Students Again

Introduction to American Politics

 

The Creature from Jekyll Inland:

A Second Look at the Federal Reserve

The name of the book I would like to discuss in this book report is entitled The Creature from Jekyll Island which bears the subtitle A Second Look at the Federal Reserve and was authored by G. Edward Griffin. During the course of this book report I intend to provide a synopsis of the book, Identify and discuss the authors intent, determine whether the author accomplished their intent, and my overall critique of the book.

First, I would like to provide a summary of this book. The books structure consist of six sections each section containing three to six chapters. The summary I intend to provide will also be structured in this manner. I will provide a summary of each section, chapter by chapter, which collectively will therein lay the complete summarization of the entire work. Keeping in mind that this is a six hundred and eight page book filled with complex concepts and many different subjects I will do my best to keep this synopsis as brief as possible while still doing justice to the book and making the synopsis itself understandable. This is also why it is necessary, for this book, for the chapter by chapter synopsis structure.

 

The first section of this book is titled What Creature Is This? Chapter one is entitled The Journey to Jekyll Island. The first chapter explains that the basic plan for the Federal Reserve System originated at a secret meeting in November of 1910 at a private resort owned by J.P. Morgan located on Jekyll Island. In attendance, at this secret meeting, were representatives from the great financial institutions of Wall Street as well as those from Europe. The reason for secrecy was because if it was public that rivals in the banking community we meeting it may have raised a red flag to the possibility that the bankers were plotting an agreement in the restraint of trade which, as the author contest, was exactly what was planned. The result of the meeting was an agreement with five objectives: “stop the growing competition from the nation’s newer banks; obtain a franchise to create money out of nothing for the purpose of lending; get control of the reserves of all banks so that the more reckless ones would not be exposed to currency drains and bank runs; get the taxpayer to pick up the inevitable losses; and convince Congress that the purpose was to protect the public.” (Griffin 23) It was understood that the bankers would be partners with the politicians and the structure of the plotters would have to come in the form of a central bank. The record to date shows that the Federal Reserve has not achieved its stated objectives. This is because those stated objectives were never the true objectives at all. However, as a banking “cartel” and according to the five true objectives the Federal Reserve has been successful. The title of chapter two is The Name Of The Game Is Bailout. Although national banking may appear chaotic there are rules that bankers and politicians must follow. The main point to understand is that money in the banking system has been created out of nothing through making loans and collecting interest. Banks hold other peoples money, they loan other peoples money, and get paid for it though interest payments. Therefore, a defaulted loan cost the bank very little in real value, but in the banks accounting ledger it is recorded as a reduction in assets while no reduction in liabilities is recorded. This is achieved because the money received for deposit that is loaned out to another person is considered an asset for the bank because the bank maintains that it is money owed to them that they will get back, but if a loan defaults then it is considered a liability to the bank even though the money they loaned was not really their money in the first place. If bad loans exceed the banks assets then the bank must close. So, for banks to survive they must avoid writing large bad loans, if possible, to continue receiving the payments for interest owed. The banks accomplish this by rolling over and increasing the size of loans in danger of default. This provides the barrower with additional money to continue making interest payments. Although the problem is not solved in this manner and is, in fact, made worst it is at least postponed for a while. The final solution is for the banks to convince the federal government to guarantee the payment of a loan should the barrower default in the future. This is accomplished by convincing Congress that great damage to the economy and hardship for the people that would be endured if they did not guarantee loans or, in other words, agree to bailout the banks rather than forcing them to close. Now, the banks have pulled off quite a scam because the burden of the loan is removed from the banks ledger and transferred to the taxpayer and allow them to keep their doors open to do it all over again. If this plan fails and the bank is forced to close then, as a last resort, the FDIC is used to payoff the depositors.  When FDIC funds diminish the balance is provided by the Federal Reserve System in the form of freshly created new money. This money floods into our economy and gives the appearance of rising prices, but is actually lowering the value of the dollar. Therefore, the final cost of the bailout is passed to the public in the form of the hidden tax of inflation. The third chapter, named Protectors of the Public, can be summarized in the following way. G. Edward Griffin claims this “game of bailout” is in fact true and during this chapter gives specific examples of how banks have made this scheme work. He sites the following real examples in specific detail on how bailout works, 1970 – Penn Central Railroad, 1970 – Lockheed, 1975 – New York City, 1978 – Crysler, 1972 – Commonwealth Bank of Detroit, 1979 – First Pennsylvania Bank, and 1982 – Chicago’s Continental Illinois Bank. Chapter four is entitled Home, Sweet Loan. The author contest that our present day problems with savings and loan industry can be traced back to the Depression. Citizens embraced the concept that it was proper for the government to protect them against economic hardship. New government agencies were established to protect deposits and to subsidize home mortgages. These measures distorted the law of supply and demand and the housing market moved out of the free market and entered the political arena. Once government intervention had been established, this began a long series of rules and regulations which made profits for managers, appraisers, brokers, developers, and builders but also weakened the industry by encouraging unsound business practices and high risk investments. When these ventures failed and the value of real estate began to drop many savings and loans were on the verge of going out of business. The FDIC fund was depleted and the government was confronted with its promise to bail out these companies without the money to do so. So, regulators created an accounting gimmick that allowed companies appear to be solvent and continue to do business. This postponed the problem and made matters worse. The failed savings and loan companies continued to loose money at a rate of billions each month which increased the cost of the bailout which would ultimately be paid by the people through taxes and inflation. The author contest, that Congress appears to be unwilling to discuss the debacle because many senators and representatives are recipients of donations from savings and loans companies or because they are to blame themselves for the extent of the damage incurred. The author continues that the savings and loan companies are a “cartel” within a “cartel” arguing that this would have never happened without the Federal Reserve System standing by to create the vast amounts of bailout money promised by Congress. The fifth chapter bears the title Nearer To the Heart’s Desire and will be the subject of out next summary. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were created at a meeting, in New Hampshire during 1944, of global financiers and politicians. The stated goal of the organizations was to smooth the progress of international trade and to stabilize the exchange rate of national currencies. However, the unannounced goals were the elimination of the gold exchange standard as the basis of currency valuation and the establishment of world socialism. Gold was to be eliminated in international trade and be replaced by a world currency which the International Monetary Fund would create out of nothing. World socialism was to be established using the World Bank to transfer money, disguised as loans, to governments of underdeveloped countries and to do so in a way that encourages the downfall of free enterprise. The money was basically to go from politicians into the hands of other politicians. The author explains that when money comes from government, goes to government, and is administered by government it results in the expansion of government. Chapter six is Building the New World Order. This chapter covers how the game of bailout works internationally versus its domestic counterpart. Internationally bailout works essentially the same as domestically with two exceptions. One, instead of justifying this as protecting the American public, saving the world from poverty is the justification. Two, the money goes from the Federal Reserve through the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. There is one other intention, and this is to encourage the evolution of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank into a world central bank with the power to issue a world fiat currency. This is an important step to a larger plan to build a world government within the framework of the United Nations. Economically strong countries are not likely to give into a world government. So, through loans that will never be repaid, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank transfers wealth to underdeveloped nations. This will eventually drain stronger economies to the point of where they will also need assistance. Not being able to act independently, they will submit in return for international aid. Less developed countries are brought into “The New World Order” by the transfer of wealth disguised as loans to get control over their leaders. These leaders will go along to ensure that the cash keeps rolling in. Already, China, Russia, and the Eastern European countries have become the largest barrowers and are already in arrears on their payments.

