Recently the focus of historical studies of different ethnic groups in

Question

Recently the focus of historical studies of different ethnic groups in the United States has shifted from the transformation of ethnic identity to its preservation. Whereas earlier  historians  argued that the ethnic identity of various immigrant groups to the United States blended to form an American national character, the new scholarship has focused on the transplantation of ethnic cultures to the United States. Fugita and O’Brien’s Japanese American Ethnicity provides an example of this recent trend; it also exemplifies a problem that is common to such scholarship.

In comparing the first three generations of Japanese Americans (the Issei, Nisei, and Sansei), Fugita and O’Brien conclude that assimilation to United States culture increased among Japanese Americans over three generations, but that a sense of ethnic community endured. Although the persistence of community is stressed by the authors, their emphasis in the book could just as easily have been on the high degree of assimilation of the Japanese American population in the late twentieth century, which Fugita and O’Brien believe is demonstrated by the high levels of education, income, and occupational mobility achieved by Japanese Americans. In addition, their data reveal that the character of the ethnic community itself changed: the integration of Sanseis into new professional communities and nonethnic voluntary associations meant at the very least that ethnic ties had to accommodate multiple and layered identities. Fugita and O’Brien themselves acknowledge that there has been a “weakening of Japanese American ethnic community life.”

Because of the social changes weakening the bonds of community,  Fugita and O’Brien maintain that the community cohesion of Japanese Americans is notable not for its initial intensity but because “there remains a degree of involvement in the ethnic community surpassing that found in most other ethnic groups at similar points in their ethnic group life cycle.”  This comparative difference is important to Fugita and O’Brien, and they hypothesize that the Japanese American community persisted in the face of assimilation because of a particularly strong preexisting sense of “peoplehood”. They argue that this sense of peoplehood extended beyond local and family ties.

Fugita and O’Brien’s  hypothesis  illustrates a common problem in studies that investigate the history of ethnic community. Like  historians  who have studied European ethnic cultures in the United States, Fugita and O’Brien have explained persistence of ethnic community by citing a preexisting sense of national consciousness that is independent of how a group adapts to United States culture. However, it is difficult to prove, as Fugita and O’Brien have attempted to do, that a sense of peoplehood is a distinct phenomenon. Historians should instead attempt to identify directly the factors that sustain community cohesion in generations that have adapted to United States culture and been exposed to the pluralism of American life.   1 
 1. Which one of the following best summarizes the main point of the author of the passage?

(A) Fugita and O’Brien’s study provides a comparison of the degree of involvement in ethnic community of different groups in the United States.
(B) Fugita and O’Brien’s study describes the assimilation of three generations of Japanese Americans to United States culture.
(C) Fugita and O’Brien’s study illustrates both a recent trend in historical studies of ethnic groups and a problem typical of that trend.
(D) Historical studies of ethnic preservation among Japanese Americans have done much to define the interpretive frameworks for studies of other ethnic groups.
(E) Historical studies are more concerned with the recent development of ethnic communities in the United States than with the process of adaptation to United States culture.

2 
 2. According to the passage, Fugita and O’Brien’s data indicate which one of the following about the Japanese American ethnic community?

(A) Community bonds have weakened primarily as a result of occupational mobility by Japanese Americans.
(B) The community is notable because it has accommodated multiple and layered identities without losing its traditional intensity.
(C) Community cohesion is similar in intensity to the community cohesion of other ethnic groups that have been in the United States for the same period of time.
(D) Community involvement weakened during the second generation, but strengthened as the third generation regained an interest in cultural traditions.
(E) The nature of the community has been altered by Japanese American participation in new professional communities and nonethnic voluntary associations.

3 
 3. Which one of the following provides an example of a research study that has conclusion most analogous to that argued for by the historians mentioned in highlighted text (... historians  argued that the ethnic identity...)?

