Assimilation/Pluralism

Assimilation/Pluralism
Melting pot, salad, tasty salad, big tossed salad, who cares? Better yet, why should we care? Those are only labels put into place by the dominant group to make it appear that we are one beautiful harmonious mosaic. Well, we are, minus the harmonious! Be careful though! The real message is to stress and maintain the differences. Not because they are interested in preserving the cultural heritages of the subordinates (cultural differences within society are valuable), but to maintain the dominant position. Think about it! Why do people need to be taught that they are different from one another? Can we not see each other? Are we incapable of relating to each other without first stressing how different we are? Then, there is always the question of which is better? Who comes first in terms of goods and services? Why do those positions become so important?
Supposedly, life in the big salad bowl is improving. Now, we are also taught tolerance. Ain’t that a hoot? In school, I was taught about the melting pot, just that it existed and to keep it in mind. The why and tolerance wasn’t mentioned. My childhood innocence naturally assumed it. As someone else in class stated, I grew up and got pissed off. I learned that we hate each other’s differences with an unbridled passion. In reality, the melting pot doesn’t represent a beautiful anything. And now that it’s been retitled ‘salad bowl’ to sound more accepting and even includes tolerance. Wow! Imagine how pissed off the next generations will be when they finally realize the lies they’ve been taught. Heck, they’re already rebelling! This dominant and subordinate thing will always stand in the way and mess up the mix.
S. Ramos, Post # 5