National Unity

BECOMING AN AMERICAN:

IS NATIONAL UNITY IMPORTANT?

A report, “Becoming an American: Immigration and Immigrant Policy“*, issued on October 1, 1997, urged the President to lead a national dialogue on the Americanization of new immigrants as he was leading the discussion on race, and called for "a new Americanization movement involving communities across the country." The report voiced the concern that in creating "one of the world's most successful multi-ethnic nations, the United States must also reinforce the unity that comes from allegiance to common principles and values." http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/pop_billing.html (“Twisted Tongues: The Failure of Bilingual Education,” prepared by Rosalie Pedalino Porter, 1998)

Now, almost ten years later, we are still wrestling with questions of assimilation, accommodating oneself to customs not practiced in one’s former country, and with issues like what constitutes the responsibility of the government in accommodating laws, education, and even the election process to increasingly cantankerous and demanding immigrants. Isn’t it possible that some people who incite protests, including religious leaders who advise their adherents to deliberately flout job requirements in the name of refusing to break their religious laws, have ulterior motives? I am thinking of the recent increases in incidents where people employed in positions where they deal directly with the public have refused to serve certain customers. **http://www.nypost.com/seven/01212007/postopinion/postopbooks/one_america_postopbooks_john_fonte.htm
Many Hispanics have taken any suggestions that they learn English personally, even as a slur on their intelligence. What would be insulting to their intelligence is to agree that college students can’t be expected to learn to read English and to write it correctly. It is not a value judgment to back English as a common language. It is not a way of saying that English is better than any other language. There is a wealth of materials in many languages available. Anyone who wants their news and entertainment in other languages can enjoy it just as they always have. Those people whose first language was not English are not being asked to stop speaking their native language and teaching it to their children, But I believe it is important for national unity that we all understand and can vote in English.

This country is multicultural without there being a need for government policy to support it. But there is a strong need for the formulation of a policy promoting national unity. SUNY Provost Peter Salins’ concept of assimilation is straight forward and so well-put that I will quote it here:
--Cultural unity means “English language dominance.”
--Civic unity means pride in and allegiance to America.
--Unity of values means adherence to a self-reliant work ethic.

Anyone reacting negatively to those definitions, consider this: English language dominance does not mean that your language of choice for social or family occasions is going to be outlawed; pride in and allegiance to America does mean that the founding fathers of this country are in a real sense the ancestors of every citizen and the American flag takes precedence to one you may have once saluted; and as for a self-reliance work ethic, well, the only ones who won’t go along with that never have in the past anyway.

The assimilation written of by Herman Badillo and Peter Salinas does not call on anyone to be a traitor to their ethnicity, nor does it call on anyone to disobey any religious teachings. It does call on everyone to make an effort to do what they may previously have found impossible -- to hold two different ways of thinking at the same time. We must all be capable of saying, “I honor my god,” or “I honor my native land above all others,” and at the same time put the laws, well being, and survival of the United States before all others. It may be difficult but it’s not impossible, and to make it a little easier to swallow, remember this: We worship our god of choice, or none at all, we speak the languages we love because the laws of this country allow us to do so as our natural right. Remember why your ancestors immigrated here in the first place. And thank God, or the fates, or your luck that they did.

*http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/pop_billing.html (also discusses what’s good about bilingual ed.)

**http://www.nypost.com/seven/01212007/postopinion/postopbooks

/one_america_postopbooks_john_fonte.htm

This article discusses how recently Somali cabdrivers in Minneapolis carrying passengers to the airport refused to serve anyone carrying liquor, on instructions from their imam. Similar incidents have occurred in the UK. To forbid churchgoers to accept jobs that would force them to break religious laws is one thing; to urge people who are gainfully employed to push the limits of laws, employers' regulations, and accepted practice is another. In my opinion, at the very least this sounds like some leaders definitely do not want their followers to become assimilated at all. It also appears that their goal to force American society to bend to their preferences. Are Americans such pushovers that this will happen?