Poverty In Lyndon B. Johnson's The Other American

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2. One of social movements developing between the 1960s and the 1970s was the War on Poverty. Many people during the 1960 to the 1970 suffered unemployment, resulting in a high poverty rate. Michael Harrington, an American socialist, wrote a book addressing the many issues of poverty that America was facing in his book “The Other American”. This book alone brought the attention to many Americans about the necessary assistance America needs to fight against poverty. John F. Kennedy introduced to Congress an initiative to end poverty but did not get it passed. Lyndon B. Johnson introduced the same initiative after he was made president and managed to pass it, declaring war on poverty. Johnson found it ironic in that one in five Americans lived in poverty despite America being the …show more content…
The model minority stereotype emerged around 1965 at the time of the militant anti-racist movements. Many Asian Americans did not participate in these movements, giving off this impression that Asian Americans are more submissive and easier to control. Americans also used the model minority these to justify the American dream, stating that Asian Americans have finally achieved this status through hard work and listening to the government. This model minority thesis was embraced by many Americans, using it as a justification for the American dream. Conservative whites embraced the model minority thesis, praising them for their racial status quo. Several Asian American communities embraced this as well because of the praise they received from it. Many Asian Americans also felt proud of this status that was bestowed to them. Although some Americans appreciated the model minority thesis, other Americans resented it. Many non-whites resented the model minority thesis because they too wanted the freedom that these Asian Americans obtained. Many Asian American activists and scholars, such as Lee, argued that the model minority thesis promoted a bad generalization of Asian Americans as a