Traditionally America has been described as the great Melting Pot of a nation made up of people from all around the world who have their unique experiences and Below beliefs of the American stew and like ass to the emphasis has always been on the Stuart self. Not the individual ingredients, but noted historian Arthur Schlessinger warns of the current emphasis on multiculturalism is changing all that and not for the better Schlessinger who came to national attention as a Special Assistant President John Kennedy, and it was now teaching history of the City University of New York has written a book called The disuniting of America Reflections on a Multicultural Society last night at Macalester College in St. Paul. He discussed his theory that America is losing its character as the great Melting Pot and becoming instead a collection of tiny ethnic enclaves. Here's a story in Arthur Schlessinger that has recently invaded public discussion. It is what in the way it is odd that the word should be so novel.Since United States has been from birth a Multicultural Society. But through most of the history of the Republic multiculturalism has been seen as a stage in the absorption of newcomers into a common American nationality and culture. Recent years. However, multiculturalism has developed an ideology a Mystique of its own and its militant form. It becomes alternatives to even a hold out against the historic process of absorption and the concept of a, national identity the word appears these days on everyone's radar screen and that it excites such spirited and sometimes angry debate. First part I would make about this debate is it multiculturalism is by no means a uniquely American issue do understand its full significance. Think about my biculturalism against a great Global backdrop. And in terms of the transition, the whole world is making from one grand historical epic to the next 20th century May Well appear in retrospect as defined Above All by the Warfare of ideology was a time when the liberal Democratic idea was under siege by to Mortal foes to variations on the totalitarian. I did the challenge of fascism in the first half of the century the challenge of Communism in the second Democratic Society finally succeeded in defeating both totalitarian Creed's fascism perishing with a bang communism with a whimper. But the fading away of the ideological conflict does not mean as some sages optimistically for cat forecast a few years back doesn't mean the end of History one set of hatreds replaces another lifting the lid of ideological repression in Eastern Europe. And what used to be the Soviet Union releases Panda think National Religious linguistic antagonisms deeply rooted in history. And in memory evaporation of the Cold War remove superpower restraints on National and tribal conflicts in the third world. As the Warfare of ideologies subsides the world that Sanders or more precisely reactors it possibly more dangerous. He wrote of ethnic and racial Warfare 20th century was the Centre of the Warfare of ideologies the 21st century promises to be released to begin as the century of the Warfare of ethnicities and this it should be noted as a much older profounder and more unyielding form of warfare one whose roots go back forever in time. Has Frances done the former foreign minister of sedan recently put it. Once you remove the Cold War everyone is asserting the identities that were previously suppressed. We are not witnessing the desire of people to fall back on that switches authentic in them, or as close Kinko the German foreign ministry's puts it as if buried beneath a sheet of ice ethnic conflicts were in a state of suspended animation under communist Rule now that the sheet is cracked these conflicts are surfacing violently. Tragedy of Yugoslavia is only the most murderous portent of a darkening future Yugoslavia political science petrovich. Put it. Well, the other day minorities are going to be an acid test for all post communist societies with with Communism all about disappearing tribal instincts are coming back. And the hostility of one tried for another is among the most ancient the most distinctive of human reaction history of our planet has been in great part the history of the mixing of people's never more. So perhaps then today I was our 20th century lurches to a close number of factors. Not just the evaporation of the Cold War but more enduring leave the development of swifter modes of transport and communication population growth the breakdown of traditional social structures of flight from chaos from serenade from poverty from famine from ecological disaster the dream of a better life somewhere else all these factors drive people peoples in mass migrations across National Frontiers guarding to the UN report on the world's refugees, November 93, the number of refugees driven out of their home phone lines has grown from Two and a half million in 1970 to 20 million today. Another 24 million have been driven into Exile within their own countries and short more than one in every 130 inhabitants of the globe. Today is a refugee. The gold shrinks this population is more mixed up today than ever before this shrinkage subjects the world to equip saw. Tearing it in opposite directions on the one hand intense pressure story globalization on the other hand intense pressures toward fragmentation, the World Market electronic Technologies instantaneous communication fax machines. CNN. All these undermined the old