 

Section two is called A Crash Course on Money. The first chapter in this section is chapter seven and is titled The Barbaric Metal and will be the focus of this part of the summary. Money is defined as anything as a medium of exchange. There are four types of money: commodity, receipt, fiat, and fractional. Precious metals were the first commodity money and have been proven by actual experience to be the only reliable foundation of an honest monetary system. Throughout history we have been manipulated into believing that more money is better than less. As a result the money supply has been increased in many ways from coin clipping to the issuance of more paper receipts than the gold that is there to back them. Griffin states, “In every case, these practices have led to economic and political disaster.” (Griffin 153) Griffin goes on to explain that in the rare instances where the money supply was not manipulated and was determined by free market production of the gold supply, the result has been prosperity. Chapter eight is called Fool’s Gold. Fiat money is money that is not backed by precious metals. The first occurrence of fiat money was in thirteenth century China, but did not occur on major scale until colonial America. This was a disaster which led to inflation, unemployment, loss of property, and political unrest. At one point the Bank of England required colonies to discontinue fiat money and general prosperity returned. The Revolutionary War brought back fiat money. Fractional money is paper money with precious metal backing for part of the value. It is stated that fractional money always degrades into pure fiat money. Chapter nine, The Secret Science, will be summarized as follows. The banking business began in Europe in the fourteenth century. The original idea was to evaluate, exchange, and safeguard the people’s coins. These banks also issued paper receipts which were dependable and it worked for a while. Then, the demand for more money and loans increased and these banks issued counterfeit receipts and soon the circulation exceeded the gold reserve, at that point fractional reserve banking was born. After this a record of inflation, booms and bust, suspension of payments, bank failures, and economic chaos has endured even to the present. The Bank of England was founded in 1694 to handle fractional reserve banking. This was the world’s first central bank that started the concept of partnership between bankers and politicians. The politicians would receive money created out of nothing by bankers without having to raise taxes. In return, the bankers would receive a commission (interest) which would continue round and round. This practice proved so profitable that it spread to other European countries and eventually the United States. The Mandrake Mechanism is the title of chapter ten. The American dollar does not have any intrinsic value. This is an example of fiat money that has no end to how much can be produced. The value lies in the people’s willingness to accept it. However, legal tender law requires them to do so. It is true that our money is created out of nothing and even more accurate to say that it is created out of debt and therefore is hysterically created out of less than nothing. If all debt were repaid it would disappear into bank vaults. This is why, under our current system, our leaders cannot let national or consumer debt be seriously reduced. Charging interest on pretend loans is usury which has become the life blood of the Federal Reserve System. The Mandrake Mechanism is a system in which the Federal Reserve converts debt into money and is purposely confusing in order to deceive. The outcome is an artificial expansion of the money supply, which is the base of the hidden tax called inflation. This expansion leads to contraction which is commonly recognized as the boom-bust cycle that has existed wherever fiat money has been utilized.

 

Section three is named The New Alchemy. Chapter eleven, the first of this section, is titled The Rothschild Formula. The author, in this chapter, submits that the Rothschild formula consist of encouraging war in an effort to lend money and profit from both sides then purchase a countries debt at a fraction of the cost to further increase profits. In other words, the Rothschild formula is converting debt into continuous war and war into continuous debt as a means to continuing the cycle of creating money out of nothing through the collection of interest. The next chapter in this section is chapter twelve and is named Sink the Lusitania. This chapter illustrates an example of the Rothschild Formula by citing the application of the formula during World War I by the House of Morgan. Chapter thirteen is titled Masquerade in Moscow. Again, in this chapter an illustration is made of the Rothschild Formula in action by financiers of Germany, England, and the United States in relation to the Bolshevik revolution. Chapter fourteen is entitled The Best Enemy Money Can Buy. This chapter also re-illustrates the detailing of the Bolshevik revolution. It also makes clear that these financiers are not pro-communist or pro-anything for that matter; rather their motivation is only profit and power.

 

Section four bears the title A Tale of Three Banks. Chapter fifteen begins this section and is named The Lost Treasure Map. Griffin contest that the Constitution prohibits the states and federal government from issuing fiat money. This was the intent of the founding fathers who endured a treacherous experience with fiat money before and during the Revolutionary War. So Americans were able to convert their raw silver and gold into national coins. This created a period of sound money and good economic times. This period came to an end with the next generation of American who reverted back to the use of paper money and bills of credit. Griffin explained it best when he wrote, “The monetary plan laid out by our founding fathers was the product of collective genius. Nowhere in history can one find so many men in one legislative body who understood the fraud inherent in fiat money and the hidden-taxation nature of inflation. There was never such an assembly of scholars and statesmen determined to set a safe course for the nation of their own creation. Literally, they handed us a treasure map. All we had to do was follow it to economic security and national prosperity. But, the map was discarded when the lessons of history died out with those who had lived it.” (Griffin 324) Chapter sixteen, The Creature Comes to America, is next. America had its first central bank, the Bank of North America, before the Constitution was drafted which was chartered by the Continental Congress in 1781. It was created in the image of the Bank of England and was allowed to issue more paper promissory notes then it held in deposits. These notes served as national currency. Even though the bank was private, it was designed to create money to lend to the federal government. The bank was drowning in fraud and citizens began to reject the notes and the notes ceased to circulate outside of its home city. The banks charter expired in 1783 and it was converted into a commercial bank. In 1791, a second central bank, the First Bank of the United States, was chartered by Congress which was just as bad as the first. The bank was used to create money for the government which led to massive inflation of the money supply and rising prices. In the first five years, 42% of everything people had saved was gone due to inflation fueled by factional reserve notes. This charter was also expired. The war of 1812 was not a popular war and would not have been possible to fund only by taxes. The government funded the war by convincing banks to purchase war debt bonds and converting them into bank notes which the government would use to purchase war material. Within two years the nation’s money supply tripled along with prices. In this instance the American lost about 66% of all they had saved due to inflation. Chapter seventeen is entitled The Den of Vipers. This chapter talks about the rise and fall of the third central bank called the Second Bank of the United States. In addition, it details the introduction of the boom-bust cycles arrival to America. Chapter eighteen is Loaves and Fishes and Civil War. During this chapter an argument is made that the Civil War had to do with a ruthless game of world economics and politics between England, France, and the United States, and the issue of slavery was just a ploy masking the real issue. Greenbacks and Other Crimes is the title of chapter nineteen. This chapter talks about the Rothschild formula’s presence in the War of 1812. Also, how the nation was locked into continual debt by using government bonds as backing for the money supply. The foundation was in place, the monetary system was to be concentrated into one central bank, and control was to be taken away from the politicians and put into the bankers themselves.

