The year was 1982. One of our neighbors was a second-grade student at the nearby elementary school. She liked to run around the apartment complex to let us all know about her school days. One afternoon when she appeared, I asked “So, Belinda, did you learn anything interesting in school today?” Her face lit up happily, and she exclaimed “Yes! WE are AMERICANS!”
Perhaps we should return to the wisdom and common sense of the seven-year-old child.
Instead, it has come to this: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/445719/high-school-kids-slammed-wearing-usa-themed-attire-basketball-game
One one side, plenty of us had and have family members in the United States military. And as this blog is primarily geared to the Boomer generation, I'm sure there are veterans reading this.
On the other side, this is a current consequence of the ongoing belief that 'multiculturalism' and 'diversity' should be the priorities- individuals have no reservations about wanting the benefits of living in this country, but don't want to acknowledge it or be one.
We need to start coming together as Americans- not look for more ways to create divisions.
My beef with 'multiculturalism' is not about people- not individuals nor groups; what it is about is pushing the notion of 'sticking to one's own kind,' and about excluding 'others.' It is not too surprising that my own personal experiences only started to occur when the concept started to spread.
Return, for a moment, to the neighborhood where little Belinda lived; similar to around 98% of the population, the little girl and her family were Hispanic. First, while they had pride in their cultures, they 'identified' as Americans. The only locals who did not regularly speak English were newcomers who had not yet learned the language. Second, while Hispanics were by far the majority, it was a positive environment for those of us who were not- there were multiracials, a few Filipinos, an African-American family, a young Japanese woman, and a couple of White girls. Yet everyone got along- the attitude was 'We're all in this life together, let's get along with each other, help each other, be friends with each other.'
Move down through the years to the first year of the 21st century. I arrived in a city approximately 60 miles from the one I just mentioned. The apartment manager looked at me with disdain, and remarked in a cold tone: 'This is an Hispanic neighborhood.' As she'd already accepted my security deposit and rent payment through a local resident who knew the area, she could not stop me from moving in- but proceeded to drive me out. One of her approaches to this goal: although it was her responsibility to ensure tenants/apartments had basic appliances, she refused to put a refrigerator in my apartment. As the San Fernando Valley is darned hot in the summertime, it made living in the apartment unbearable. Initially, I purchased a large styrofoam ice cooler, and continuously ran to a convenience store for bags of ice. However, the only times we had fresh food- milk, meat, eggs- was when I could purchase them from the food trucks. Concerned my kids might develop food poisoning or nutritional deficiencies, we walked out. Did not last a full month. It was a bad situation to say the least.
And it is only one example of the consequences of multiculturalism- from 'let's all get along with each other' to 'we don't want your kind here.' And the more this country emphasizes multiculturalism and diversity, the more these kinds of divisions will increase.
Perhaps we should return to the wisdom and common sense of the seven-year-old child.
Instead, it has come to this: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/445719/high-school-kids-slammed-wearing-usa-themed-attire-basketball-game
One one side, plenty of us had and have family members in the United States military. And as this blog is primarily geared to the Boomer generation, I'm sure there are veterans reading this.
On the other side, this is a current consequence of the ongoing belief that 'multiculturalism' and 'diversity' should be the priorities- individuals have no reservations about wanting the benefits of living in this country, but don't want to acknowledge it or be one.
We need to start coming together as Americans- not look for more ways to create divisions.
My beef with 'multiculturalism' is not about people- not individuals nor groups; what it is about is pushing the notion of 'sticking to one's own kind,' and about excluding 'others.' It is not too surprising that my own personal experiences only started to occur when the concept started to spread.
Return, for a moment, to the neighborhood where little Belinda lived; similar to around 98% of the population, the little girl and her family were Hispanic. First, while they had pride in their cultures, they 'identified' as Americans. The only locals who did not regularly speak English were newcomers who had not yet learned the language. Second, while Hispanics were by far the majority, it was a positive environment for those of us who were not- there were multiracials, a few Filipinos, an African-American family, a young Japanese woman, and a couple of White girls. Yet everyone got along- the attitude was 'We're all in this life together, let's get along with each other, help each other, be friends with each other.'
Move down through the years to the first year of the 21st century. I arrived in a city approximately 60 miles from the one I just mentioned. The apartment manager looked at me with disdain, and remarked in a cold tone: 'This is an Hispanic neighborhood.' As she'd already accepted my security deposit and rent payment through a local resident who knew the area, she could not stop me from moving in- but proceeded to drive me out. One of her approaches to this goal: although it was her responsibility to ensure tenants/apartments had basic appliances, she refused to put a refrigerator in my apartment. As the San Fernando Valley is darned hot in the summertime, it made living in the apartment unbearable. Initially, I purchased a large styrofoam ice cooler, and continuously ran to a convenience store for bags of ice. However, the only times we had fresh food- milk, meat, eggs- was when I could purchase them from the food trucks. Concerned my kids might develop food poisoning or nutritional deficiencies, we walked out. Did not last a full month. It was a bad situation to say the least.
And it is only one example of the consequences of multiculturalism- from 'let's all get along with each other' to 'we don't want your kind here.' And the more this country emphasizes multiculturalism and diversity, the more these kinds of divisions will increase.