nation-state Russia across borders create a World Without Frontiers. Yet at the same time these Ferry internationalizing pressures drive people to seek Refuge from the strong Global currents beyond their control beyond their understanding the more people feel themselves cast adrift in a vast impersonal and Anonymous world the more desperately they cling to some familiar warm intelligible comprehensible protective human unit the more they crave a politics of identity integration and disintegration are this opposites that feed on each other the more of the world integrates the more people cling to their own in groups increasingly Define in these post ideological days. Buy a national ethnic and religious emotions. What happens when people of different ethnic origin speaking different languages professing different religions settled in the same geographical locality and live under the same political sovereignty and that's a common purpose finds them together tribal resentments and animosities will drive them apart the world in the year. I had yours ahead face. Is this critical question? What is it that holds a nation together? Mid-nineteenth Century, John Stuart Mill offered one answer to that question. I suppose no one in the 19th century thought more carefully about the problem is a representative government the mill two elements that Define nationality is Millstadt where the desire to be governed together and what he called the common sympathy created by shared history values and language as male Rope free institutions are next to Impossible in a country made up of different nationalities among a people without fellow feeling especially if they read and speak different languages the United public opinion necessary to they working a representative government cannot exist. It is concluded. It is in general and necessary condition of free institutions that the boundaries of governments should coincide in the main with those of nationalities. Well in the world we need to know today those boundaries cuz it go inside less and less of the world a hundred few very few of the world's 188 States or ethnically homogeneous and all they have the nations of the world is a single ethnic group account for more than three-quarters of the population and there are thousands of ethnic groups against those hundred 88 National governments, a policy of national self-determination according to ethnicity with exploding the world. Advanced everyday are demonstrating the fragility of national cohesion. No one can doubt the ethnic racial religious nationalist Warfare is replacing the Warfare of ideologies has explosive issue of the age on every side today if they can religious fanaticism is the cause of the breaking of Nations Soviet Union check savaki have already broken up. Indy Eleven in the South Africa, Ireland Israel Sri Lanka Rwanda are all our recently have been in ethnic or religious turmoil one form or another take a religious tension divides Romania, Georgia Azerbaijan Bremen, Indonesia, Afghanistan and Iraq, Indonesia. Turkey, I'll Jerry lpos to Melia Nigeria Liberia and go to Sudan Zaire Guyana and Trinidad you name it? Even Nations is stable and civilized Britain France to Germany Belgium, Spain and Austria face Rising ethnic. Racial and religious troubles the virus of tribalism as The Economist British magazine, but it's the virus of tribalism risks becoming the kids of international politics lying dormant for years then firing up to destroy countries take the case of our neighbor to the north. Canada has long been considered among the most General sensible. And I said, they'd have Nations yet today Canada finds itself on the brink of Buster for a Canadian recently wrote of his country here. We have one of the five richest Nations on earth a country. So uniquely blessed with space and opportunity, but the world's poor are beating at the door to get in and it is tearing itself apart. if one of the top five developed Nations on Earth, this writer continues can't make a federal multi-ethnic state work who else can The answer to that increasingly urgent question has been at least until recently the United States have American succeeded in pulling off this almost unprecedented trick again. What is it that holds a nation together there has to be a theme to hold a nation together a unifying purpose a sense of shared identity other countries break up because I failed to give ethnically diverse peoples compelling reasons to see themselves as part of the same Nation as chimney Wenatchee be the Nigerian novelist. Some of you may have read Things Fall Apart Achebe rights of his own country one of the richest in Africa, but now on the edge of Chaos. This is Izzy Nigerians greatest weakness their inability to face grave threats as one people instead of as competing religious and ethnic interest. The United States is the best fire offered reasons to face grave threats. As one people. What is it been in the absence of ethnic homogeneity in the absence of a common ethnic origin? What is it that is bound Americans together over to turbulent centuries has been a multi-ethnic country from the start Hector st. John de crevecoeur immigrated from France to the American colonies in the 1750s Married an American woman settled in the farm in Upstate New York and published his letters from an American Farmer during the American Revolution century French American Marvel at the astonishing diversity of the other settlers a mixture of English Scotch-Irish