Submitted by A Concerned American, Jan 28, 2008 20:57

I find it unsettling to read statements like, "If you live here then become an American first and maintain your personal culture privately" and "This wonderful country is made up of one group first - Americans."

This country was made up of not one, but many groups first, including indigenous peoples, Africans, and European colonists. The group "American" did not even exist a few hundred years ago. Marie's argument fails to acknowledge the fact that our American culture is, for historical reasons, a European-based culture because the colonists oppressed those other groups (and therefore, their cultures). When Europeans colonized, they had an opportunity to culturally coexist with the indigenous peoples. However, they eliminated entire groups of natives and displaced most survivors into segregated areas. In addition, the people whom European colonists enslaved had no opportunity to practice their cultures. Therefore, the European culture became the singular, dominant "American" culture. I think most people would agree that what happened to the indigenous and African groups was not fair, or very "American."

The purpose of this response is not to attack the European colonists, but it is a call to question whether it is fair to continue to suppress other cultures in order to maintain the dominance of the European-based American culture. In the year 2008, inequality does not look like enslaved people serving Europeans or a "Whites Only" water fountain. Today, inequality occurs when we says things like "personal cultures" (i.e. non-European cultures) should be practiced only privately.

Our U.S. forefathers wrote that this was a country where "all men are created equal." This is a truly noble ideal that sets this country apart from others around the world. However, at the time when our forefathers wrote this, they only meant that all European men are created equal. It was written in a time when they enslaved others and even European women did not have the same rights as their men. Since then, critical minds have redefined what "all men are created equal" means, and we are still working to improve this definition in the year 2008. Because people have rightfully been critical of our society, we have witnessed social justice in the forms of women's suffrage, racial integration, and more equitable opportunities in workplaces.

Let's continue to make progress on this idealistic path. Is it really "equal" to say that people of non-European backgrounds need to maintain their personal cultures privately? I hope we can continue to broaden our definition of what "equal" means by acknowledging that all people should be allowed to maintain their culture publicly. I believe to truly be American, we should celebrate the fact that our many cultures are publicly woven into the strands of a united culture. A united culture does not have to mean a singular culture where all cultures have to blend into one. It can be a brilliant, multi-faceted culture that allows us to fully appreciate the hundreds of cultures we are fortunate to have right next door. I can only hope that this is what it means to really be American.

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