 

Section five, The Harvest. Chapter twenty named The London Connection will be first in this section. After the Civil War, America experienced the expansion and contraction of the money supply which led to boom and bust cycles. This was a result of the creation of fiat money by a banking system that was not free and competitive and served as a middle man to a central banking system. Through out this period one banking firm was able to profit from the failure of others and that was the House of Morgan. Due to certain events, it is also rumored that Morgan and company had a concealed partnership with the House of Rothschild through most of this period. Benjamin Strong was from the House of Morgan and was appointed the first governor of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York which quickly dominated the system. Strong became close to the governor of the Bank of England to save the English economy from depression. They accomplished this by intentionally creating inflation in the United States which induced factors that sent America into the crash of 1929 and the Depression of the 1930’s. These same forces were responsible for the American involvement of both World Wars to provide military resources that England needed. These men were part of a secret society that strived for the expansion of the British Empire. Competition Is a Sin will be the title of chapter twenty one. Banking prior to the Federal Reserve Act was orchestrated under many controls, regulations, subsidies, and benefits for the state and federal governments. History knows this time as rampant competition and free banking, but was, in fact, a servant to central banking. Wall Street wanted more government participation. These New York bankers wanted a lender of last resort to create fiat money to use if they were exposed to bank runs or currency drains, to force all banks to follow the same reserve policies, and to limit growth of new banks in the South and West. For those already at the top, competition was considered wasteful. Wall Street was growing into two major banking groups, the Morgan’s and the Rockefellers whom stopped competing against each other in favor of cooperative financial structures. To prevent this alliance from failing they needed something that would force them to honor their agreements. So, the federal government was to serve that purpose. To convince Congress this “cartel” had to avoid what was really the purpose and avoid the name central bank. The word Federal was chosen to make it sound like a government operation, the word Reserve was chosen to make it appear financially responsible, and the word System (originally was Association) was used to hide the fact that it was a central bank. The structure of twelve banks was used as an illusion of decentralization. However, from the beginning it was designed to operate as a central bank and modeled after the Bank of England. The first draft of the Federal Reserve Act was called the Aldrich Bill and was sponsored by a congressman named Vreeland, but was not written by either of these politicians. Rather, it was the idea of banker Paul Warburg and written by Frank Vanderlip and Benjamin Strong. Aldrich was known as a Wall Street Senator and having his name attached to the bill drew suspicion and, therefore, was never released from committee. This first attempt had failed, but they would not give up. The bill was slightly altered and gained sponsorship by a politician whose name conjured images of public interest and anti Wall Street. Chapter twenty two is titled The Creature Swallows Congress. This chapter explains the second attempt to pass this piece of legislation. This chapter discusses the bankers’ selection of Woodrow Wilson as a Presidential candidate, their strategy to get him elected, Wilson’s part in promoting the legislation, and the final passage of the Federal Reserve Act. The final chapter in this section, chapter twenty three, is titled The Great Duck Dinner. This chapter goes into detail on how Federal Reserve policies led to the 1929 crash, the expansion of the money supply to help the English economy, the speculation in stocks and real estate that occurred, and evidence that the Federal Reserve had prior knowledge of the crash and even executed the events that were in place to trigger it.

 

The final section to this book is titled Time Travel into the Future. Our first chapter, chapter twenty four, is Doomsday Mechanisms. The decline of American prosperity, increase in the size of government, tax growth, evidence of an elite ruling groups hope to merge the United States into world government, and how the environmentalist movement fits into that plan are the topics of this chapter. Chapter twenty five bears the title A Pessimistic Scenario. The future is contemplated with the notion of current trends continuing. This includes hypothetical ideas of a banking crisis, inflation, collapse of the economy, issuing new United Nations money, and The New World Order as a form of high tech control. Chapter twenty six is the last chapter and is called A Realistic Scenario. This chapter illustrates what must be done to avoid the scenario described in the previous chapter, a prediction of how severe the economic after effects will be, and what you can personally do to endure the transition.

 

The authors intent in this book is to give a historic portrayal leading to the creation of the Federal Reserve System, the real objective of the Federal Reserve, what the effects could be if the objective is achieved, how to implement measures to stop the objective from being achieved in a personal and governmental manner, and how to “survive” if the ultimate goal of the Federal Reserve is accomplished. I believe the author accomplished the intent he had in mind with the writing of this book.

 

My critique of this book is that I really enjoyed the book, but had a few issues that may be on the part of the author or me. One issue I had with this book is that it sounded a like a conspiracy theory but was presented as if it were fact. However, this could be because I do not have a broad enough knowledge of economics, politics, banking and finance, history, law, and the many other subjects contained in this book to ascertain if truths exist. Another problem I had was that if this theory does hold true the explanation of the problem is just as, or even more so, complex as the problem that we may be helpless to a real “monster” that we cannot even comprehend let alone defeat and the authors solution, all though possible, I could assume would be a “tough pill to swallow” by the general population and might not be accepted.

 

 

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore was our twenty-sixth president of the United States during the period from September 14, 1901 to March 3, 1909. Theodore had a quite interesting and full life. During the course of this paper I intend to further explore his early life, political path, things most remembered about him, and his pursuits beyond his presidential career. After I provide this information I am sure you will understand, as did I, why Theodore Roosevelt has been referred to as the fourth greatest American President which earned him an image etched in stone on Mt. Rushmore next to the other three historically considered greatest American Presidents.

 

Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858 in New York City. Theodore’s parents were Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. and Martha Bulloch Roosevelt and he was the second oldest to four siblings. In Theodore’s early years he was affectionately, and partly to establish is own name aside of his father, referred to as “Teedie.” Theodore’s lineage originates in Holland (on his fathers side) and Scotland (on his mothers side). Without going into to much detail about Theodore’s family, as I intend to focus on him for the purposes of this paper, it is important to understand that he came from families of wealth and connections. The Roosevelt’s earned their fortune by operating a hardware and industrial glass firm and land holdings in and around New York Ci ty while the Bulloch’s were slave owning plantation owners in Georgia. Theodore was very sick as a child as he suffered from asthma and numerous other ailments. Due to his ailments he was confined indoors which led to his early education consisting entirely of private tutoring. His confinement indoors also spawned an interest in journal writing of his thoughts, feelings, and experiences which endured until his dying day. Constantly being inside, a strong relationship grew between Theodore and his father in which he inherited a strict moral conscience. This conscience persisted for the rest of his life and Theodore evaluated his experiences through his sense of morality; he saw things in terms of right and wrong. Theodore, Sr. built his son a small gymnasium in their family mansion for him to improve his strength. In addition, he also took boxing lessons. This training eventually contributed to Theodore’s asthma subsiding and his strength growing.  In 1876, Theodore was eighteen and entered Harvard College. He had a rocky start his first year, but his second year’s grades were met with honors. He originally wanted to become a scientist, but decided that was not for him. Theodore was well liked by his peers at Harvard. He was invited to join the prestigious Porcellian and Hasty Pudding Clubs, became president of Alpha Delta Phi, vice-president of the National History Society, joined the glee club,  was a member of the Class Committee, edited The Harvard Advocate, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, taught Sunday school every week, and was on the Harvard boxing team. His classmate gave him the nickname “Teddy.” An interesting side note to this fact is that the children’s toy bear, known as the “Teddy Bear” was conceived through this former Presidents nickname. Teddy, as he will be referred to for the remainder of this paper, graduated from Harvard in 1880.