French Dutch Germans and swedes a strange mixture of glad you said that you could find in no other country. And from this promiscuous breed driver's ed. What that race now called Americans have arisen. Where to race as you was an eighteenth-century Matt roughly what we mean by nationality today people talk about the French race the German race and so on are the characteristics of this newly emerging American race and in the letters from an American Farmer, he provided a famous question at least famous among historians. What then is the American this new man. We miss Overlook 18th century male obliviousness to the existence of women. Creve Coeur gave his own question is classic answer. He is an American who leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners receives new ones from the new mode of life. He has embraced the new government here bass and the new rank. He holds the American is a new man who acts upon new principles hear that individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men. A Pluribus Unum one out of many United States American solution for the inherent fragility the inherent combustibility of a multi-ethnic society was the creation of a brand new national identity created by individuals who and forsaking old loyalties. Do I need to make new lives melted away ethnic differences and national identity founded on Civic principal not on ethnicity and identity that absorbs and transcends the diverse ethnicities that come to these Shores ethnicity. Is it in Rich and remole the common culture in the very Act of entering into it those Intrepid European to a torn up their roots to Brave the Atlantic one. Did you forget the horror the past and embrace a hopeful future their goals for escape Deliverance assimilation. They saw America is a transforming Nation banishing dismal memories in developing a unique National character space not uncommon ethnic Origins, but uncommon political ideas and experiences. The point of America was not to preserve old cultures, but to establish a new American culture Americans have never until very recently much believe in ancestor worship from the revolutions on Americans have had a bigger sense of national identity forest in the war for independence articulated in the Declaration of 1776 the Constitution 1787 deepened by the subsequent experience of self-government. George Washington a firm of the national Creed when he invited Those whom he called the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations and religions invited them to come to America, but not you suggested not to come and clannish groups that can give themselves rather to come as individuals prepared and his words for inter mixture with our people so that they could be assimilated to our customs measures and laws and a word soon become one people. John Quincy Adams Secretary of State advise prospective immigrants to cast off the European the skin never to resume it immigrants most look forward to their posterity rather than backward to their ancestors America got its own identity derived from his own experience and its own ideals from the citizenship at least four. White America is defined not by blood lines, but by political principle he wondered how this miscellaneous American society pharmd wrote of all the nations of the world people having different languages beliefs and opinions and the word a society without roots without memories. How could such a society turn into a single nation? The answer tocqueville decided was a nation's could be based on adherence to an idea American secret. He concluded with a national commitment and bought it in the constitution do the democracy of self-government individual Freedom equality before the law was this common purpose. They would enable Americans at least twice Americans for just single culture in the single nation from a peoples of bewilderingly diverse Origins the rights of citizenship the experience and political participation the development of the Civic culture. Please resolve ethnic and religious differences and become the great National unifier. National unification had its brutal limits as we shall soon know it half a century after tocqueville another great for an observer the American Commonwealth of scotsmen James. Bryce was similarly struck by what he called the amazing solvent power which American institutions habits and ideas Exercise app on newcomers quickly dissolving and assimilating the foreign body that are poured into her mitts are mass and half a century after Bryce the third perceptive for an observer going to middle of Sweden and his great study of race relations an American dilemma found the essence of rice and salt in power and let me hear doll called the American creed. And showing a quiet that Creed held out hope even for those most cruelly excluded by the dominant white majority. The Creed acting is the spare forever Goulding white Americans to live up to their proclaimed principles. The Creed provided the legal structure that gives people who are wrong the means of claiming their rights. Let's figure a sense of national identity accounts for America's success in converting crevecoeur's promiscuous read into Washington's when people but this is not to say that the United States has lived up to its own alleged ideas New Waves of immigration brought the in people's who fitted awkwardly into a society that was inescapably English and language ideas and institutions for a long time anglo-americans dominated American