(Or, the unintended consequences of diversity.)  A “melting pot” allows ingredients from vastly different backgrounds to coalesce to form a brand new result.  In the case of America, the country welcomed people from all over the world to come to the country legally and eventually become “Americans” with all the benefits that American citizens enjoy.  Conversely, a “salad bowl” keeps all the various ingredients in their original form, and together it becomes for lack of a better word a “salad.”   All its parts are totally identifiable and have not changed or adapted.

Unfortunately, the idea of the American “melting pot” has taken a back seat to the newer “salad bowl” aka diversity where people from different backgrounds can gain entrance, legally or illegally, and maintain and even flaunt their specific heritage at the expense of every other heritage.  Never is the idea to become an American, but it is to become a (fill in the blank) hyphenated American making sure to let others know that differences matter more than “melting” into an American. Some of these groups feel they are entitled to their own quasi countries within the borders of America.

This has actually pitted one group of hyphenated Americans against other groups of hyphenated Americans and all of those against plain Americans for limited resources. There is less cohesion among Americans, as each group competes and refuses to do what would benefit the whole (meaning all Americans).

It has become more important to establish each individual cultural/legal heritage within the borders of the world’s most exceptional country than to become one of those exceptional Americans! How many Americans, hyphenated or otherwise, actually get in a boat to go to another country? No other country has offered more opportunity, success or failure to as many people as this unique, exceptional experiment called America. So, if one cares about America one has to fight against continuing to worship the differences aka ‘diversity’ and instead focus on our similarities.

Catherine Paxton, Arlington