United States of America: Melting Pot, Cultural Diversity, Racism, Prejudice?

As a product of the American Public School System during the 1950s and 1960s, I was taught that the United States of America is a melting pot.

During my career in the American public service sector up until my retirement from civil service in 2002, I was bombarded with the idea that America is a nation of cultural diversity that is to be understood, to be embraced, and to be encouraged, especially in the workplace.

But, what of racism and prejudice in the United States of America today? Here is some quoted material for you to ponder:

Again and again Americans are proving that the term “melting pot” is indeed a myth. There is an ongoing struggle to keep America white. From white fear of becoming a minority in their own country to a denial that racism still exists in this country to outrage that a United States president would dare speak out on behalf of the black populace, there is an unspoken sentiment that a large percentage of white Americans are becoming more and more fearful of losing the privilege that they are reluctant to admit they have.

I suggest you go on over to read the entire article (just click onto the embedded link in the title): Smith, Will, Race & Prejudice in America Today – A Series: Exclusive Company, Daily Kos, July 23, 2013.

Here is some other quoted material for you:

Despite the movement towards a more diverse and integrated society, America still isn’t the melting pot it claims to be. Instead, it’s a compartmentalized storage unit, with Whites in the biggest compartment.

Okay, so now you can read the entire article from which I took that excerpt. Just click over to: Ahmed, Tasnim, The Melting Pot That Never Was, The Harvard Crimson, March 5, 2014.

This all brings something to my mind. Let me share it with you: