Citation

Herskovits MJ. Am. J. Sociol. 1929; 34(6): 1129-1139.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1929, University of Chicago Press)

DOI

10.1086/214891

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The problems of race which confront this country may be divided for consideration into three sections: the Indian, the immigrant, and the Negro. All of these must be recognized as being deeply embedded in the historical past of the United States. In the case of the Indian, the most important development during the past year has been the publication of an investigation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its methods of dealing with the Indians. As a result of the inadequacy of the Bureau's management, radical changes were suggested, which, however, have not been instituted as yet. The attitude toward immigration represents the response of the descendants of the original English stock to the challenge of the more recently arrived peoples, and has taken the form of more and more severe restrictions as to who shall settle in this country. The "National Origins" provision, unless postponement by Congress is brought about, will go into effect July 1, 1929. The matter of Negro-White relationships stands about where it has stood for the past few years, little change toward greater tolerance or toward more severe oppression being noticeable. In all, only those tendencies which might have been predicted are to be noticed in changing race relations in this country.