(A) a study showing how musical forms brought from other countries have persisted in the United States
(B) a study showing the organization and function of ethnic associations in the United States
(C) a study showing how architectural styles brought from other counties have merged to form an American style
(D) a study showing how cultural traditions have been preserved for generations in American ethic neighborhoods
(E) a study showing how different religious practices brought from other countries have been sustained in the United States

4 
 4. According to the passage, which one of the following is true about the focus of historical studies on ethnic groups in the United States?

(A) Current studies are similar to earlier studies in claiming that a sense of peoplehood helps preserve ethnic community.
(B) Current studies have clearly identified factors that sustain ethnic community in generations that have been exposed to the pluralism of American life.
(C) Current studies examine the cultural practices that make up the American national character.
(D) Earlier studies focused on how ethnic identities became transformed in the United States.
(E) Earlier studies focused on the factors that led people to immigrate to the United States.

5 
 5. The author of the passage quotes Fugita and O’Brien (  Fugita and O’Brien ... life cycle.”  ) most probably in order to

(A) point out a weakness in their hypothesis about the strength of community ties among Japanese Americans
(B) show how they support their claim about the notability of community cohesion for Japanese Americans
(C) indicate how they demonstrate the high degree of adaptation of Japanese Americans to United States culture
(D) suggest that they have inaccurately compared Japanese Americans to other ethnic groups in the United States
(E) emphasize their contention that the Japanese American sense of peoplehood extended beyond local and family ties

6 
 6. The passage suggests that the author would be most likely to describe the hypothesis ( Highlighted ) as

(A) highly persuasive
(B) original but poorly developed
(C) difficult to substantiate
(D) illogical and uninteresting
(E) too similar to earlier theories

7 
 7. The passage suggests which one of the following about the historians mentioned in highlighted text (Like    historians    who have studied...)?

(A) They have been unable to provide satisfactory explanations for the persistence of European ethnic communities in the United States.
(B) They have suggested that European cultural practices have survived although the community ties of European ethnic groups have weakened.
(C) They have hypothesized that European ethnic communities are based on family ties rather than on a sense of national consciousness.
(D) They have argued that European cultural traditions have been transformed in the United States because of the pluralism of American life.
(E) They have claimed that the community ties of European Americans are still as strong as they were when the immigrants first arrived.

8 
 8. As their views are discussed in the passage, Fugita and O’Brien would be most likely to agree with which one of the following?

(A) The community cohesion of an ethnic group is not affected by the length of time it has been in the United States.
(B) An ethnic group in the United States can have a high degree of adaptation to United States culture and still sustain strong community ties.
(C) The strength of an ethnic community in the United States is primarily dependent on the strength of local and family ties.
(D) High levels of education and occupational mobility necessarily erode the community cohesion of an ethnic group in the United States.
(E) It has become increasingly difficult for ethnic groups to sustain any sense of ethnic identity in the pluralism of United States life.

nightblade354 · Accepted Answer

Recently the focus of historical studies of different ethnic groups in the United States has shifted from the transformation of ethnic identity to its preservation. Whereas earlier historians argued that the ethnic identity of various immigrant groups to the United States blended to form an American national character, the new scholarship has focused on the transplantation of ethnic cultures to the United States. Fugita and O’Brien’s Japanese American Ethnicity provides an example of this recent trend; it also exemplifies a problem that is common to such scholarship.

-- Two trends of study: ethnic identity (Old) vs. preservation (new); Fugita and O'Brien are the latter with their Japanese study.

In comparing the first three generations of Japanese Americans (the Issei, Nisei, and Sansei), Fugita and O’Brien conclude that assimilation to United States culture increased among Japanese Americans over three generations, but that a sense of ethnic community endured.  Although the persistence  of community is stressed by the authors, their emphasis in the book could just as easily have been on the high degree of assimilation of the Japanese American population in the late twentieth century, which Fugita and O’Brien believe is demonstrated by the high levels of education, income, and occupational mobility achieved by Japanese Americans. In addition, their data reveal that the character of the ethnic community itself changed: the integration of Sanseis into new professional communities and nonethnic voluntary associations meant at the very least that ethnic ties had to accommodate multiple and layered identities. Fugita and O’Brien themselves acknowledge that there has been a “weakening of Japanese American ethnic community life.”