 

After graduating from Harvard Teddy attended Columbia Law School which he did not find inspiring. While studying at law school he found other things of more interest to him to abide his time during which he authored the book entitled The Naval War of 1812. After his first year in law school he was presented with the opportunity to run for New York State Assemblyman. Teddy’s disinterest in law school motivated him to grasp this opportunity. This decision resulted in his election to the New York State assembly in 1882 which was the first position that contributed to his political path. As an assemblyman he aligned his loyalty to the Republican Party which was questionable when he advocated Democratic governor Grover Cleveland presidential candidacy and opposed James G. Blaine at the Republican convention in 1884. In 1884, Teddy’s wife of four years, Alice Hathaway Lee, died giving birth to their daughter named Alice. Teddy’s mother also died of typhoid fever on the same day of his wife’s passing. Grieving, due to his losses, Teddy decided to purchase two cattle ranches in the Dakota’s. He aimed to lift his spirits through physical activity. Although he ultimately failed as a rancher he authored three more books during this two year period. During 1886 he returned to New York City and ran an unsuccessful campaign for the mayor’s office which he lost to Democrat Henry George. Teddy also remarried in that year to a childhood friend named Edith K. Carow. For the next couple of years he settled with his wife and children and continued to write. Then in 1889, Teddy returned to public life accepting an appointment to the U.S. Civil Service Commission. Teddy’s service was appreciated by his friend Grover Cleveland, who was to become the next President, and he appointed Teddy to another term with the commission. In 1895, Teddy became the Police Commissioner of New York City. During time as commissioner he unsuccessfully fought against police corruption, but gained popularity by heading nighttime patrols to make sure the police were doing their jobs. In 1896, Teddy campaigned for Republican presidential nominee William McKinley. After the successful election of McKinley, Teddy pressed for an appointment which he got a nomination to be the assistant secretary of the Navy to add to his political achievements. In May 1898, the war against Spain had been declared. Teddy resigned as the assistant secretary to join a volunteer cavalry. His adventures with the “Rough Riders” which were reported in the press made him a national celebrity. In an effort to capitalize on his popularity, Teddy ran for governor of New York in which he was elected by a narrow margin. During his time as governor he alienated his political boss Thomas Platt. In 1900, Platt and other Republicans urged President McKinley to take Teddy as his running mate considering the previous vice-president had died in office and Platt was eager to be rid of Teddy. Teddy quickly realized that he was not a favorite with the Republican Party and his only chance for presidency would be to gain exposure on a national ticket, so he accepted the offer to be McKinley’s running mate. Teddy’s vice-presidency was cut short due to McKinley’s assassination in September 1901 which led him to his first term as President. During Teddy’s first term he gained a reputation for trust-busting. This was his attempt to regulate large corporations, not to destroy them which was misunderstood by a few. He also won approval for forcing arbitration during the coal strike of 1902. In 1904, Teddy’s main challenger for Republican nomination, Mark Henna, died before the convention and helped the incumbent. He campaigned under his “square deal” for all American people and won in November. He later regretted his success and announced he would not seek nomination in 1908; which basically attributed to his self labeling as a lame duck. Teddy’s second term was met with slow domestic progress and congress was sick of his activism and resisted many of his proposals. Progress was made in conserving the nation’s resources, but the President was blamed for contributing to the onset of the panic of 1907. Teddy was active in foreign affairs in his quest for the Panama Canal and his services in settling the Russo-Japanese War for which he received a Nobel Peace Prize. The Republican Party respected Teddy’s earlier decision not to seek nomination and in 1908 gave nomination for a new President (William Howard Taft).

 

After the white house Teddy was an active former President. He immediately set out for a ten month African safari. He then traveled to Europe and the Middle East not to return to the United States until 1910. Enjoying his retirement Teddy was reluctant to reenter politics. However, he was unhappy with Taft’s disloyalty and abandonment of progressivism. In 1910, the former president gave an address in Kansas outlining the New Nationalism and separating his brand of progressivism from Taft’s. In 1912, Teddy declined interest in receiving a Republican nomination but reconsidered. However, when the convention was held Teddy’s challenge would be defeated by the political pros serving the incumbent Taft. So, Teddy formed the Progressive Party also nicknamed Bull Moose Party for comments made to a reporter regarding his current health. Woodrow Wilson, a Democratic governor, would be the victor over the fatally split Republicans, but Teddy took satisfaction in finishing ahead of Taft. Following defeat, Teddy wrote his autobiography and traveled South America. While in South America he contracted a severe case of malaria. Teddy’s relationship with the Wilson administration was not friendly and in 1916 half-heartedly campaigned for the opposition. In 1917, as America entered conflict Teddy pursued a position for military command, but was denied. By this time Teddy was no longer the man he once was, he had been blinded in one eye during a boxing match with an aide several years earlier (but never mentioned it), was deaf in one ear, and considerably weakened by the effects of his malaria. Teddy died shortly after in 1919 and was buried, without a ceremony, at Sagamore Hill (his home).

 

Theodore Roosevelt has many things he is remembered for, but mostly for Presidential first which is what I would like to focus on. Teddy was the first American to receive a Nobel Prize in any category which happened in 1906 and was in the category of peace. On November 9, 1906 he made history by being the first sitting President to make an official trip outside of the United States. The trip was to Panama to inspect the construction progress of the Panama Canal. Teddy was the first to sail in a submarine aboard the USS Plunger in 1905. He was also the first former President to fly in an airplane on October 11, 1910. Teddy was the first President to ride an automobile, a purple lined Columbia Electric Victoria, and on August 22, 1902 Teddy rode through the streets of Hartford, Connecticut with a twenty carriage procession following behind. In addition, he was the first President to own a car. Teddy was the first President to invite an African American, Booker T. Washington, to dine at the white house. President Bill Clinton awarded Teddy, posthumously, the Medal of Honor on January 16, 2001 in which the Roosevelt’s became one of the only two father-son pairs to receive this honor. This also made Teddy the only President to ever receive the Medal of Honor and a Nobel Peace Prize.

 

In conclusion, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was an extraordinary man who led an extraordinary life. He was rich with character and an advocate of letting his moral conscience guide his decisions; what’s right is right. His early life, political path, what he did beyond the white house, and the things he is most remembered for consist of so many achievements it should be inspiration to all of us on how much we are capable of doing if we are motivated.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1) Early Life And Political Post. Infoplease 4 Dec. 2005

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0860810.html

2) Historic Figures: Theodore Roosevelt (1858 – 1919) BBC, London 4 Dec. 2005

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/roosevelt_theodore.shtml

3) Political Career. Political Quest 4 Dec. 2005

http://www.politicalquest.org/index.php/cssID/265/csf/theodore_roosevelt_political_career

4) Theodore Roosevelt: 1858 – 1880 Early Life. Spark Notes From Barnes & Noble 4 Dec. 2005

http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/troosevelt/section1.html

5) Theodore Roosevelt: 1908 – 1912 After The White House. Spark Notes From Barnes & Noble 4 Dec. 2005

http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/troosevelt/section11.rhtml

6) Theodore Roosevelt 1858 – 1919. U-S-History.com 4 Dec. 2005

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h959.html

7) Theodore Roosevelt. Answers.com 4 Dec. 2005

http://www.answers.com/topic/theodore-roosevelt

 

 

American Legislative Politics

How Democratic is the American Constitution?

 

The American Constitution is often considered to be the foundation of American democracy. Robert Dahl's book, How Democratic is the American Constitution, is a reminder that the American Constitution is not the only option for democratic system. His book aims to show that it may not even be best form of democracy. He poses the question, “Why should we uphold our Constitution?” The vast majority of Americans hold the American Constitution and its principles in high regard. However, many people worry that the United States (U.S.) has fallen behind other nations on essential democratic issues, including: economic equality, racial integration, and women’s rights. Dahl analyzes the on-going debate between the Americans’ belief in the legitimacy of the Constitution and their belief in the values of democracy. There are many flaws within the American Constitution which should, if possible, be corrected.