culture and politics and disdain did their best to exclude those who arrived after them. The melting process did not easily male immigrants from Ireland from Germany even less. So for those from Southern and Eastern Europe, Till even those snubbed and spurned by the Anglo Americans were enabled by the exercise of democratic rights to enter into join and reshape American the American culture as for the non-white peoples those already in America and the European newcomers overrun and massacred or those others all them against their will from African Asian deeply bread racism put them all red Americans black Americans yellow Americans Brown Americans put them all well outside the pale we must face the shameful fact is starkly America has been the racist Nation after all white American started out as a people. So arrogant and convictions of racial superiority that we felt license to kill red people to enslave black people to impart yellow and brown people for pee on labor. We're white Americans have been racist in our laws in our institutions in our customs in our conditioned reflexes in our souls curse of racism is the great failure of the American experiment glaring contradiction of American ideals and the steel crippling disease of American Life. Are even and white Americans miserably treated as I have been contributed to the formation of a national identity. They became members of third class members of American society and help give the common culture new form and flavored like white Americans black Americans did not cling to their past but rather help change the present and the future the infusion of non-anglo style. Non-anglo stock steadily reconfigure the British Legacy and made the United States a very different country today from Greg Bishop. This vision of America's a new national identity superseding and the besorah being the divers ethnicities of those who came here this Vision Prevail through most of the two centuries of the history of the United States, but recent years have brought forth a new and opposing Vision in the nation Mark by and even stranger mixture of blood in Creve Coeur right now is question. What then is the American this new man is asked once more with you intensity and with new answers today many Americans disavowal the historic goal of a new race of mine escape from Origins has given way to a search for roots a cult of ethnicity has arisen begun among non-anglo white minorities. Remember, for example of Michael Novak and his book of 1971 probably entitled The Rise of the unmeltable ethics in which Novak challenge the whole idea of assimilation. He asserted that it is the new ethnic Politics as certain groups and structure the rules and goals and procedures of American life is conception of the group's the Novak conception and Maddie assimilation is conception, but soon taken up by non-white minorities all joining to the downside. Is there a simulation integration the melting pot alternative joining to protect promote and perpetuate separate ethnic and racial communities. Did this is risen multiculturalism as an ideology and Mystique and and their consequently, they multi-cultural challenge to the traditional concept of America nationhood. This is a ruption of ethnicity has had some good consequences. It is far as the American culture at last to reflect on the inexcusable Persistence of group inequalities and to give shamefully overdue recognition to the achievements of minority subordinated and ignored during the high noon of Anglo dominance American education has begun at last we knowledge of the existence and significance of the great swirling World Beyond Europe all this is to The Good the balance between you and him and pluribus was tilted too far in favor of Unum at the expense of pluribus and the military cultural challenges how valuable e to restore that balance too far because it tells to balance too far in the other direction in favor of pluribus at the expense of Luna menu at night gospel and its militant form reject the unifying concept of a unit American identity rejex division of individuals from All Nations melted into a new race, it rejects the ideals of assimilation and integration reject the common culture. The underlying philosophy is in America is not a nation of individuals at all. But a nation of groups that ethnicity is a defining experience for Americans that ethnic ties are permanent in indelible. The Americans must be primarily classified according to ethnic and racial criteria and the division into ethnic communities establishes the basic structure of American society and the basic meaning of American history. Are the ethnic interpretation of American History like the economic interpretation is valid and Illuminating up to a point that is fatal misleading and wrong when presented is a whole picture. They think interpretation moreover repudiate the historic theory of America the theory of Americans as one people the theory that is as far managed to keep American society whole set of a transformative Nation with an identity also in America in this new revelation is seen as preservative of diverse alien identities instead of a Nation photos of individuals making their own unhampered choices America's seen as a collection of ethnic and racial tribe teach more or less ineradicable and its commitments and loyalty is the Latter-Day exaltation of ethnic and racial separatism abandoned historic American purpose is replacing simulation by fragmentation integration by a