The idea that American culture has ever been anything near homogenous is a myth. We have always had a blended culure. This country was built by African slaves and immigrants from all over, besides the fact that the Native Americans were here before anyone else. Southwestern American culture has always been influenced by the Spanish, mestizos, Native Americans and Germans. The Western states had all of that plus the Chinese immigrants who came in the 1800s. In the Southeast we have the mixture of African, Spanish, French, other European and Native American cultures. The German immigrants who settled in the midwest had no intention of assimilating into the culture surrounding them. The German language was used in public schools for all classes until WWII in some places. So the idea that immigrants are going to come here and change our culture is ridiculous. The United States is a country of immigrants!
What is more, there is nothing new about some immigrants being involved in criminal and/or immoral activity to make a buck. The founding fathers owned slaves and made their money with their sweat. Some Italian, Irish and Russian immigrants were/are involved in criminal enterprise. But for the most part immigrants come here to work and work hard. That has not changed.
And the negative rhetoric about immigrants is nothing new. In the 19th century, a New England news paper described immigrants from Europe as "drunkards…irresponsible grog-shop scoundrels and poor house rum blossoms."
M.
I strongly disagree.
America was almost entirely homogeneous until the 1965 Immigration Act which threw open the doors to immigration. Before that time 90+% of the American population was White, with added emphasis on some form of Anglo heritage (English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish).
The real myth is that America is a "country of immigrants." In fact, throughout most of its history, America has had fairly restrictive immigration legislation. Not least the 1924 Immigration Act, which was effective until the 1965 reform. It instituted quotas that assured preference for immigrants coming from Europe, with specific regards to Northern and Western Europe. Our very first immigration law, in 1790, declared that only free White Christians could be US citizens, and restricted entry to that particular group.
No one is denying that there have been contributions by non-Whites. But even Chinese and Japanese immigration had been largely restricted. America has always, and I mean
always considered itself a nation of Europeans with a particular British flavor. Yes there have been millions of Italians, Frenchmen, Germans etc that entered the country, but even then, most assimilated into the British-oriented culture. Otherwise English wouldn't be the
lingua franca today. It's not a coincidence that America continues to speak of its "special relationship" with the United Kingdom, its "mother," while friction with France abounds, despite the latter's contribution to our war of independence. If one reads about the 1800s-1900s "World Baseball Tour," this sense of comraderie and friendship with the lands once part of the British Empire is quite evident.
And that is nothing to be ashamed of. That's America's heritage.
I should also point out further flaws:
You referred to Hispanics, Africans, and Native Americans. Well it's interesting that you should mention that. Hispanics were never a great number, despite what revisionists might claim. That area of New Spain (and later Mexico) was largely uninhabited. By the time Texas joined the Union, for instance, Texas was already majority Anglo-Protestant. Although Hispanics historically have had a presence, their growing numbers today vis-à-vis the European majority is
unprecedented.
Africans were enslaved and brought to the colonies, and yet, I'd argue that most African-Americans today still feel largely alienated from the White majority, and feel that American institutions are not their own. You think it's a coincidence that 96% voted for Obama in the last presidential election? They have a clear racial identity. In 400 years, we have not successfully done with Africans what we have done with Italians, Irishmen, and Poles.
With respect to Native Americans - there was no United States when the colonists arrived. So it's actually senseless to call them "Native Americans." They are indigenous to the continent to be sure, but not "Native Americans." They did not found the country. That was founded by those evil old White men we see on the money today. "Native Americans" were conquered peoples. It's that simple. And that's a matter of history. I'm proud of the accomplishments Europeans made in bringing Western civilization here. I'm not ashamed. And my personal ancestors have had nothing to do with colonization - oh, except being colonized, slaughtered, and oppressed by the "enlightened" Muslim caliphate.
Best regards,
I read a book about a Greek immigrant family living in Chicago in the 1920's. They first came over to NY and then eventually moved to Chicago. Everyone hated anyone different who stepped off the boat from another country. It was really ridiculous. The Irish, Italians, Scots, Greeks, Southern Europeans (eastern block), Russians, Chinese, of the blacks, and others I'm sure I forgot to mention. The only ones that were "ok" were the British (English) and Germans (and apparently some Poles in their area). some places only allowed those groups. It's really sad how this country was (and there are still pockets of it out there). And like you said, the Native Americans were here first. Studying with my son last year in Social Studies...it was a Spanish explorer (and a French) who discovered America and actually walked around it, not Columbus.