-- Fugita and O'Brien's study show that ethnic community feeling endured but changed "weakened" as they incorporated new generations. 
 
Because of the social changes weakening the bonds of community, Fugita and O’Brien maintain that the community cohesion of Japanese Americans is notable not for its initial intensity but because “there remains a degree of involvement in the ethnic community surpassing that found in most other ethnic groups at similar points in their ethnic group life cycle.”  This comparative difference is important  to Fugita and O’Brien, and they hypothesize that the Japanese American community persisted in the face of assimilation because of a particularly strong preexisting sense of “peoplehood”. They argue that this sense of peoplehood extended beyond local and family ties.

-- Fugita and O'Brien attribute the continued ethnic community to involvement that is stronger than most. 
 
Fugita and O’Brien have explained persistence of ethnic community by citing a preexisting sense of national consciousness that is independent of how a group adapts to United States culture.  However, it is difficult to prove  as Fugita and O’Brien have attempted to do that a sense of peoplehood is a distinct phenomenon. Historians should instead attempt to identify directly the factors that sustain community cohesion in generations that have adapted to United States culture and been exposed to the pluralism of American life.

-- Fugita and O'Brien did good work, but future work has to be more concrete and focus on different areas, as the Japanese example is a rare case.

AP:  Author believes that the study is not a usable template for future studies (anything in pink is the author's view)
 MP:  Fugita and O'Brien's demonstrates one ability to analyze ethnic groups, but one that won't work for future studies. This is basically an analysis of a study with a closing argument about why it isn't going to work moving forward.

Cinematiccuisine · Answer

for question 7, i didn't understand why 'european ethinic communities are mentioned. Neither the passage NOR the green highlighted para talks about European. What am i missing out here?  tarunanandani ,  workout  -- your help would be appreciated.

7. The passage suggests which one of the following about the historians mentioned in green highlighted text?

(A) They have been unable to provide satisfactory explanations for the persistence of European ethnic communities in the United States.
(B) They have suggested that European cultural practices have survived although the community ties of European ethnic groups have weakened.
(C) They have hypothesized that European ethnic communities are based on family ties rather than on a sense of national consciousness.
(D) They have argued that European cultural traditions have been transformed in the United States because of the pluralism of American life.
(E) They have claimed that the community ties of European Americans are still as strong as they were when the immigrants first arrived.
Question

tarunanandani · Answer

Hi  Cinematiccuisine ,

Here is what I think about this question:
The question type is Inference, so we need to read the paragraph containing the historians mentioned in the question. Lets look at that part of the passage.

'Fugita and O’Brien have explained persistence of  ethnic community  by citing a preexisting sense of national consciousness that is independent of  how a group adapts  to United States culture. However, it is difficult to prove as Fugita and O’Brien have attempted to do that a sense of peoplehood is a distinct phenomenon.  Historians  should instead attempt to identify directly the factors that  sustain community cohesion in generations that have adapted to United States culture  and been exposed to the pluralism of American life.'

Notice how the author generalizes his conclusion by using F&B's study. The author uses words such as ' ethnic community ' and ' a group adapts ' to support his argument that 'recently the focus of historical studies of different ethnic groups in the United States has shifted from the transformation of ethnic identity to its preservation' (first line of the passage). Moreover, the author mentions in the first para that 'Fugita and O’Brien’s Japanese American Ethnicity  provides an example  of this recent trend'. This reference clearly shows that the author merely uses F&B's example of Japanese Ethnicity study to evaluate the  factors  that help a ethnic community preserve their culture while adapting to the American culture.

And from the last para we can see that the  Historians  have not been able to correctly identify  those factors  so the answer  choice A  is the correct answer for the Q7, stating that the Historians have not provided satisfactory explanations for the persistence of  European (a group)  ethnic communities in the United States.

Hope this helps!

mallya12 · Answer

GMATNinja ,  workout ,  GMATNinjaTwo ,  u1983 ,  SajjadAhmad ,  Gnpth

Please explain Q5 and Q8

Q5 confused between B and E.