partite a single nation. founded on an idea by a multiple Nation founded on separate ethnic communities reverse is the national motto making a wooden pluribus many out of one. No era era and all arenas the movement to do away with the conception of an overriding national identity more crucial than in our system of education for a public schools have been historically the great agency of assimilation the great means of transforming newcomers and minorities into full-fledged Americans died two years ago. The great Melting Pot of America Wilson said the place where we are all made Americans is the public school where a man of every race and if ever you are a gin and of every station in life send their children or other send their children and where are being mixed together. The youngsters are all infused with the American Spirit and developed into American men and American women. What students learn in school affects the ways that way they will thereafter see in Crete other Americans by the they will see them as fellow citizens of the same country as members of some alien group. The debate about the curriculum is unwell at one level of debate about what it is what it means to be an American. But then about Multicultural education. Well, it all depends on how you define it when multi cultural education means teaching our kids about other cultures are the continents are the colors of the crazies. I'm all for it when I mean isn't teaching American history, for example, giving you and related credit through the achievement the group so long neglected in traditional accounts women lacks Indians Latinos asian-americans, is it plainly a great step forward and I mean is teaching history from a variety of perspectives seeing the arrival of Columbus on this continent for example from the Viewpoint of those who met him as well as from the Viewpoint of those who sent him This too is a notable Advanced education means that our school should teach history and feel good about their particular ancestors. And thereby allegedly promote their self esteem and it calls on public schools to celebrate reinforced and hardened ethnic loyalties and to promote separate at the rate ethnic and racial communities. This seems to me a very different matter as running Jordan the black leader put it the other day diversity is not an excuse to substitute flattering this for history to distort the curriculum or do excuse self segregation and self-exclusion. Feel good education as advocated by Multicultural ideologues begins and ethnic cheerleading and breastfeeding and then is intellectually and they the basement and Corruption of the subject taught and socially in separation fragmentation ghettoization. When Multicultural ideologues assign the public schools. The mission of protecting and promoting separate ancestral cultures, they reject the historic role of public schools as incubators of a common American culture. In addition. There is plainly inauthenticity and saddling are public schools with a mission of his writing Children of the Beauties and their particular ethnic origin of subcultures had genuine Vitality if they can just use Jazz's would be sufficiently in sealed and kids by their family and the church that Community the show about the role of the public school to promote artificial ethnic chauvinism, especially when a majority of Americans are mixed ethnic ancestry. Anyway, probably schools would rather see to make our young girls and boys contributors to the common American culture to teach children of diverse Glasses colors and Creeds why there country was founded what shape is development, but it did right and what it did wrong. But it is all about. Of course, it remains a vital part of America for people to cherish their own Traditions observances rituals Creed's Customs Cuisines and disease strands in particular out of the Len richness and texture to our society for the preservation of such strands is the past of the family the church the subculture fraternal organization public schools have a different task which is to emphasize not but keeps children a part of what brings Children Together As Americans of the school abandoned. This task clouds are National Future. The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin. Theodore Roosevelt once said a preventing all possibility of his continuing to be a nation at all would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities an intricate not of german-americans irish-americans English Americans French American Scandinavian. American's italian-americans each preserving, its separate nationality. Three-quarters of a century later. When was had a few more nationalities to TRS Brew. This only strengthens his point. But what was a nightmare for Theodore Roosevelt Egyptians have Roots each preserving a separate nationality is the goal of the radical multiculturalists today. And my mother I cultural is it means the running down the systemic disparagement of Western history and ideals is implicitly reject the foundations of a liberal Democratic way of life and present Europe is a source of imperialism racism sexism patriarchalism deed as the root of all evil or the crimes. If you are up for a famous crimes committed against with Kipling gold lesser breeds without the law. Not to mention even worse crimes hitlerism in the stalinism committed against other Europeans. But these crimes do not all her other facts of history that you're up with the birthplace of the United States of