<The "melting pot" concept, glorified as the paradigm, turned out to be an illusion, primarily because people sought to preserve their distinct identities. We are closer to the notion of "cultural pluralism" broached in 1925 by the Jewish philosopher Horace Kallen>
ACF, I don't buy this idea that people are not melting potted. Sure, the first generation stays separate, but the second generation adopts the ways of their new home. That happens everywhere. Which isn't to say that the new home doesn't have a shift in style towards that of the new people. It does.
I'm not English and Maoris aren't Maori and Chinese don't stay Chinese. In New Zealand, there's a shift to a local norm. Each retains aspects of their antecedents, but the commonalities are much greater than the differences. It's the same in the USA.
I watched an Oprah Winfrey programme several years ago, glorifying the wonderful diversity of the USA. There were a bunch of women from different ethnicities on display, wearing 'ethnic' costumes and being enthusiastic about their particular cultures. All I saw was a bunch of Yanks, all with the big hair, the accents, the mannerisms, the attitude. Clones right out of the Stepford wives, though they wear their alleged feminism like a badge of honour.
The melting pot process is accelerating, worldwide. It's one globalized gene pool and cultural stew now.
Mqurice |
