Black History Month allows for reflection on America’s role as ‘melting pot’ for ethnic cultures
History teaches us that America thrived for decades with appropriate, controlled approach to immigration that allowed for ethnic diversity of cultures, literature, art, foods, music and other contributions from immigrants who assimilated into America’s common culture and institutions.
However, unless we preserve the values of a “melting pot’’ culture that makes America great, we stand to lose the successes of a country that brings people together, and America will change its appeal to the world.
During Black History Month, leaders and organizers of events hope that Americans at large and African-Americans will remember our history, our struggles, and the black males and females who have contributed to American society and thus makes it a better place to live for future generations.
Likewise, many other cultures and minority groups in America share a similar sentiment of wanting inclusion and recognition for their contributions to making America great.
But with illegal immigration, a struggling economy and declining real wages, terrorism and national security, government spending and taxation, record-high political partisanship, America has been changing its tune on immigration.
Times have been tense in America for years, with the double-whammies of the Great Recession and the roll-out of Obamacare pitting the left against the right. With dollars seeming scarcer, America’s diverse groups may feel more competitive than cooperative, anxious about access to jobs, housing, and government influence.
The election of billionaire real estate mogul, Donald Trump, to the White House has exacerbated the already wide gulf between the left and right. As perhaps the most controversial major party presidential nominee in history, Trump’s aggressive and unchecked rhetoric had already incensed women, minorities, and the LGBTQ community long before Election Day. His election upset, coming despite losing the popular vote by a record 2.9 million votes, was seen by many as a signal that a wide swath of the electorate no longer appreciated diversity or inclusiveness.
Trump’s inaugural address, in which he declared “America first,” further alarmed the left by taunting the Washington establishment and declaring that America had been taken advantage of by other countries. The property tycoon blamed foreigners for the United States’ economic malaise, both illegal immigrants allegedly taking jobs and globalized competitors allegedly taking America’s business.
Immediately after taking office on Jan. 20, Donald Trump continued raising eyebrows by seeking to keep all of his campaign promises. While politicians are ordinarily lauded for such practice, Trump’s supporters had actually tried to make the billionaire more palatable to the public by insisting that he should not be taken literally. Literally is what we have gotten from the Oval Office: Trump’s most controversial acts in his two weeks in office have been signing executive orders to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and ban any immigrants or refugees from seven predominantly-Islamic nations in the Middle East.
These two executive orders hammer home that the White House no longer considers the United States to be a genuine melting pot. Immigrants were once accepted as part of the powerful blend of America, but no more. In Trump’s America, immigrants are seen as statistics that must be monitored: Examined for crime, economic contribution, birth rate, use of welfare. While the president has not publicly suggested that immigration be discontinued, he has gone further than any modern-day predecessor in insisting that immigration has been a bust rather than a boon.
By portraying immigrants from Latin America as criminals, rapists, and drug dealers, Trump has actively sought to turn his supporters, and all citizens, against the idea of America as a melting pot. He wants us to see Mexicans as dangerous job-stealers and Muslims as budding proto-terrorists. If he can destroy the age-old idea of the U.S. as a melting pot, he can successfully pit societal groups against each other and enhance his own power. Once we become a society of us-versus-them, each group will constantly seek the favor of the White House…and guarantee Trump a second term.
— Calvin Wolf contributed to this report
Wolf is his pen name and he has published over 2,000 articles on sites like the Yahoo! ContributorNetwork, Examiner, Helium, DigitalJournal, The News Hub, and Hubpages, as well as for his local newspaper. He has also published eight political thriller novels and is an AP teacher.