America the European ideas and culture form the Republic that the United States as an extension of European civilization. And then more than three-quarters of all Americans are of European descent, maybe lamentable the dead white males of European extraction of played so large a part in shaping our history, but that's the way it was to pretend otherwise would be to falsify history. And while you're up like every other culture has committed its share of crimes unlike other cultures that has originated and acted upon ideals that Expose and combat its own crimes. No other culture is built self-criticism in the very fabric of its being the crimes of the West in time generated their own antidote. Provoking the great movements to end slavery slavery was abolished in Africa. For example by Europeans not by Africans. Did raise the status of women so deplorable and so many parts of the world non-western parts of the world today number of countries, for example is still practice genital mutilation moving through it to send slavers raise the status of women to abolish torture to combat racism to promote religious tolerance to defend freedom of inquiry an expression to enlarge personal Liberty to promote protect and promote individual human rights, whatever the particular crimes of Europe. Continent is also the source that unique source of those liberating ideals of individual liberty political democracy National Independence equality before the law freedom of worship human rights women's rights freedoms to which most of the world today expires. These are ideals. That Empower people of every continent color and Creed and they are Western ideas Moscow today. They're studying The Federalist Papers and the Stevens Center of all the Tiananmen Square raise up a replica of the Statue of Liberty. What is it that holds the nation together respect for the diversity of people's is essential so is acceptance of cultural pluralism, but a functioning democracy requires more than that requires unifying sentiments to a feeling that we are all in the same boat. We reject the idea of a common culture in a distinctive national identity. What is left to hold the nation together? No Society can survive unless people are encouraged to recognize what they have in common. I don't want to sound apocalyptic about these developments education is always in ferment thank heavens schools and colleges have always been Battlegrounds for debate over beliefs philosophies values political correctness in the University's is a pop fashion that I'm confident. We'll be here today and gone tomorrow is saw the ideological censorship under the PC Banners at war with the freedom of inquiry that is a beating heart of the University. I'm sure that the spiteful and repressive stuff will self-destruct. Once the great silent majority of professors call Kai enough and Rouse themselves to challenge officious intolerant students to have a role. They must observe Elementary standards of Civility. If we all right as a nation are going to continue to make a go of it. There's been considerable concern which I share about the tendency started fragmentation and self segregation on college campuses that one dormitory for blacks and other for Asians another four Jews another for Latinos another for homosexuals another for teetotalers another for smokers each group withdrawing and its own too shall and looking on others with suspicion and mistrust result is the vice-president Brown said the other day is the vulcanization of the campus that one reason for this trend toward self-segregation fragmentation. And the hostility is the following an emphasis is put on differences. one reason for this trend is the careless with talladay the cheap incivility the indecency of the white student majority consider that the University of Michigan and posters appeared around the campus parodying the slogan of the United Negro College Fund a mind is a terrible thing to waste the poster said especially on a Niger If it is up against if it is up to the faculty to speak out against the Sheik and tolerance of political correctness. Does that the students to behave in a decent friendly way to other students and above all to minority students? But the impact of ethnic and racial chauvinism on the public school seems to me far more troubling than higher education bonds of national cohesion are sufficiently fragile already Public Schools historically been the great means of bringing us together. The aim of public education should be to strengthen those bonds of cohesion not further to we can not heard minority kids off and on their own not to relegate them for to ancestor worship but to teach them to become participants in and Shapers the common culture Richard Rodriguez, the Mexican American writer commented on those influential Educators who believe the purpose of education is to instill in children the pride in their ancestral past such a curtailing of Education Rodriguez said, it seems to me condescending The new curriculum ensures that education will be flattering but I submit that America is not a tale for sentimentalist. If I am a newcomer to your country by teach me about my ancestors. I need to know about 17th century Puritans in order to make sense of the Rebellion. I notice everywhere in the American city teach me about mad British Kings. So I understand the American Pawn Shop on for iconoclasm and teach me about Cowboys and Indians. I should know that tragedies created the country that will create