tl;dr: From “melting pot” to an emerging land full of tribal areas with local chieftains, America’s path is winding.
I dropped off my car the other day for an oil change and started chatting with the woman behind the counter.
A Muslim immigrant from Ethiopia, I asked about her experience coming to America. I also asked about the political situation back in her native country, particularly how things were going given recent turmoil there and, of course, Covid.
She explained that there are over 60 ethnic groups in the country and, for the most part, everyone gets along…with one exception.
According to her, the largest group, which I think is the Oromo, are unhappy with the way the government is handling issues.
Rival ethnic groups in African countries with boundaries drawn by European colonizers is not news-sadly.
It struck a chord, however, because I have been wondering if the USA is migrating in that direction.
The Melting Pot
When I was growing up, the dominant narrative I heard was that America’s great promise was a “melting pot.”
People would come from all over the world and agree to live according to the American values of freedom, democracy, etc.
To me, that always made sense, and the proof of its power, appeal, and effectiveness lay not only in American economic and military power. It lay with the realization of the American dream for many, of all types.
But the most powerful example of America’s appeal for me came during the mid 90s as I spent three years living in Europe and Asia. That is when, in over 50 countries, whenever I would walk by an American embassy or consulate, I would see a huge line of people waiting to get visas.
Supply of freedom and economic opportunity was limited. Demand was really high.
Today, the “melting pot” narrative is under assault and one of the reasons is that the assumed output of the “melting pot” is to meld into the larger “white” culture of America.
The De-Centralization of American Identity
Maybe it’s a natural outgrowth of social media. Or perhaps it is a reflection that the “melting pot” narrative was strong, but didn’t really deliver for a lot of people.
Whatever the reasons, 56% of Americans now think the country is racist, and the increased attention on hiring with diversity in mind potentially reverses the order of identity from “American” as the umbrella term to “ethnic group” as the lead identity.
And this happens whether we want it to or not.
Now, to be clear, I’m not saying that things are fine and dandy. Nor am I saying that there isn’t discrimination.
The last few months have forced me to look at many of my assumptions and I am certainly more aware of my own previously unconscious racial (and gender) biases. I also have a better appreciation of what people mean when they say “institutional racism/bias.”
And I’m certainly not saying, “oh, it’s fine, leave it all alone.”
What I am saying is that, I wonder what happens if the American narrative shifts too far, too fast in terms of ethnicity as the primary identifier?
And when I say ethnicity, it’s not just race or religion. There are cultural ethnicities, “left” and “right” as well. What’s happened in Seattle and Portland in terms of governors, mayors, and protestors versus the federal government is a form of ethnic identity.
“This is Portland” or “this is Seattle” which is bigger, for some, than “this is America.”
Again, I’m not here to pass judgment. I am just watching what happens and wondering how it plays out.
One possibility is a Balkanization process.
Per Wikipedia:
Balkanisation (British English), or Balkanization (American English), is a pejorative geopolitical term for the process of fragmentation or division of a larger region or state into smaller regions or states, which may be hostile or uncooperative with one another.[1][2]
Given how people in “Blue states” talk about people in “Red states” and probably vice versa, it’s already happening.
For years, pundits have been talking about the “blue” vs. “red” as if it’s just a thing that doesn’t matter.
But what if it really does?
What if we see more CHAZs? Or if “Yes California” leads to greater and greater calls for secession. Or even actual secession.
The Promise
For me, that would be sad. Despite its many flaws, I still think America is the greatest country in the history of the world and has done more for freedom anywhere than any other country-ever.
Perhaps we will emerge from this with a reimagined “Melting Pot 2.0” where the ideals of America, as intended in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution (minus the ‘men’ and 3/5ths issues, etc.), are universally applied and accepted.
I certainly hope so.
Ask anyone from the Balkans what happens when a shared sense of identity goes away.
It’s not pretty.
And judging from the email I got this morning, I’m not the only one.
Beyond Tribalism: How Mindfulness Can Save the World