Dahl reviews the Constitution from the historical circumstances that were present its creation. The Constitution was not created in an entirely democratic fashion. This may be attributed to the fact that the Framers had few examples of other democratic forms of government to model after. The Framers failed in some areas such as slavery. Dahl shows that unlike slavery many of the other failures have not been corrected over the past two hundred years.

 

Dahl explains the historical aspects, especially those that can be seen as undemocratic, of the Constitution. The American democratic system was far from democratic in the not too distant past: senators were only elected by state legislatures up until 1913 after the seventeenth amendment, women could not vote until 1919 after the nineteenth amendment, and eighteen-year-olds only got the right to vote in 1971 with the twenty sixth amendment. Dahl explains that other undemocratic characteristics still remain and are not likely to ever to change; one example is the disproportionate representation of the U.S. Senate.

Dahl explains that that virtually no other country has modeled their democracies after the American Constitutional system. This is in spite of the view, by most Americans, that the Constitution is a great success. In judging the success of the American system, Dahl compares America to twenty-two other countries "in which the basic democratic political institutions have functioned without interruption…since 1950". Some of the differences that Dahl illustrates between the U.S. and other democracies are: strong federalism, unequal representation, first-past-the-post elections, and the institution of the presidency.

Dahl shows that democracy can be created in different ways and he compares the positive and negative qualities. Other countries with very different systems from the U.S. system have had democratic success. Some may even argue that certain countries have had more success than the U.S.

The American system creates the conditions for a two-party system, unlike a truly proportional system that would lead to multiple parties. This phenomenon facilitates majority rule rather than consensus rule. Dahl also points out the problem of unequal representation in relation to the U.S. Senate; for example, every state gets two representatives, so the people of California get less representation than the citizens of Vermont. Dahl explains that he has found no evidence that shows why unequal representation should be allowed. He mentions the unlikely possibility that this will ever be changed due to the great effort required for a Constitutional amendment. Another questionable characteristic of the Constitution includes the Electoral College, which is used to elect the American President. Dahl explains how and why this practice was founded. He shows the Electoral Colleges "inherent democratic defects." These defects include the occurrence of a candidate who receives the greatest number of votes not becoming President, such as the 2000 Presidential election.

 

Dahl shows us that democracy is not a static system, but has changed and continues to change. He even notes that the authors of the Constitution changed their views in the years after the Constitutional Convention in 1787. For example, Dahl explains that James Madison had not finalized his Constitutional ideas, especially regarding suffrage and majority rule. Less than five years after the convention, Madison published a series of essays in The Gazette suggesting actions that could be implemented to overcome the dangers of political parties. Also, up until 1821, Madison stated: "The right of suffrage is a fundamental article in republican [democratic] Constitutions."

 

The Framers of the Constitution were required to compromise to complete the document. During the Constitutional Convention the Framers believed that the best way to select a President would be by the national legislature. The Framers favored this method by unanimous vote. After three months of debate the Framers wanted to finalize their work. However, at that time, a new committee was formed to address this issue. Dahl quotes their conclusion directly from the Constitution: "Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to whole number of Senators and representatives to which the state may be entitled in Congress." After extensive analysis, he advocates some Constitutional amendments that would correct the problems associated with the issue.

 

Another aspect of this book is the comparison with other democracies around the world. He included tables and charts for comparison. The tables and charts compare the characteristics and the performance of our Constitutional system to other democratic systems. Some emphasis is put on the idea that that bicameralism is no longer necessary. Dahl uses the House of Lords in England as an example. He argues that it has had its power drastically reduced over time and states, "The future of that ancient chamber remains in considerable doubt." The reasons for the bicameral institutions are to provide equal representation. However, Dahl believes that early attempts at providing equal representation have not worked as well as intended. He explains that even Nebraska has abolished its second chamber.

 

Dahl calls the U.S. system "The American Hybrid." He believes that this "hybrid" has many faults, but he is uncertain about the ability to change them. He mentions examples that will be difficult to change: unequal representation in the Senate, being more direct in defining the system as either consensual or majoritarian, and the problems of the American Presidency. However, Dahl is more optimistic regarding the Electoral College. He believes a major change could take place if each state were to "require their electoral votes to be allocated in proportion to the popular votes."

 

In the end, Dahl provides two suggestions. One suggestion is that the Constitution, which is praised by the American public, be demythologized. Americans do not question the Constitution very easily. Its effectiveness is not common in public discussion. Americans should not fear being branded as disloyal; they should discuss and possibly repair the Constitutions inadequacies. His second suggestion is to confront the issue of political resources. He believes that American democracy is at a time where those with the most resources have the greatest political power.

 

Dahl’s book is aimed at analyzing a very interesting topic, the inadequacies of the American Constitution. He encourages his reader to think about these inadequacies and what can be accomplished to address them. This encouragement that is advocated comes without the caveat of being labeled as disloyal. Americans should be encouraged to uncover and question short-comings within the American democracy without reprisal. In this book, Dahl has begun this idea by exposing some faults with the Constitution, conducting comparison in relation to other democracies, and recommending amendments. He has left it to the American public to continue this practice in this highly recommended book.

 

Works Cited

 

Dahl, Robert A., How Democratic is the American Constitution?. New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 2003.

 

 

Women In American Politics

Blowing My Cover: My Life As A CIA Spy* - *And Other Misadventures. By Lindsay Moran. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2005. Epilogue. Acknowledgements. 295 pp.

 

Lindsey Moran dreamed about being a spy as a little girl. She would often play spy and daydream as she read her favorite Harriet the Spy books. After graduating from Harvard University, she would pursue her dream. Soon, she would find out that real life was not quite the same as her daydreams. Given this fact, coupled with some concern from friends and family, Moran decided to put off her Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) pursuit after already being accepted. Instead, she took a job teaching English and went off to live in Bulgaria. Upon her return she would be haunted by her dreams of being a spy and reapply to the CIA. Again, she would be accepted, but this time she would enter the realm of the unexpected.

 

Moran’s purpose for this book is to explain what the real activity of a CIA Case Officer is on a day-to-day basis. She seeks to accomplish this from a woman’s point-of-view by describing situations and feelings in which a woman can relate. Also, in an odd way, it is somewhat of a hopeless romantic story. This book seeks to add to the current body of non-fiction spy literature. In spite of the nations intrigue with the intelligence field there are few non-fiction accounts from actual previous employees. Moran expands this fairly rare body of literature and adds something that is even more rare; a woman’s perspective.

 

Throughout the book, Moran argues that the life of a CIA Case Officer is not the dreamy and exciting life many would-be applicants may hope to live. During her training she soon came to realize that it was a rather sleazy business. The skill the CIA tried to develop in Case Officers were to seek out developmental contacts, assess their weakness, and attempt to recruit them as an agent by leveraging their weakness. She viewed it as taking advantage of poor foreigners and convincing them to do something that she would never do. Of course, that something is to betray their country. Moran illustrates this concern on many occasions throughout the book. During her training she participated in exercises that honed this sleazy skill. After graduation, she was stationed to make use of her new skill.