me. We need to weave the wonderful strands of ethnic and racial particularity into a common culture first separatist Tendencies. Rush on unchecked result can only be the further fragmentation re-segregation indeed tribalization of American life doesn't really help the nation to protect and promote separate cultures. Is anyone really think the Republic would be better off today if in the 19th century it is a bay the Multicultural ideologues fulfilled Theodore Roosevelt's Nightmare and encourage the German Americans to retain their language. They're accustomed their political practices and ideals and the Italian Americans the same in the Swedish Americans the same and so on Down the Line each group other than its own linguistic cultural ethnic political on clouds is anyone really think this would have built an equable happy peaceful strong United Country. How can I do when suppose that the radical multi-cultural demand for the protection cultivation and maintenance of ancestral cultures is a better idea today Salman Rushdie who said no is said that the idea of preserving ethnic Purity is the most dangerous idea around it is the idea that invented Auschwitz and his lad to Sarajevo. I'm struck by the stock value of the other day of the black colonists William raspberry in the Washington Post. We look Bill raspberry price. We look for some mixture of sadness and superiority of the breakup of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia and the ethnic enclaves and fail to see how fragmented the society we in the United States are becoming we are abandoning even the myth that we are all Americans we are not yet. It's definitely driven us a Yugoslavia, but don't ever imagine that it couldn't happen here. I remain optimistic. My strong impression is that the appeal of a simulation that integration continues to be stronger than the appeal of separatism and apartheid whatever their self appointed spokesman may claim most american-born members of minority groups white or non-white. I want to become full-fledged Americans and join the mainstream disregard minorities in the United States are different from the historic minorities in Europe as a gunner in mirrored all know that half a century ago. The minority peoples of the United States are fighting for status in the larger society that minorities of Europe are mainly fighting for independence from it. Actually, the proportion of foreign-born residents of the United States as far as smaller today. It's less than 8% and it was in 1910 and it was nearly 14% of immigration is recently increased it with a drastically change the composition assimilation and integration remain despite the claims of the ideologues the ambition in the hope of the rank-and-file this evening flies the most recent wave of immigrants are Latinos. Not only the most recent wave but those most easily those who can most easily return to their homelands yet the recent Latino National political survey reports a 90% of Hispanics supposed citizens and non-citizens think that residents of the United States become fluent in English 85% believe that the object of bilingual education to be not to maintain Spanish but to acquire English As York Times summarize the survey a driving commitment to be part of American society shapes attitude among Hispanic groups more than a sense of ethnic identity. What is even more fatal to The Cult of ethnicity is the simple fact that most Americans is noted are mixed ethnic origin. Most of us do not see ourselves as belonging to another distinct ethnic group in the mix is growing everyday. The most telling indicator is a rising rate of intermarriage and their marriage across ethnic lines in a marriage across religion religious lines, even increasingly across racial lines. 3% of heights approve the racial intermarriage internet interracial marriage in 1958 or 1990. The approval figure is risen to 50% and marriages between blacks and white has tripled in the last 30 years 65% of Japanese-Americans marry outside their ethnic group. So to 52% of Jewish Americans today, I understand only about one-quarter of American and only about one-quarter of American marriages. Do Partners have the same ethnic background. We may therefore I think out on the power of sex kind of love to defeat those who seek to divide America up into separate ethnic and racial communities. And when we consider who is responsible for dividing America and denying, now, they let us not waste of all the blame on the minorities that is considered where responsibility might more justly be placed only in the last half-century as fight America begun to acknowledge and confront the racism of their so wretchedly Dishonored our national passed only in the last half-century every grown conscious of the implications of the racial oppression. We white Americans impacted so carelessly and unconsciously for the greater part of our history. Practice at the expense of the ideals of equality enshrined in our most sacred documents still even black Americans who have the strongest reasons to regard the American creed with cynicism and the American experience with despair have not abandoned the ambition to join the mainstream. The other day George C Wolfe, but talented black directory. Somebody was Major scene Jelly's last Jam play the show the musically directed by jelly roll Morton and also our angels in America win. The Pulitzer Prize is base success rate with mysterious success my judgment in New York for the head of the