Hyphenated Culturalism

I am a member of a few internet political groups, and one discussion today brought up was about the hyphenation of nationalities (i.e. African-American, Mexican-American), and how there is an allowance for Latino Television, Black Entertainment Television and so forth, yet if White America was to create their own under the name of "White" that would be racist. Well, considering the societal landscape, Whites in America would be irresponsible for doing such. However, I have often proclaimed that the most oppressed group of late in the United States seems to be the White, Christian male. But, the danger of what we see is deeper than that.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

The motive behind multi-culturalism is good. The idea seems sound on the surface. But I see it as in opposition of what the Civil Rights Movement was all about. The attempt to gain rights for minority groups was designed to not only do the right thing from a moral standard, but make America stronger as we all joined together as one nation. Not Black, White, Asian, Brown, and so forth. One nation. America. We The People are Americans, not a bunch of hyphenations.

My wife was born in Mexico, immigrated here as a child legally, and grew up in the United States. She Naturalized April 26, 2007. We have been married 23 years.

I am as about as white as they get, with Welsh, English, Dutch, Irish, Scottish, and French ancestry in addition to quite a bit of Black Foot and Cherokee.

We don't call ourselves a mixed racial couple, and my wife does not call herself a Mexican-American. She is American. Our kids are not mixed. They are American. My son's wife is a Mexican-Filipino mix, so my grandson is truly a mixed-up stew of nationalities, but he too, is an American. I understand society's need for labels. We are Conservative-Republicans, Moderates, RINOs, Neo-Cons, Liberals, Democrats, etc. I understand the need to hang on to one's heritage as well. Hyphenated ethnicities like Mexican-American, African-American, and the such, are an attempt to be considerate of one's heritage. But as my wife says, her culture and heritage is inside her, and she will never stop being Mexican. The culture in her has been passed down to our children, and when we get together as a family with her parents and sisters, the culture is evident, and our children are proud of that. But after the day is over, though inside the heritage and culture remains, she and the children are Americans first, Americans always. The hyphenations are not just an attempt to be considerate, but from the left it is also an attempt to apologize. "Sorry we are forcing Americanism upon you," it seems to say. How dare they. I thought the American Dream was all about assimilation, and being a productive puzzle piece in the American Experiment. Bring your culture, bring your heritage, and stir it into the stew of America. That is how we are better Americans. By contributing to the melting pot, not segregating ourselves from it with multi-culturalism and hyphenated labels.