Every other year, we have our immediate Family Reunion. My parents had 10 children. Each of my brothers and sisters and I have our own families-children and many of us have grandchildren and a few great grandchildren. This reunion is somewhat large. It is small, however, compared to my great grandparent´s reunion.My great grandfather was the ancestor I speak about who had a land grant in southeast Texas. My great grandparents had 11 children, 9 boys and 2 girls. We have this reunion every 5 years. Usually it is in a southeast Texas town close to the ranch (which was lost a while back). This year it was in a beautiful park in San Antonio. It was this past Saturday and it was a glorious event!
Each of my great grandparent´s children´s families are designated a T-shirt color representing the extended family of each of their children. My grandfather´s t-shirt color is pink. Other family colors are Blue, Yellow, Red, Purple, White, Gray, Green, etc. Color coding makes the games fun. We played tug of war, softball, horseshoes, volleyball, pinatas, karaoke, newlywed game and an evening dance. Barbecue grills´ sizzled all day long.
It was fun talking to family members I hadn´t seen since the last reunion. My family is hard working and patriotic. Besides my immediate family, so many of my cousins, nephews and nieces serve in the military. Many more than I realized are serving in Iraq.
My family is very multi-cultural. We have every ethnicity represented. We have blondes, brunettes, dark black hair and gray hair.
A park full of family members proves to me how thriving our multi-cultural communities are. We are peaceful. We are patriotic. We are family focused. We are Christian. We are contributing to the community. This is the story not often heard in the media. It was a beautiful experience!
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Gray hair represents a culture? Actually hair color of any kind has nothing to do with a person's culture or ethnicity.
Family members tend to get along because they are related no matter what ethnicity there are. In the real outside world, there is a lot more tension and friction among the different cultures. It just doesn't get spoken about as we all have been brainwashed to be PC nowadays. If you could just read people's minds you would find that what appears to be is not really what is in many cases. Replace those rose colored glasse with clear lenses.
Pat,
You are not talking rose colored glasses. If you want me to "read people´s minds" you are talking x-ray specs. Sheesh! I think I saw some on e-bay. LOL
What were the cultures that were represented?
All American. Various ethnicities, including: Hispanic (Mexico, Puerto Rican), Irish, German, English, African American, Asian, Italian and many mixed ethnicity due to marriages (as my children).
Uh, huh, right! lol
Pat, On many occassions I´ve stated the multi cultural nature of my family. Many families are multi cultural through marriages and children. However, the majority of the older generations are primarily Hispanic.
I think this is what many ANTIs don´t understand, as per your laugh, Pat.
You don´t understand that as generations thrive, multi cultural American families are formed. I see this happening more and more at every reunion.
As I have mentioned, my great grandfather had a land grant in TX. His children were all born here, as was my Dad and his siblings and children. All of us are American. All of us speak English.
I notice many similarities in the 30 and up crowd. We are outgoing. Self Confident. We work in business, many former military, some life time military.
We talked about this during the reunion and how so many of us are very outgoing.
It was a very good experience.
First of all I don't believe that your family has that many ethnic nationalities in it. I think you like stretching the truth because you like the concept of multiculterism rather than us all being just plain Americans of the American culture. Secondly, I don't know why you feel the need to keep flaunting the "joys of multiculterism" and claiming that is the American Dream. On second thought, yes I do know why you do it but I will leave it at that. In all actuality in many ways it is the American Nightmare.
Pat, Pat, Pat, Why do you do this to yourself. Shall I call you Cleopatra since you are living in denial?
You know my husband is part Irish-American and know my children are half his and half mine so therefore mixed multi culturally. I have 5 brothers and 4 sisters. My brother married an African American. Another brother married an Asian American. Another brother married a Native American. Two married Hispanic Americans.(one was from Mexico and became a citizen).
My sisters: my oldest married a Hispanic American the next married an English-American, then me, then my younger sister married a multicultural English, Native American. My youngest sister married a Mexican citizen who became an American citizen. We all have children, grandchildren and a few have great grandchildren.
We are all working or retired. Many have served in the military. And this is my immediate family.
At the reunion I went to last week, we celebrated with my relatives starting with my great grandfather, his children on down.
We are truly a great American, multi cultural family. Since many family members come from San Antonio, and San Antonio is such a military town, many have served in the military and many more than I knew about are proudly serving in Iraq.
This is the face of America, my dear. The True American Dream!!
Additionally, you should know that my father´s mother was 1/2 German.