public theater in New York like great Joseph Pat he gave an interview in which he said I was 13 or 14 before I was thrust into the white world ever since then it's become clearer and clearer to me cuz I was part of the generation of black children who were raised like integration soldiers who are groomed to invade White America. Is my parents it was definitely they think you're less than you've got to be better that there's this why your energy I learned early on George Wolfe said that it serves me so well and in the theater not to be walled off by themselves behind ethnic or racial barriers the people who refuse to succumb to self-pity refuse to be a victim integration Soldiers imbued with why your energy room to invade White America. That is a spirit that may yet save it. Progress has been made and can hardly be denied Orlando Patterson. The distinguished black sociologists recently wrote the sociological true Tsar than America while still in its race relations is now the least racist white majority Society in the world has a better record of legal protection of minorities than any other Society white or black office more opportunities to a greater number of black person's and any other Society including all those of Africa and has gone through a dramatic change and its attitude toward vegenation over the past 25 years. Funny when I told me half a century ago that in my lifetime with black Americans only 12% of the population. I would see black General is Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff like justices are on the Supreme Court a black governor of Virginia part of the Confederacy black mayors of Atlanta Birmingham New Orleans and other Southern cities as well as of New York Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Kansas City Detroit, Seattle and Minneapolis and many other cities. I would have been incredulous. Is inexcusable conditions remain in the ghettos of our largest cities in the world Wasteland conditions of jet joblessness poverty ungroup, the spare America still has far to go to fulfill the ideals on which it was founded. We have miles to go before we sleep and when we invoke those ideas, we must understand the American Democratic Creed and it's true Dimensions. It is not a static and righteous Orthodoxy fiction tolerant of deviation descent to be fulfilled by ritualistic exercises, like flag salute Pledge of Allegiance hands over the heart American identity is always in the making and the Democratic Creed fulfills Itself by closing the gap between professed ideals and daily performance. Has James Reston Scotty rest in New York Times? Put it in so long as men was the only way to preserve democracy is To Raise Hell about its shortcomings. Because enough people that raised help the movement from exclusion to nvision. It's been a central theme in American history. reclaiming the American purpose a pluribus unum defines a duty for all Americans for the complacent majority even more than for the angry and disaffected minorities a minority is to be sure I must stop relishing an exploding the role of victim in a little more disabling or do you mean am I stop using racism is all-purpose Alibi, I must accept their individual responsibility to live lives of Pride and dignity and self-discipline, but the burden to unify this country does not fall primarily on the minorities assimilation and integration constitute a two-way street those who want to join America must be received and welcomed by those who think they own America not only miss the minority's went to simulation and integration the majority must when the simulation and integration to instead of slamming doors against minorities and burning crosses on their lawns. There by driving them in the defense, even toufayan separatism majority must begin treating them as I would treat their own. This is where the buck finally stops. American population is unquestionably growing more heterogeneous than ever in recent times, but it's very heterogeneity makes The Quest for unifying ideals and the common cold shape all the more urgent. Racial Harmony is not an Impossible Dream America's is Scott Fitzgerald. The city said America is a willingness of the heart. We have it within our power to make this affair and adjust country for all our people. May I recalled you some words of Mahatma Gandhi. Where is it used to be seen on public posters throughout India the Country Mart far more fiercely divided than our own by ethnic and racial and religious and linguistic and cast antagonisms. Remus Sease candy said we must cease to be exclusive Hindus are Muslims are Sikhs prices Christians or Jews whilst we may staunchly adhere to our respective face. We must be Indians first and Indians last. Is because India has abandoned those teachings of Gandhi. It is so bitterly so violently divided today. But in the spirit of Gandhi while we probably got Americans May staunchly cherish our diverse Traditions. Let us never forget that in the end. We are members one of another another Americans first and American slash and World savagely rent by ethnic and racial fanaticism. It is all the more essential that the United States continue as an example of how a highly differentiated Society holds itself together. Thank you. Historian Arthur Schlessinger speaking at Macalester College in St. Paul Schlessinger is the author of a book called The disuniting of America Reflections in a Multicultural Society Gary. I can hear thanks for tuning in the day join us tomorrow.