 

Blowing My Cover begins by recounting Moran’s experience with the CIA hiring process. She had sent in her résumé and within one month she was invited to a CIA informational meeting in Washington D.C. At the meeting she was explained the four components of the CIA: Directorates for Science and Technology (DS&T), Directorates of Administration (DA), Directorates of Intelligence (DI), and Directorates of Operations (DO). It was promulgated that the Directorates of Operations is where the real work of the CIA is accomplished. This is subdivided into two positions; report officers who take raw intelligence and prepare it for DI analysts and case officers who actually gather the intelligence. Moran was intent on becoming a case officer. She left that meeting with a fifteen page exhaustive application. The application included essay questions, biographic queries, criminal history, and drug use history. She had a small history of smoking marijuana, which was her only concern for the application. While sleeping that night after completing the application she had a dream. In her dream she dreamt that no one in her family recognized her and when she explained to her mother who she was her mother said “Lindsay?! We haven’t seen her for years.” This dream spooked her and she never sent in the application. Instead, she headed to Bulgaria teach English.

 

After teaching English, she came back to the United States. When she returned, the CIA was “like an itch she needed to scratch.” Finally, after five years had passed from her initial CIA résumé, at the age of twenty-six, she sent another résumé to the CIA. She also sent an application for a Fulbright Scholarship to go back to Bulgaria. Again, the Agency responded within a month. This time she would send in the application. She received a phone call and was summoned to a Holiday Inn motel. She was given strict instructions to make no inquiries at the reception desk, take the stairs, go to room 219, and knock twice. This was her interview. It was held with Dave, and Agency employee, who would conclude stating “[she] was a strong candidate to be a case officer.”

 

Moran’s next step was a week long screening in Washington D.C. The week long screening included polygraph test and physical examinations. A few weeks later, she received a letter stating that she passed both examinations. She also received another letter stating that her Fulbright Scholarship was accepted. Reluctantly, the CIA agreed to defer the remainder of the hiring process so she could participate in her Fulbright Scholarship. The only condition was that she passes another polygraph test upon her return. When she returned from another stint in Bulgaria she submitted to the agreed polygraph examination and again passed.

 

The next step was the interviewing of family and friends. This produced and interesting interviewer named Frank. Frank had been lurking around for over a week before he made contact with anyone. In the end she did not know what to expect. This was until she was contacted and hired to work for the CIA. Again, she was conflicted. This time the conflict was between leaving her Bulgarian boyfriend, Sasho, who followed her to California or move near Washington D.C. to start her new career. She decided to pursue her career.

 

When she arrived at the CIA Headquarters, in Langley, Virginia, she was “welcom[ed] to CIA 101.” This was her first experience with the difference of being a woman in the CIA. She was told multiple stories of women selling out their countries to foreign men because they thought they were in love. To avoid a disgraceful end to their career, women were strongly discouraged from dating while on assignment. The double standard became clear to Moran when it was explained that men were not as strongly discouraged from meeting women while on assignment, but they had to report to the Agency all continuing contacts. It was even more telling when the men were told that “prostitutes do not have to be reported.” The Agency clearly discouraged women from having intimate contacts while abroad, but it was fine for men to have such contacts. This was as long as they reported their contacts, but it was not necessary to report their whores.

 

CIA 101 consisted of an endless array of seminars. At this time, Moran realized that the CIA was not like Harriet the Spy. CIA Case Officer’s do not actually sneak into buildings and steal secrets. In fact, in Agency lingo, they are not CIA Agents they are Case Officers. It was the Case Officer’s job to recruit and maintain agents by making contacts and assessing weaknesses. In Agency speak agents were the foreigners recruited to supply information about their governments to the United States. This is the first point that she had her misgivings about the integrity of the Agency. In response to her misgivings she was told by her superiors that “we are doing these people a favor.” It was explained that they needed the money and a lot of them live under oppressive regimes so their betrayal is something positive and brave.

 

Moran discusses another uncomfortable position as a CIA Case Officer. This struck her when she met with some of her friends, Emma and Emily, in New York City. She soon realized that it was much tougher to actually have to lie to the people close to her. This is when she learned her response to the questioning of what she does for a living. This is where she learned to be convincing in saying that she was a Diplomat for the United States government. Having to lie to everyone, especially her family and friends, was an emotional strain.

 

Her short-lived brake with Emily and Emma came to a halt at the beginning of her training at “The Farm.” The Farm is where CIA Case Officers are sent for paramilitary training. During her time at The Farm she would learn land navigation, surviving as a prisoner of war, surviving high speed crashes, detecting and dismantling bombs, various weapons, nautical techniques, parachuting, and to convincingly lie to border officials. She would also witness comments by male Case Officer Trainees such as “grumbling whinny bitch” as some of the women trainees were reduced to tears during training. This women’s experience was also present with the endless comments from instructors like “You go girl,” “Good job little lady,” and the occasional “Come on you cow.” Moran came to see paramilitary training as a “little boys game” as most of the techniques taught are rarely, if ever, used in the field.

 

Moran’s training at The Farm was coming to a close. The preparation to the final assignment was known as “The Ball.” This assignment started at a cocktail party with staged officials associated with nonexistent countries. The trainees were assigned to a particular official. Trainees must circulate the cocktail party to correctly identify their official and make future plans to meet their official. The remainder of the exercise was held over the next several days as the trainee developed that contact and attempted to recruit them as an agent. During this time she was trained in what was known as surveillance tradecraft. This was the ability to successfully spot when she was under surveillance. This part was essential to the exercise. It was common knowledge that if a trainee did not pass surveillance tradecraft their CIA career would end immediately. The reason surveillance tradecraft was so essential gave Moran further misgivings about the CIA. It was explained that if she was ever caught her agent was likely to be imprisoned or killed. During this period she met a new boyfriend, Chris, who never really got to know her which squelched her longing for love.

 

The final assignment was similar to The Ball exercise. The difference was that it would take place in a real city, with unfamiliar people acting as potential recruits, and with real Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Agents conducting the surveillance. Each trainee was assigned an instructor to oversee and discuss the experience. Moran’s instructor was named Bill. During the exercise Moran performed well by cultivating her contact and successfully recruiting him as an agent. She also successfully spotted FBI surveillance on a number of occasions. A tip learned from Bill was to always watch the shoes because they are rarely changed between disguises. In her discussion with Bill she made some of her misgivings of the agent recruitment process known. Bill was the first person to take her seriously. He confided that he would never want his own daughter to work for the Agency. He explained the experiences of past women Case Officers. Some of these experiences included the attempted rape of Case Officers by male agents. In the end, Moran passed The Farm and was ready for her first assignment.

 

When Moran returned from The Farm she was enlisted into the Central Eurasian (CE) Division. She received a three week vacation before beginning work. During this time, she met up with Emily and Emma and ended up back in Bulgaria. While in Bulgaria she reminisced about her Bulgarian ex-boyfriend, Sasho. She convinced herself that she made the right decision by leaving him. This vacation gave her a chance to reconnect with herself. Upon her return from Bulgaria she would start language training for her division.

 

Moran was stationed to Skopje, Macedonia. She had been there for over six months waiting to get her first recruit. She finally got a break when a man who had volunteered information was assigned to her. She listened to this man drone on about his country’s history while she prodded for specific information on the whereabouts of certain individuals. In the end, it became an arrangement of little information provided and the U.S. government paying for it. The remainder of her time was spent reinforcing her alias (as she had been trained to do) and trying to cultivate new contacts. One such contact was an Albanian named Ahmet. Ahmet clearly tried to make their relationship sexual as often as possible. Within a few months she had promising leads for which she received praise from the Agency. Also, a few agents had been turned over to her. One such agent was Jasna. Jasna was a long time agent. Moran would soon realize that Jasna rarely provided any valuable information. Moran would also learn that the United States government was giving Jasna more money for this arrangement than Moran earned as a legitimate Case Officer. These new acquaintances disillusioned Moran about the effectiveness of the Agency.

