Teddy Roosevelt would be appalled by this map. Roosevelt opposed anyone maintaining their own ethnicity or identities. His wish was that everyone coming to America adopt his view of assimilation. He opposed the Immigration of German and Irish at the turn of the last century. About Native Americans he said, "I don't go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead Indians, but I believe nine out of ten are." Regarding Blacks he said, "I have not been able to think out any solution of the terrible problem offered by the presence of the Negro on this continent." From Roosevelt's perspective, everyone coming into America should jump into a Melting Pot and come out Vanilla.
Looking at the map today, those of German ancestry overwhelm states all across America and the Irish overwhelm Massachusetts and New York. The English populate the Northeast, Utah, the eastern part of Nevada and lower Idaho. Blacks are the majority in Southern States, in D.C., Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland. Latinos of Mexican descent are the majority in Texas through to California. Native Americans are the majority in Northern Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, eastern Oklahoma, and parts of South Dakota, Montana and Nevada. The Finnish and Norwegian populate the northern parts of Michigan, Minnesota and North Dakota.
America is more of a Salad Bowl. We are all American yet unique in the fact that we each maintain our ethnicity, culture and family traits as we continue to evolve within our economic environment and technological advances.
We were supposed to a melting pot but we are slowly becoming a salad bowl and you think that is a good thing? It is a unifier? Nothing wrong with people retaining some of their native cultures and language home but out in mainstream assimilate and that is what the wise Teddy Roosevelt meant.
ReplyDeleteFYI, we have one only main identifying culture. All others are only minority cultures and do not represent our country's identity. I know that just kills you since it is still whites that are the majority in this country.
By the way, you are undeniably bat shit crazy and always have been.
We are not multi-cultural in identity. We have one identifying culture with other minority cultures living among us. Learn to know the difference!
ReplyDeleteSalad bowl - good analogy!
ReplyDeleteAnons,
ReplyDeleteWe have always been a Salad Bowl and the lettuce tried to make all of the vegetables, bacon bits and dressing into lettuce.
Tomatoes and Celery tried to turn into lettuce, but it never worked. We were still Tomatoes and Celery in a lettuce costume.