American Pageant 11th
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Chapter 44The American People Face a New Century Cesar Chavez – Chavez was the leader of the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee who improved working conditions for Chicano workers. IBM -- IBM, International Business Machines, was part of the historic shift to a mass consumer economy after World War II, and symbolized another momentous transformation to the fast-paced "Information Age." Microsoft -- This computer company sent the U.S. down an information superhighway. The internet and computer discs allowed for more information to be available to anyone at the click of a button. OPEC -- (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) Through the OPEC, Middle Eastern Sheiks quadrupled the price for crude oil beginning in 1974, disrupting the balance of international trade for the U.S. This helped show the U.S. government that they could never have economic isolation. New Immigration -- The New Immigrants in the 1980's and 1990's came from Asia, Latin America and mostly from Mexico. These new immigrants came for many of the same reasons that the old immigrants came, such as growth in population and to look for jobs. They mostly settled in the Southwest. During this time, nearly a million people came to America each year. gated communities -- These were suburban housing communities with gates and guards that started to gain popularity in the latter half of this century. O.J. Simpson Trial -- This case gained worldwide exposure because O.J. was a star football player and was accused of murdering his wife and friend. The main issue in this case that may have caused turmoil was allowing cameras in the courtroom. Comparable Worth – This principle states that people should receive equal pay for work that is in a different form, but just as demanding as other types of work. This idea has been applied to many discrimination cases including race, age, and gender discrimination. Immigration and Nationality Act – Passed in 1965, this law made it easier for entire families to migrate to America and established "special categories" for political refugees. This act increased the amount of immigration. United Farm Workers -- This was a committee headed by Cesar Chavez. It succeeded in helping to improve working conditions for migrants, mainly for the Chicano population. Immigration Reform and Control Act – This law was passed to decrease the number of illegal aliens in the U.S. It penalized employers of aliens and granted amnesty to aliens already in the U.S. Information superhighway -- This phrase was associated with the new computer age. It refers to the communication revolution that occurred in the 1990s. Essentially, it is the Internet. "classrooms without walls" – This is the popular idea that supports having classrooms in which students are able to use a computer to do their studies without a teacher giving a lecture, but are there to be more of a mediator. biological engineering – This posed a modern scientific question to America about whether or not the human gene pool should be engineered and conformed with how scientists or parents want it to be. The question may never be answered, but biological engineering is the manipulation of human genes to produce the desired outcome. Family Leave Bill -- In 1993, Congress passed this law to mandate job protection for working fathers as well as mothers who needed to take time off work for family-related reasons. Electronic Revolution -- The electronic revolution began in the 1970's. The information economy brought the large use of computers to America. The silicon chip, first made in 1959 but popularized around 1980 by Apple Computers and then IBM, was a small 1/4 of an inch square that could hold incredible amounts of information. It was called a “microchip,” and it helped to move computers from room-sized units in laboratories to desktop PC’s (personal computers). Underclass -- The underclass in America was made up of mostly blacks and minorities living in the ghettoes of old industrial cities. This was due to the minority groups that settled in the old industrial cities while most whites and upper class blacks moved away from the big cities at the end of the twentieth century. Without a middle class in the cities, the underclass suffered. They had poor schooling, unemployment, drug addiction, and a lack of hope. “Stagflation” – This took place in the 1970's and was the product of a stagnant economy plus high inflation and high unemployment rates. Cultural nationalism -- In the 1980s, new social issues came up as conservatives fought new-right activists. During this time, many Americans with different cultural backgrounds (like the Japanese, Chinese, etc.) began to seek rights like the African-Americans had in the 1960s. Immigration and Nationality Act -- This act was signed by Lyndon Johnson back in 1965. It abolished the national origins system. This new act stated that no more than 20,000 people from any one country could immigrate to America in a year. Equal Rights Amendment -- In 1923, the National Women's Party campaigned for the equal rights of women in the work place. This amendment was pushed for by feminists in the 1970s. It was never passed. International Economy -- Beginning in the 1920's and continuing to the present day, the U.S. has become a mass consumer economy with heavy machinery and automobile corporations. The "information age" developed, and technology has become and industry in itself. Communication to businessmen became much quicker and also made business transactions in different areas of the world much easier. The U.S. has become more and more involved with foreign trade as technology and communication has advanced. Download 2.71 Mb. Share with your friends:
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