Q8 confused between B and C

Please provide an explanation.

XyLan · Answer

The gist of the passage:   
 The author is venturing for the following adaptation:
 Even though they have adapted to United States culture and been exposed to the pluralism of American life, the different ethnic groups persisted in the face of assimilation especially Japanese American ethnic group because of a particularly strong preexisting sense of “peoplehood”.

5. The author of the passage quotes Fugita and O’Brien in lines 36-39 most probably in order to
 (E) emphasize their contention that the Japanese American  sense of peoplehood   extended beyond local and family ties. 
 Excerpt from the passage: 
  They hypothesize that the Japanese American community persisted in the face of assimilation because of a particularly  strong preexisting sense of “peoplehood” . They argue that this sense of peoplehood  extended beyond local and family ties .
Fugita and O’Brien have explained the persistence of ethnic community by citing a preexisting sense of  national consciousness  that is independent of how a group adapts to United States culture.

8. As their views are discussed in the passage, Fugita and O’Brien would be most likely to  agree  with which one of the following?
 (B) An ethnic group in the United States can have  a high degree of adaptation  to United States culture and still  sustain strong community ties. 
 Excerpt from the passage: 
  Even though it  adapted to United States culture  and has been exposed to the pluralism of American life, Japanese American community  persisted  in the face of  assimilation  because of a particularly strong preexisting sense of “peoplehood”, which extended beyond local and family ties.  
(C) The strength of an ethnic community in the United States is primarily dependent on the strength of local and family ties.
 Though the strength of an ethnic community has a  strong  preexisting sense of “peoplehood”, The dependency of the Strength of local and family ties is NOWHERE stated as  primary.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. The author of the passage quotes Fugita and O’Brien (Text In Blue) most probably in order to

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

The Fugita & O’Brien quote in passage is in the context of  Para 3’s  overall purpose: to explain how, in the face of so much evidence that three generations of Japanese Americans have assimilated into American life, they can still (as representatives of the current trend in ethnic studies) emphasize the persistent  “community cohesion”  among that particular ethnic group. In other words, the quote is evidence—it is preceded by the evidence Keyword  “because,”  after all—of Fugita & O’Brien’s belief, stated first in  Para 3 , that Japanese American community cohesion endured.

(A)  The author attacks Fugita & O’Brien’s hypothesis one Para later, and the basis for the criticism is different from the topic of the quote in question.

(C)  The author shows how Fugita & O’Brien demonstrate Japanese American adaptation in the second Para.

(D) , like  (A) , misunderstands  Para 3  as the one in which the author takes issue with Fugita & O’Brien; and even in  Para 4  he doesn’t chastise them for a faulty comparison between this ethnic group and others.

(E)  The author’s presentation of Fugita & O’Brien’s  “peoplehood”  idea follows the quote in question. The quote explains that Japanese American community endured; peoplehood explains why. Two different issues.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

2. According to the passage, Fugita and O’Brien’s data indicate which one of the following about the Japanese American ethnic community?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

Fugita & O’Brien’s ideas are described throughout their passage, but their data per se—the focus of the question—are only cited in  Para 2 . There we’re told that Fugita & O’Brien’s data support the idea that the involvement of Japanese Americans (particularly the Sansei generation) in other organizations and communities changed the nature of the ethnic community overall.  (E)  says  “altered”  instead of  “changed” —big deal—but is otherwise right in line with  lines:  (industrialist sought to refute Marsh’s accusation, to defend the gutting of forests or the slaughter of wildlife as economically essential, or to dismiss his ecological warnings as hysterical. To the contrary, they generally agreed with him.)

(A) “Occupational mobility”  is part of a trio of elements  (lines:  “has brought the face of the Earth to a desolation almost as complete as that of the Moon.” )  that attest to the relative assimilation of Japanese Americans. The single focus on one member of the trio is an unwarranted distinction.

