Friday, May 26, 2006

Colored Man: Brief Thoughts On Immigration And Diversity

Good morning! On my way to the subway station yesterday I was talking to a young lady that I work with about the diversity here in DC. We soon got on the subject of Immigration and the apparent fear that some people in this country have of immigrants (especially immigrants of color…black, Latino, etc.). This conversation only lasted for our ten-minute walk to the subway station, but in that time we both agreed that this country has not yet seen it’s true identity. What will an American look like in 50 years? What changes will we see in language and culture? These are legitimate questions because America is in an adolescent stage of existence in comparison to Africa, Asia or Europe. America gained independence in 1776. That makes us approximately 230 years old as a nation. That is fairly young for a country. It is my hope that the constant blending of languages and cultures will soon force this country to shed it’s separatist attitudes and eventually embrace diversity. I know that this may seem unrealistic, but this is my hope. Speaking of hope…I hope that everyone has a fun and safe holiday weekend if you are here in the Un-United States. If you are in another part of the world I wish you peace and prosperity.

Side note: I read something recently on a fortune cookie that said:
‘Good work, good life, good love, good-bye oppression.’
Lucky Numbers: 11,14,30,31,45,46
(I couldn’t leave out the lucky numbers. **smile**)

10 comments:

Stephen A. Bess said...

Let all the people say...Amen. :) Hello Michael.

a black girl said...

Wow, revolutionary fortune cookies? Excuse my apocolyptic outlook but damnit if the revolution ain't commin'!

NML/Natalie said...

I think what often gets forgotten is that America is a nation of immigrants. Of course there should be certain controls on immigration but when I hear about people kicking off about it in the US, I think how quick they forget their history. Have a great weekend my friend x

Stephen A. Bess said...

blackgirl-
Bua!!!! Bua!!! More power to the people. Thanks!

nml-
Yes, you're correct. There are those who chose to come here and those who were forced to come here, but we all had to cross the pond. I hope that your weekend is going well too my friend. x :)

nosthegametoo said...

What i find very interesting is that although Americans have only been around since 1776, the acutal form of government is one of the oldest in the world. Most other nations have experienced numberous ruling changes.

But you are right, this will be a very different place in 50 years.

Ananda said...

wonderful art work. love the fortune cookie expression. i am taking it with me to the beach in a few moments. enjoy the weekend. peace, ananda

ps: i was finally able to post my novel chapter this morning. the draft that i sent to you on friday has been revised. check out the blog post for novel and post on sunday revelations. thanks again for all of of your sharing and photos. i am grateful ...

Stephen A. Bess said...

game-
Much of what we do in America is antiquated in practice (ie Justice System). There are probably worse examples in the world, but reform in many areas should be considered and reconsidered. Thanks!

ananda-
I hope that you enjoyed your time at the beach! I'm sure that you did because the weather has been ripe for such an occasion. Thanks for stopping by. I will go by your spot to see what's going on. Peace~ :)

Shaggy said...

Great POST, Steve.

Well done. America is indeed a country of immigrants. With secure borders and an immigartion policy that is welcoming to others then the US will be heading somewhere.

The US is the only country that refers to people from other countries as ALIENS. These are foreigners not aliens.

But like you said, still growing and these are some of the issues that diversity will take care off. Anone who is scared of immigrants is a coward and should take charge of their lives to be as competitive as everyone else in the world. Not say, hey these guys are taking over, have you heard of the global village.....

Professor Zero said...

Great fortune cookie! I wonder what company printed that message, and whether they have composed any more...

Stephen A. Bess said...

bj-
I agree completely! Well said!

prof Zero-
It doesn't have a company name on it, but I usually explore these little slips of wisdom wedge between my dinner cookie.

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