A Question of Identity
The Post-Dispatch published an article today, interviewing Americans of Iranian descent and seeing what they had to say about the unrest in their motherland.
One reader called in and had an interesting observation about the way the article was written. He felt it was wrong for the people who were interviewed to be identified as Iranian-Americans. He said identifying Americans as Iranian-Americans, African-Americans, Asian-Americans or by any other ethnic group is wrong and divisive.
His point of view was that these people are all Americans and identifying them by their ethnic group just drives a wedge further into the fabric of American society.
I have to admit, the issue never occurred to me at all when I was writing the article. Yet, it’s an interesting thing to consider.
On the one hand, there is the caller’s argument that maintaining ethnic differences creates disunity. On the other hand, there’s the view that cultural and ethnic bonds help build a richer national culture.
Both points have their merit. Countries like Indonesia and Thailand, where the different races have assimilated to such an extent that even names have become homogenized, have shown that it is possible to create a unique identity out of disparate races and ethnic groups. In Indonesia’s case, it has also proven that this assimilation does not always eradicate ethnic differences and animosity.
On the other hand, countries like America, France, Australia and the United Kingdom, just to name a few, have shown that the inclusion of new races, religions and ethnic groups have enriched the cultural smorgasbord of these countries, but sometimes at the cost of racial clashes.
So what do you think? Do you think maintaining separate ethnic identities is the way to go or should everybody adopt a single, unified national identity instead?
“…where the different races…”
You say races. Do you mean nationalities or ethnicities… ?
I meant ethnicities.
Gee, let’s ask the Knights of Columbus, Sons of Italy, St Patrick’s Day organizers, those who run the Oktoberfest, the Greek Festival, etc. what they think.
Marc,
—So you are damned if you do and you are damned if you don’t. Welcome to
the land of the formerly free, and the home of incredibly wonkish. Get used to it.
Well, I dunno. My parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, on both sides, were born in the U.S., so I guess that makes me an American-American-American-American-American-American-American-so on and so forth. But I am also of distant English descent, although prior to 1066 my surname existed only in France, which really wasn’t called “France” throughout recorded history, so maybe Gaullist-Frankish-English-British-Thirteen Colonisht-American, more accurately describes me. I’d like to see the census put THAT one on there as a category.
And just how can someone be a “Native American”, when they were here before there was an America to begin with? Considering that nomadic people crossed the land bridge from Asia to this continent and eventually formed the distinct tribes we now refer to as Native Americans, would it not be more accurate to call them Asian-Americans (Ice Age Removed)?
I wonder if they worry about this sort of nonsense anywhere else in the world? Nah, only in this “Hey, Look at Me…I’m SPESHUL, and you best treat me that way” country of ours.
Funny you should mention this. When I am asked, I reply Italian-American and people don’t know how to respond. Arbitron on the phone today then asked me if I was white. Why didn’t they just ask that?
A-C, if you’re white, nobody cares where your family came from, lol! You should have really messed with their minds and said you were Tuscan-American, Calabresian-American, etc!
To Marc Lourdes,
It depends on who’s asking and who’s answering. If the question has to do with one’s previous nationality, and is looking for a perspective of someone with a relationship to that nation either through experience or family, it’s a valid question.
If the person answering has some relationship to that nationality and feels that qualifies them to answer in a way they feel is more informed because of that relationship, that’s valid as well.
It really is up to the individual how much importance they want to place on their personal history in their contact with the world. The danger is that while it may show pride, it may also invite prejudice.
Dr. King said it best, “I have a dream….one day….will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
“one day….will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Exposed as dreamy sloganeering once The TelePromper Jesus got elected based upon the color of his skin and despite a glaring lack of character.
To Kilgore Bubba,
At least Obama has more character than the his predecessor Dubya, and his election opponent McSame, despite the smears that the right wing-nuts attempt to make.