Alright I misunderstood you entirely and just assumed that you were some white person who was completely out of touch with any minority perspective. I thought you were implying that ALL minority groups must assimilate themselves with the Caucasian, English speaking macro culture in which I would vehemently disagree with you on had that been the case.

I am a proponent of pluralism and if one is to accept themselves as an American first and foremost, they must also have some presumption that they will be granted the same rights and devices that a white, male would feel are automatically entitled. There is certainly a "backpack of privilege" that divides us though the acceptance of Obama into office is a clear indication that we are moving in the right direction to accomplish this. We can hope for the best and give it lip service until the cows come home, however, until these unifying principles are actually enforced and put into public policy, thats all it will remain to be.

I can't date someone who won't let me express myself.

Been there, done that, not doing it again.

Enforcing pluralism through public policy has created more discontent that it has helped. Look at the forced busing of students in the 1970's. Society becomes tolerant through understanding and cooperation not forced integration.

I never once indicated that Pluralism was something to be used to manipulate or forcibly move minorities from one area to another through busing or any other program. That was your presumption.

I can tell you that forced assimilation and homogenization of minority groups with the macro culture has been absolutely devastating because it simply does not work. California’s Latinas, the women most likely to be poor and lack health Insurance, have an infant mortality 10% lower than Anglo women and 50% lower than African American women. Why does this occur exactly? There is a strong indication that culture plays an enormous role.

I do not simply say okay, get to it already and hurry up and be an American.

I sometimes wonder why people think being an American and assemalating into American society is giving up your choices, preferences, or customs of behaving. Why we are always trying to lable a custom, design, belief and assign it to an origin rather than recognize what it is in the present puzzels me. In America if you want to practice parts or various cultures, lifestyles, and beliefs you are free to do it as long as you do not harm others or restrict their freedom. In my home I practice elements of many cultures and I don't think that is all that unusual.

"We can hope for the best and give it lip service until the cows come home, however, until these unifying principles are actually enforced and put into public policy, thats all it will remain to be."


Sorry, I seem to have misunderstood the meaning of this.

"We can hope for the best and give it lip service until the cows come home, however, until these unifying principles are actually enforced and put into public policy, thats all it will remain to be."


Sorry, I seem to have misunderstood the meaning of this.




I would be referring to Obama being elected President.

I have yet to understand what you have exactly against Pluralism anyway? What would you stand to gain by simply insisting that ALL minorities be forced into acceptance of this nebulous "American Macro Culture."

Feel free to elaborate.

Dude... my friend is like that.. and she wonders why she can't keep a man.

With the economy the way it is, no one i standing on their own two feet anymore.

That isn't what I was trying to get at. What I was saying was, if you were born here, that makes you American, regardless of your heritage. Just because my heritage is German/Polish/French Canadian, it doesn't mean I should call myself a German/Polish/French Canadian/American/American any more than a black American should refer to themselves as African.

It's not really playing a "race" card, per se....more of a "heritage" card.

There is a difference between ethnic lineage and citizenship or where one physically resides in the world.

Do you refer to yourself as an Italian American? Or do you just call yourself an American?

This is what I mean. Just because you, for instance, have Italian blood does not automatically give you cause to claim yourself as an immigrant, especially since you were born here.

No I personally dont refer to myself as anything other than by my name given to me by my parents at birth. However if you were to sequence my DNA, chances are my Mediterranean background would undeniably demonstrate itself.

I cant get away from it and neither can you.

No I am not an immigrant because I was born in the United States and I claim citizenship here. I have family members however, that did immigrate or their parents immigrated through Ellis Island. I can also speak Italian (though not well) because I have family members who speak fluent Italian and actually prefer to use that dialect so I have to at least attempt to understand them.

My point is that it matters little where you reside in the world. Even though you have never been to Poland, you are still part Polish.

I won't date a person who isn't actually a person and actually is a toaster oven.

See the problem.

We ALL had ancestors who immigrated here. That's how our blood GOT here.

True, even though I have never been to Poland, even though I speak some Polish, even though I have Polish blood coursing through my veins which makes me part Polish, I still do not refer to myself as a Polish American.

See what I'm getting at?

If you really TRULY loved them, it shouldn't matter that they are a toaster oven.

Mmmmm...toast...arrggggg

You are asking that I accept your point even though you dont seem interested in understanding mine. No, we do not ALL have ancestors that immigrated to the United States. American Indians are native to this land and have existed here long before your ancestors or mine immigrated. You and I are the new kids on the block from an ancestral point of view.

What you choose to refer to yourself as is totally subjective. You could define yourself in whatever manner you choose and use whatever criteria pleases you. This discussion was brought up because you were insistent that African Americans should not refer to themselves as being "African" at all if they were in fact born in the US and retained no citizenship of an African Nation.

I explained that to be an incorrect assumption as the term "African" in that particular case was referring to an ethnic lineage and not where the person physically resides.

A Caucasian person who lives in an African nation would define themselves as "African" because they retain citizenship of an African nation.

See my point?

Just skip it. You're looking at fullscreen when you should be looking at widescreen.

Well Im just explaining the fallacy in your premise. Carry on.