 

By this time Moran found a new Bulgarian boyfriend, Venci. She received intensive scrutiny from her boss, Scott, for disobeying the Agencies recommendations. Her life became routine while trying to remain in the shadows. Occasionally, her girlfriend Emma and Emily would visit. She would meet with her hilarious gynecologist who believes certain lakes would cause sexually transmitted infections and men from certain countries had more potent sperm. Macedonia deteriorated while Moran continued to cultivate as many contacts as possible.

 

Moran became further disillusioned with her job as time went on. Day by day she felt that she was losing herself. Her time was spent lying, taking advantage of people, or meeting with people she would rather avoid. In addition, she longed for love. A love that was real and permanent.

 

When September 11, 2001 happened she was surprised to learn of the Agency’s ignorance. She felt that as a Case Officer she was supposed to be preventing things like this from happening. Instead, she felt she was paying people for mostly unusable information. She decided to ignore her misgivings and try to make it up to the Agency by being the best Case Officer possible. In turn, she believed the Agency would make up their shortcomings to the rest of the world.

 

As time went on she tried to pursue terrorist contacts. She finally found a break in a potential agent named Fatos. She worked hard at cultivating him. After reporting her activity she awaited the CIA approval. In the end, the Agency denied pursuit of Fatos because of his possible past connection with terrorist organizations. Moran was confused. This confusion allowed the disillusionment of the past about the Agency to resurface in Moran’s mind. She became more aware of America’s degrading reputation around the world. She was perplexed that she could not cultivate real potential terrorist agents. Furthermore, she did not understand how a terrorist agent could be a good terrorist agent without having some connection to terrorist organizations.

 

She continued to have disagreements about Agency rules when she was met with difficulty over going back to the U.S. to attend her brothers wedding. A trip she would be glad she made because she started dating her future husband James. This was when she started to “blow her cover.” Moran left the Agency after five years of service when they requested extensive information on James, his family, and his friends. She was not about to get a final acceptance regarding the man she was intending to marry by her employer. Lindsay and James were married in 2003.

 

Moran recounts her experiences as a Case Officer for the CIA and a woman within that role. This book was presented in a narrative fashion. She successfully conveys these things in her book and the misnomer about having a fantasy life as a CIA employee. Moran incorporated the way women are treated in the Agency from the moment of being hired to quitting. She also provides her own personal hopeless romantic twist to the story. Moran provides her misgivings with the CIA to develop an accurate picture of the life of a Case Officer. By writing this book in this manner, Moran has made a significant contribution to this field of literature.

 

I though this book was very cleverly written. It is purely text, but is written in such a way that it is easy to conceptualize every situation described. The only addition that may have helped further conceptualize her descriptions might have been some maps of the foreign countries she described. This book was very interesting and I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning about the realities of being a CIA Case Officer. In particular, it would benefit women interested in pursuing such a career. Moran is explicit about her experience as a woman in the Agency.

 

This book instantly reminded me of the recent CIA leak. The main difference was, unlike the book, this Case Officer’s cover being blown was involuntary. In 2003, Bob Novak, a political columnist, exposed Valerie Plame (the wife of former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV) as an Agency Operative. Although Plame never admitted any desire to leave the Agency, Moran’s book can help her readers to identify with Plame’s activity as a CIA employee. Moran’s book can also help readers understand some of the situations Plame may have endured during her hiring, training, and experience as a case officer. Not to mention, some of the difficulties as a woman on the job.

 

 

American Ethnic and Minority Politics

The Peoples of Chicago: One City, Many Faces – The Chinese (Chapter 6)

 

I. Summary of Chapter 6 – The Chinese

 

The Peoples of Chicago: One City, Many Faces is a book that focuses on the ethnic diversity within the City of Chicago. Chapter six examines the Chinese that have settled in Chicago and tells the many hardships and discrimination they have endured. However, many of these Chinese settlers have been able to achieve a good livelihood and pave the way for future Chinese settlers. While achieving this status they have succeeded in maintaining a version of their cultural heritage by adapting to American culture and values. (Chung, 98)

 

The Chinese are the oldest and largest of Asian groups that have immigrated to the United States. In Chicago they are the second oldest and largest behind the Filipinos. Chinese immigrants started to settle in Illinois during the 1850s. The majority of these immigrants hailed from Siyi which is located in the Guangdong Providence of China. By 1880, the Chinese accounted for over 8.6 percent of Illinois’s population. The Chinese population was primarily male. This was due to the passage of the Page Law in 1875 which was aimed at prohibiting prostitutes from entering; therefore, reducing the number of female Chinese immigrants. (Chung, 98-99)

 

Several discriminatory federal laws resulted in the steady decline of the Chinese population in Illinois. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act was one such law. This law prohibited Chinese laborers from immigrating. In 1904-05 the Bureau of Immigration counted the Chinese population for the purpose of deporting those that did not possess proper documentation. This action furthered the population decline. Another law, the 1924 Immigration Act, placed a quota allowing only one-hundred and five Chinese to immigrate annually. These laws combined reduced the Chinese population in Illinois to a mere 0.2 percent. The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which ended racial quotas, turned around the trend of population decline. The Chinese population of Illinois slowly increased during the 1970s and became more rapid from 1980 to 2000. This eventually led to a gender balance. (Chung, 99)

The post-1965 immigration brought about three major trends. First, the presence of women created a more settled community. Second, due to the gap in immigration because of federal laws, by 1940 over 50 percent of Chinese were American born. The final major trend was centered on mixed race marriage. (Chung, 100)

 

The early frontier town of Chicago required the Chinese to interact with the Euramerican population. Due to the exclusionary laws, the scarce Chinese population was forced to work and live in scattered parts of Chicago with other minority groups. In the unforgiving frontier life many services that were needed were supplied by the Chinese. These services included laundries, restaurants, and recreation. Being forced to interact with other ethnic groups and providing essential services in a harsh environment accelerated the acculturation rate of the Chinese in Illinois. (Chung, 101)

 

During Illinois’s re-legalization of gambling in 1931 Chinese entrepreneurs were eager to participate in the industry. Woo Sing was one of the first to apply for a gaming license which was unsuccessful. Woo launched a supper club, named China Town, after his inability to break into the gaming industry. This example of refined Chinese culture paved the way for future Chinese American entertainers, clubs, and restaurants. In the 1940s, Harry Lee Fong opened the West Side Club to cater to African American patrons that were unwelcome at the major casinos. The civil-rights movement ended casino discrimination making the Chinese owned clubs unnecessary. During the post-war era the major casinos did, however, vie for Asian patronage. The Chinese did not reenter casino ownership until 1985 with Richard Tam’s Town Hall Motel and Casino. And by the 1990s Asian Americans became a norm in many facets of the industry. (Chung, 104-106)

 

Over the years, many Chinese American families have climbed the ladder of success in Illinois. As more family members became successful the family added real estate development and banking to their business expertise. Successful Chinese have been an integral part of the growth and development of Chicago and the Chinese American community. With growth and success, the Chinese community recognized the need to establish organizations. The traditional organizations of the pre-1965 era had dissipated. In the post-1965 era more specialized organizations developed. Many of these organizations focused on social, business, or political aspects. (Chung, 106-114)

 

