Discussion Board 3
It is often argued by many that America is just own giant melting pot of culture while
others clam it is more of salad where no one changes much and they rather just keep to their own
cultural heritages. Though it has gone back and forth throughout American history, the current
notion would seem to be the former. However, the best choice that actually fulfills American
ideals and exceptionalism lies more or less in a combination of both views. As mentioned earlier,
the current climate would seem to be that many Americans have, in a way, largely isolated
themselves into racial or cultural groups as well as turning more and more hostile to other
opposing groups within the United States. This is just one of the reasons to why American
culture has become so tense and fragmented.
To a far lesser degree, these fragmented groups, in some ways, can mirror the ideological
and culture differences between the North and South in the mid 1800s and the decades following
after. In today’s world, these cultural groups include Rural America, City America, Conservative,
Liberal, Evangelical, White, Hispanic, Black, Atheist, and even Muslim America. Obviously
these are not the only groups; however, the point here is the same. So, what is the problem then
with this “salad” approach? The problem is that when cultural groups continue to further isolate
themselves, the results will only lead to tribalism and loss of the American soul. What does that
mean exactly? It means that in order for this nation, or any other nation, to survive, there must be
something that binds all these cultural groups together.
How can there be valuable understanding and interaction when there is no common
ground for us to walk upon? It is not a hypothetical; this problem intensified all the way to an
American Civil War and left societal wounds festering with racism. I ask you, how can a society
live if they do not even agree on the most basic principles morality. It was that which cause one
man to enslave another. This is where the American soul, better known as patriotic assimilation
comes into play.
Now, this in no way means that we should abandoned our heritage or cultures, but instead
have the common principles of patriotic assimilation at each other’s core. At Heritage.org,
Michelle Cordero explains, “Patriotic assimilation is not just whether you adopt the habits of
America but whether you feel patriotic about America. It's when you begin to understand and
feel within your being, the beliefs of America and what makes her great. America is known as
the Great Melting Pot but what if we aren't melting? What if we're just staying separate?”
(Cordero). Furthermore, she goes on to say, “Patriotic assimilation is the bond that allows
America to be a nation of immigrants. Without it… America ceases to be a nation becoming
instead a hodgepodge of groups" (Cordero). If our common ground rots away, then violence will
follow. No better example of this in our history than the Civil War and America’s great sin of
slavery.
In that century, many Americans could not even agree on what was considered a person.
They ignored the founding beliefs of natural rights and that all were created equal under God
(Gingrich 2011). So, what is the solution with dealing with racism and tribalism? The same as in
dealing with slavery. Meaning, we all must understand and bind ourselves to the American
principles and have that be our common ground of unity, such as freedom and equity. If not, we
have nothing as Americans. For example, Ron Miller also explains that, “Culture has failed us
because it has taken our diversity… and made it into a weapon that we use against each ”
(Miller 2018). To summarize all of this, we can all love, honor, remember our heritage, but must
always keep in our hearts that we are connected by our common American ideals, and that is how
our multi-cultured society hold its self together as a nation.
Bibliography
Gingrich, Newt, and Vince Haley. A Nation like No Other: Why American Exceptionalism
Matters. Washington, DC: Regnery Publ., 2011, p. 22.
“Heritage Explains: Why Is Patriotic Assimilation so Important?” The Heritage Foundation.
Accessed February 7, 2020. https://www.heritage.org/immigration/heritage-
explains/heritage-explains-why-patriotic-assimilation-so-important.
Miller, Ron. “Then We'll See What Comes of His Dreams.” No Walls. No Walls, April 23, 2018.
https://www.nowalls.us/blog/2018/4/22/then-well-see-what-comes-of-his-dreams.
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