It isn't the American dream to become multicultural. Whose dream is that? It isn't even your dream. Your dream is for us to become mono-cultural Latino in culture.
You still don't know the difference between race and culture, do you? We have many races in this country but only one defining culture. The one you wish to change.
Actually Pat, I agree with you in one regard. We do have one American Culture. What you do not understand is that it continues to evolve. We no longer have the same culture that we had in the 1800s or the 1900s.
I love this statement of the American Dream:
e pluribus unum: out of many one. one state made of many states. one culture made of MANY cultures. one tribe made of many tribes. one clan made of many clans. one family made of MANY families, made of individuals as unique and precious as life itself!
The basics have remained the same. It is the basics that you hate and wish to change. I have had you pegged since day one.
Your definition Dee, is more multi-nationality, not multi-culture. Your response to Ultima was a nationality response, so I'll ask: What were the cultures that were represented at your re-union? Not nationalities.
Dee said...
I see where you are having trouble with the definition of culture since it means something different to so many people.
Wiki says: "Culture has been called "the way of life for an entire society." As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behavior such as law and morality, and systems of belief."
From this definition, we are all Americans.
Well that pretty much describes all cultures in general. Except that each one is different from the other.
I think that culture and nationality are somewhat tied together, for example the American culture. There are certain basic things that represent our nation's culture. Like the English language and our Christian beliefs.
There are people living in our country whose ancestors were a different nationality and they still pracitice the culture of that other nation.
Isn't American culture by definition multicultural? All of us came from somewhere else to mix with others.
No, the U.S. as a nation is not multi-cultural because it has a basic identity. There are people who live here, including some citizens who practice a different culture than the identifying one so that makes them possbibly bi-cultural but that doesn't make our nation multi-cultural in the true sense of the word. You are confusing individual or ethnic group cultural practices with what represents mainstream America.
Elizabeth,
Yes. I agree that America, by nature, is multi cultural and continues to evolve.
There are some that wish our culture would be strictly Northern European, but that is not the case.
We are multi cultural, we are thriving and we continue to evolve as we progress towards the future.
There are citizens and immigrants that practice bi-culturism in this country or only their native culture. But our identifying culture is mono. From many, ONE.
Is there something wrong with a nation's citizens wanting their country to retain it's natural identity? Take Mexico for instance, we know that they have an identifying culture. You know as well as I do, that Mexicans want to keep it that way and that is their right. Same goes for just about every country on this planet. Why would you want to change that and why would you deny any nation their natural identity?
What has thriving got to do with this topic? You sure like to throw that word out in the weirdest places that don't even apply to the subject at hand.
Pat, The problem with your way of thinking is defined in your statement "our identifying culture is mono".
Your definition of e pluribus unum is skewed. It is not ALL conforming to Northern European culture of the 1700s. Rather, it is
"e pluribus unum: Out of many One. one state made of many staes, one culture made of many cultures, one tribe made of many tribes, one clan made of many clans, one family made of many families, made of individuals as unique and precious as life itself!"
We are a Multi-nationality country, however we are a mono-cultural society.
Liquid,
I agree as long as we all understand, we are NOT Mayberrian. We continue evolve to a newer culture in our Great USA!!
Geez, you missed liquid's entire point. He said we are multi-national (as in those who have migrated here from another country), not multi-cultural. He said we are a mono-cultural society and he is right. You do know what the word "mono" means, don't you? We don't want to be a new culture and we will seek to keep the one we have always had. Why do you want to change that? Do you also want to change Mexico's culture? Thats just plain heartless and evil.
Pat, He said we are multi national-ITY meaning we have many nationalities. I do agree.
Our culture continues to evolve. We are not Mayberry as many ANTIs wish for. We are advanced, progressing and evolving to a new American Culture comprised of many cultures (e pluribus unum).
What the hell has Mayberry to do with this? I thought it was a town on the Andy Griffith show.
Depends on what you mean by our culture evolving. Does that mean to you that it will no longer resemble what it has been for over 200 years now? Is that what you desire? Good luck with that one, if thats what you want. Ain't gonna happen! I already asked you why do you think that we are evolving to a new Ameican culture after 200 years of basically remaining the same and why would you desire that but you didn't answer. That is very unfeeling and hateful on your part to take such a position in this country. Is it wrong for Mexico, Italy, Germany, Spain to keep their basic identities? Whats wrong with you?
You don't know the difference between some citizens/immigrants practicing a foreign culture in our country and it equating to not having our own mono-cultural identity? Sounds like you have an agenda and isn't very pretty.
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