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from the West Indies as a Caribbean street festival. Over the years, it has grown in size, and now over one million people come to the Carnival every year. It is a huge multiracial event, and it is now the biggest street festival in Europe.
**Ethnic Diversity in the USA**
Americans come from all parts of the world. White Americans still make up the majority of the US population (about 75%). In 2000, blacks or African Americans were about 12% of the population, Asians and Pacific Islanders nearly 4%, and American Indians and Alaska Natives were about 1%. About 8% were of mixed race or other races. A separate category counts Hispanics as 13% of the population – Hispanics are people from Latin American countries, who could be of any race.*
Over half the African Americans live in cities, compared to around 80% of non-Hispanic whites who live outside the major cities. And although the whole country is becoming more mixed, over half of blacks live in the South, about half of all Hispanics live in Texas and California, and about half of all Asians and Pacific Islanders live in the western United States. In California and Hawaii, whites make up less than half of the population.
**Immigration to the United States**
Native Americans (or American Indians) had lived in the area we now call the United States for many thousands of years before the first Europeans arrived. Between 1492 and 1880 most immigrants came from Britain, Ireland, and northern Europe. Immigrants from China also began arriving in the 1800s. From 1880 to 1930, there was a huge growth in immigration to the US. The largest groups during this period came from southern and eastern Europe. Today, the largest groups of immigrants come from Mexico, the Philippines, and other parts of Latin America and Asia. The United States still accepts more immigrants each year than any other country in the world.
**Civil Rights**
Relations between the various ethnic groups in the United States have often been difficult. European settlers fought against and killed Native Americans on many occasions. They forced Africans to come to America as slaves, and even after slavery ended in the 1860s, whites continued to treat African Americans unfairly. In many parts of the country, blacks had to go to separate schools, eat in
Brick Lane in London
centre of the cities that are called Chinatown, where there are many Chinese restaurants and shops, and where many Chinese people live.
**Religious Faith and Religious Holidays**
The UK is officially a Christian country, and the Queen is head of the Church of England. However, in British schools, children are taught about other religious faiths, and people living in the UK have the legal right to believe in any religion without being criticized or punished. About 70% of British people consider themselves to be Christian. Other religious groups make up a further 15% of the population, and they include Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, and Buddhists. In the 2001 census, about 15% of British people said they did not believe in any religion at all.
The main Christian festivals – Easter and Christmas – are public holidays in the UK, and many non-Christians celebrate Christmas, though not in a religious way. British people are becoming more familiar with non-Christian religious festivals. Many will have heard of the Muslim festivals of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha. Hindus living in Britain celebrate the religious festival of Diwali with fireworks during October and November.
On the last Sunday and Monday in August, there is a big festival in Notting Hill in London. It started as quite a small event in 1959, and was organized by people from the West Indies as a Caribbean street festival. Over the years, it has grown in size, and now over one million people come to the Carnival every year. It is a huge multiracial event, and it is now the biggest street festival in Europe.
*2000 figures from the US Census bureau