Mississippians and outsiders alike have traditionally viewed the state’s population as basically two cultures, black and white, usually in stark contrast and conflict. However, recent attention and research have stressed the remarkable number of ethnic populations in the state and their broad and deep influences in our evolving culture. The indigenous population (primarily Choctaw) quickly mingled with the earliest European immigrants, including English, Scottish, Irish, German, and Jewish settlers. After the Civil War, Chinese and Italians were recruited into the Delta to replace slave labor, and by the end of the century a significant contingent of Syrians (Lebanese) were used in the same way. In the late 19th- mid 20th-centuries, came waves of Dalmatians, Cajuns, and Vietnamese. The state has also seen small but significant influxes of groups from the Philippines and India. Most recently, a second group of Spanish-speaking peoples, especially following Katrina, have settled in the Coast area, as well as throughout the rest of the state. We see developing patterns of interaction, influence, recognition and appreciation, all creating the unique culture that is the essence of Mississippi. Along the way Carpenter discusses terms such as race, ethnicity, nationality and other concepts used to discuss this extraordinary intermingling of peoples in our state.
Dr. Barbara Carpenter is former director of the Mississippi Humanities Council. Much of her career has been spent studying and discussing the importance of literature, history, art, and other insights into our own and other cultures in creating meaningful lives for ourselves and in understanding our roles and relationships within our own communities and society at large.