(B)  Yes, the Japanese American community has had to accomodate multiple and layered identities, but has it done so without losing any intensity? No,  ( lines:  Why? Marsh and his followers took environmental improvement and economic progress as givens; they disputed not the desirability of conquering nature but the bungling way in which the conquest was carried out.)  say there has been a weakening of Japanese American community life.

(C)  has three problems.  1:  Cohesion is greater among Japanese Americans than among other groups  ( lines:  corrective measures seemed to entail no sacrifice, to demand no draconian remedies. Self-interest underwrote most prescribed reforms. Marsh’s emphasis on future stewardship was then a widely accepted ideal) .  2:  The comparison made there is not between groups over the same time period, but between similar points in each group’s separate  “group life cycle.” 3:  This discussion of cohesion has to do not with Fugita & O’Brien’s data but with the interpretations they make in their book. Other than all that,  (C)  is fine.

(D)  The passage reports a deepening of assimilation from the 1st generation to the 3rd; the  “regained interest”  among the Sansei is bogus as far as the passage is concerned.

Answer: E

3. Which one of the following provides an example of a research study that has conclusion most analogous to that argued for by the historians mentioned in blue highlighted text?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

The historians arguing around  ( line:  What is new is the extreme polarization of views)  predate the new trend; they’re the guardians of the old approach, the one that examines how ethnic groups have assimilated.  “Transformed”  and  “blended into”  are the author’s operative words. If you set off in search of a choice that highlights blending and assimilation,  (C)  should pretty much jump out at you. Disparate styles forming an  “American”  style—that’s what  ( lines:  What is new is the extreme polarization of views. Mounting evidence of humanity’s capacity to damage the environment irreversibly coupled with suspicions)  are all about.

(A), (D), (E)  Contrary, all three mention influences that begin outside the U.S. and stay separate or disparate.

(B)   Para 2  is not explicit enough as to whether ethnic associations’ makeup and purpose do or do not foster assimilation and blending.

Answer: C

Usernamevisible · Answer

For question 4 given the question talks about earlier studies can I directly eliminate B and C which talks about current studies and has no mention of earlier studies ?
E is easy elimination and A says "similar" so chose D. Is eliminating B and C correct approach ?

guddo · Answer

4. According to the passage, which one of the following is true about the focus of historical studies on ethnic groups in the United States?

The passage says that the focus of these studies has changed over time. Earlier historians emphasized the  transformation  of ethnic identity into a broader American identity, while more recent scholars emphasize the preservation and persistence of ethnic community.  So the correct answer must match that contrast.

(A) Current studies are similar to earlier studies in claiming that a sense of peoplehood helps preserve ethnic community.

This is not supported. The passage does not say earlier studies made that claim. In fact, earlier studies focused on ethnic identity blending into an American national character.

(B) Current studies have clearly identified factors that sustain ethnic community in generations that have been exposed to the pluralism of American life.

This is false. The author says that historians should identify those factors directly, which means current studies have not clearly done so.

(C) Current studies examine the cultural practices that make up the American national character.

This reverses the passage. That was the direction of earlier studies, not current ones.

(D) Earlier studies focused on how ethnic identities became transformed in the United States.

This matches the passage exactly. Earlier historians argued that immigrant ethnic identities blended to form an American national character.

(E) Earlier studies focused on the factors that led people to immigrate to the United States.

This is unsupported. The passage does not say earlier studies focused on causes of immigration.

Answer: (D)

guddo · Answer

Yes, I'd say, that elimination is correct.

The question asks what is true about the focus of historical studies, and the passage explicitly contrasts  earlier studies  with current ones. So if an option makes a positive claim about current studies that the passage does not support, you can eliminate it.

That is exactly why B and C go out:
 
B is wrong because the passage says historians  should instead attempt to identify directly  those factors, which implies current studies have not clearly done so.
 
C is wrong because that focus belongs to the earlier view, not the current one.

So yes, eliminating B and C was a valid approach. Then A is also wrong because “similar” conflicts with the passage’s contrast, leaving D.

Recently the focus of historical studies of different ethnic groups in

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