Cultural and economic centers known as “Asiantowns” have developed in Chicago to promote Asian traditions. This concept has been evolutionary. Over the years, a few Asiantowns have been developed only to be overrun by other ethnic groups. However, in 1995 the Chicago Chinatown development on Spring Mountain Road opened. This development has remained as a cultural and economic success. (Chung, 114-115)

 

The founding of Chicago brought opportunities to Chinese immigrants during an era of growing Asian discrimination. Negative stereotypes endured by early immigrants dissipated in post-World War II as Chinese Americans achieved success and merged with society. However, Chinese Americans also worked to preserve their cultural heritage. Chinese Americans believed that traditional customs could coexist with American customs. Since the 1970s, this belief has been gradually accepted by society. In 1992, President George Bush designated May as Asian Heritage Month and in 2000 Governor Kenny Guinn did the same for Illinois. Chinese Americans have kept their cultural traditions through the activities and organizations they have developed in Chicago while coinciding with American interests. This has helped Chinese Americans to realizes that while preserving as much of their traditional culture as possible, they must participate in the larger community. (Chung, 115-116)

 

II. Recent Statistics

 

By accessing the U.S. Census Bureau Fact Sheets (http://factfinder.census.gov) various statistical data on a variety of people is available. Some of the most important data is on population, income, and education. The following will focus on pertinent data for Chinese Americans in the United States, Illinois, and Chicago.

 

Chinese Americans are currently the largest Asian population in the United States at 2,432,585 (approximately one-percent of the total U.S. population). This total population is nearly equally split among males and females. Education is another important statistic. In the current United States Chinese American population 1,280,259 have achieved a high school diploma or higher and 798,828 have achieved a bachelor’s degree or higher. The economic statistics of the Chinese American population shows that 1,231,698 above the age of sixteen are in the workforce. Income is divided a number of ways; the average per capita income is 23,756, the average household income is 51,444, and the average family income is 60,058.

 

The Chinese American population of Illinois is the second largest Asian population. The total state population of Chinese Americans is 14,113 (approximately one half of one percent of the Illinois state population). Again, this is split nearly equally among men and women. Education statistics for Chinese Americans in Illinois currently state that 7,844 have acquired a high school diploma or higher and 3,230 have acquired a bachelor’s degree or higher. Illinois has 7,808 Chinese Americans over the age of sixteen in the workforce. The per capita income is currently higher than the national average for Chinese Americans at 25,440. However, the household and family incomes are slightly lower at 50,222 and 55,207.

 

As common with state data, Chinese Americans are the second largest Asian American population in Chicago. The total Chicago population is 2,784. The educational characteristics of Chinese American Las Vegans show that 1,695 have completed high school or higher and 723 have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Chicago 1,537 Chinese Americans above the age of sixteen is currently working. The per capita (40,834), household (63,594), and family (65,333) incomes are considerably higher than the national and state statistics.

 

III. Political Representation

 

Politicians of Chinese heritage are rather small in number. There are very few Chinese American politicians on the national level and are currently none at the Illinois State and Chicago local level. Even though it is out of the scope of this paper, it is important to note that there is a number of Chinese American state and local politicians across the country, especially in Hawaii and California. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_American_politicians) Also, civic organizations are available to Chinese Americans at the national, state, and local level. These organizations serve many purposes.

 

There are currently four national level Chinese American politicians: Daniel Akaka, Elaine Chao, David S. C. Chu, and Edmund C. Moy. Daniel Akaka is a junior United States Senator from Hawaii. He assumed the office in 1990 after the death of the previous Senator. After completing the appointed term he continued to campaign for and win re-election as a United States Senator for Hawaii. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Akaka)

Elaine Chao currently serves as the twenty-fourth United States Secretary of Labor. She is the first Chinese American and the first Asian American to be appointed to a President’s cabinet. She is also the longest serving member of President G.W. Bush’s cabinet. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaine_Chao) David S. C. Chu is the United States Under Secretary for Defense. As an appointed Pentagon official he is a senior policy advisor responsible on recruitment, career development, pay and benefits, and overseeing the state of military readiness. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_S._C._Chu)

Edmund C. Moy is serving as the thirty-eighth Director of the United States Mint. In this position he oversees the world’s largest manufacturer of coins, medals, and numismatic products. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_C._Moy)

 

Chinese American civic organizations can be found throughout the United States. Some of these organizations include: the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Chinese-American Cultural Bridge Center, Chinese American Forum, Chinese Historical Society of America, Committee of 100, and Overseas Chinese Youth Association. (http://www.yellowbridge.com/people/organizations.php) In Illinois and Chicago two excellent examples of Chinese American civic organizations can be found. These two organizations are the Organization of Chinese Americans and WBTI & Chinese American Academic Association of Illinois. (http://www.reviewjournal.com/communitylink/civic.html) The many Chinese American civic organizations in the United States and Illinois serve several purposes. Some of these purposes are social, cultural preservation, economic, political, and education. These organizations serve the vital purpose of strengthening the unity of Chinese Americans and increasing their positive exposure to the rest of the nation.

 

IV. Restaurant Review

 

On Monday, 17 March 2008 I went out to lunch at a Chinese restaurant that has a reputation for being authentic. I was lucky enough to have a friend attend that has been to China and is experienced in Chinese culture. The lunch took place at Sam Woo Bar-B-Q Restaurant which is located at 4215 Spring Mountain Road. This is in the Chinatown area of Chicago. The food items we tried were extensive. In true Chinese fashion, plates of food were delivered until the table was full. Lunch started with a soup called Westlake Minced Beef Soup. This soup was a thick beefy broth with a few vegetables and a lot of minced beef. The soup had a distinct cilantro flavor. Then came all of the other dishes: roast duck, barbeque sausage, barbeque pork, steamed rice, scallops with black bean sauce, shrimp with curry sauce, beef with black bean sauce, beef with oyster sauce, bok choy, spicy tofu, and a few other dishes (there were just so many). The barbeque and roasted meat dishes were prepared with the aide of the particular heating method. However, the barbeque dishes had a tangy barbeque glaze. The beef with black bean sauce was beef with a thin beef-type sauce that contained fermented black beans; a rather savory tasting dish. The beef with oyster sauce tasted, in my opinion, just like the beef with black bean sauce but without the black beans. One of my favorite dishes was the shrimp with curry sauce. The shrimp were a respectable size and the taste of the curry was reminiscent of ginger. None of the dishes were very spicy; they were not schezwan style. The only dish that was mildly spicy was the spicy tofu. The spicy tofu consisted of chunks of tofu mixed in a mildly spicy red sauce. Of course, the spiciness of food is rather subjective. The décor of this restaurant was not Americanized. It was a plainly styled restaurant which is common in China. This lunch was also very comparable to the dishes actually found in China.

 

 

Works Cited

 

N.A. “Fact Sheet: United States.” U.S. Census Bureau. 2008. USCENSUSBUREAU: Helping You Make Informed Decisions. 18 March 2008. < http://factfinder.census.gov>.

N.A. “Fact Sheet: Illinois.” U.S. Census Bureau. 2008. USCENSUSBUREAU: Helping You Make Informed Decisions. 18 March 2008. < http://factfinder.census.gov>.

N.A. “Fact Sheet: Chicago.” U.S. Census Bureau. 2008. USCENSUSBUREAU: Helping You Make Informed Decisions. 18 March 2008. < http://factfinder.census.gov>.

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