists who look to Jews and the state of Israel to fulfill Biblical prophecy.

From an academic perspective, using the Bible as a historical source is problematic. The major issue is how does one distinguish the narrative story that we receive from the Bible (and its corresponding accuracy), from the religious or theological interpretation? Religious scholars will sometimes uphold and sometimes challenge the authenticity of various books and passages of the Bible. Still others (including lay readers) will accept the entire text of the Bible in its literal sense, while others view the Bible in a figurative manner.

I am certainly not a Biblical scholar, so my comments are simply to draw your attention to the current debates on this topic.

We know, for example, that Jewish people are among the oldest people known in history and that their religion, Judaism, has exerted great influence. We also know, as discussed in this course, that there is seemingly no real consensus on the definition of a Jew. Nevertheless, the presence and impact of Judaism cannot be denied.

Takaki begins his analysis of the Jewish diaspora with the tremendous immigration of Jews into the United States in the late 19th century. By World War I one third of all Jews in Russia and Eastern Europe had emigrated most of them to the U. S. Within the U.S.-the Shtetl in America-Jewish immigrants flourished. This they did despite the odds and the intense level of anti-Semitism present in America.

We have examined some background into the origins and social history of Jews both in Israel and throughout the Jewish Diaspora-a very difficult thing to do because of the vast nature of the history. Primarily, I wanted you to understand the millennia of persecution; the driving force of Jewish survival after Hitler's Holocaust; the determination to establish the Jewish Nation of Israel in 1948: the powerful support of Israel from Jews living in the United States; and, the emerging support by Christians in America of Jews in Israel.

4. What was the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (The Hart-Celler Act) and why was it so significant? What has been the long-term impact of the legislation? 100 words.

5. How do we balance greater vigilance in a time of war, with greater understanding and tolerance? What are your thoughts?

6. What would you argue as the most significant legislative acts leading up to our current era? Briefly list the various legislative acts and describe their impact 100 words.