The virtuous reasoning for the roots of America involved freedom. Obviously, the framers only had one mirror and were unable to understand the many complexities of cultures. If they had the foresight to envision our country as an inclusive gathering of cultures, perhaps today we would be less judgmental and exclusive. Today’s discussion/assignment was interesting on two levels. First, to change these roots we needed a government that would accept, appreciate and tolerate our many differences. As Dr. Shutkin pointed out, had our founding fathers invited representatives from all cultures in America to learn from and about one another, I wonder how different our country would be today? Would we have a national identity that encompasses and represents all? Somewhere that ideal lifts our spirits. However, our jaded past of hatred, slavery, and discrimination is contemptible. Yet we, as a mass, continue to look for blame rather than solution. We become so entrapped in our personal views, that we cannot welcome a different perspective of another single person or group. We scream about our rights, but cannot define them. We scream about unfairness, but we cannot define that either. The taboo topics that divide us into that us/them mentality still live in our country. We can do this. As we define and become comfortable with ourselves, we can allow the possibility of not being a ‘melting pot’ but welcoming the great diversity we have to offer.
Excellent post. I agree with all the diversity that still exists, it is hard to believe that difficulty in understanding different racial backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteI like your mentioning of the "melting pot" phenomenon toward the end of your blog. In reading your reflection, it seems that this concept is referred to in the negative, whereas in most conversations of which I have been a part, it usually refers to a positive development. I think that this is the case for a few reasons. First, my experience of the melting pot largely involves eastern Europeans. Seen as backward by many throughout the 20th century, the new generations were more than glad to "give up" the stigma of "outdated" practices and cultures. The nationalism that exuded from many immigrant discussions did tend to bring European problems into the USA. And many new generations had enough of all the hype.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find interesting is that, although many were eager in their teenage years to "move beyond" their nationality and culture, many have largely changed their minds as they move into middle age and have their own families. The stigma of nationalism is mostly gone, but the desire to maintain customs, especially during certain times of the year, is clearly a marked desire. Many have returned to their cultural roots to cultivate these experiences for a new generation.
I am glad that the diversity of the country is more revealed than it has been in the past. If we say that human and inalienable rights are for all, then we have to take the challenge to live it in our daily lives, especially when it means moving to respect other cultures.