By Trevor K. McNeil

White Like Me

Every nation has it’s own mythology, some of them more literal than others. Cultures such as the Greeks and the Norse largely outsourced in terms of national mythology to celestial deities. Younger nations like, say America, to pick a name out of a hat, tend to mythologize themselves, having no real history to speak of before the Industrial Age. Seriously, Norway has trees that are older than the nation of America. One of the first myths perpetrated by the new nation was they had the right to lay claim to a name applying to no less than two continents, namely North and South America.

Silly Myths

Other myths of the ‘American Nation,’ aside from the silly ones like being discovered by Christopher Columbus, despite him getting close, Leif Erickson actually beat him by about a thousand years and the Polynesians may have beat him to the Southern Hemisphere by 10,000 years. And what about this American democracy “thing?” The U. S. “democracy” everyone ballyhoos has never actually been a democracy at all. If in fact, America was a democracy or even intended to be one, there would not have been every effort, imaginable to methodically deny suffrage to women, immigrants, blacks, and Native American peoples. Other myths include the idea of America as a melting pot.

My Definition Is This

There is some disagreement about what the term melting pot actually means. The general idea is that America has cultural identity that is not only distinctly identifiable but also consistent across all individuals. This holistic, and frankly absolutist, notion implies that anyone born or naturalized into the ‘American Culture’ will be speaking English, playing baseball, and eating apple pie within a couple of months. A somewhat odd claim considering the massive cultural difference between many of the states, in part thanks to states rights, that lead to a literal war in the 19th century. Any Yankee who thinks ‘Rebel Pride’ isn’t still a thing is just wrong. Southern Americans, of all races, are an example of cultural diversity in America. There still being hardliners who identify as ‘Confederates’ or ‘Southern’ before even ‘American.’

Pardon My French

Another primarily southern group, mostly ignored and dismissed by the melting pot idea are the over one million Acadians living within America’s borders. Known variably as ‘Acadians,’ ‘Cajuns,’ and sometimes ‘Louisiana French,’ the Acadians are a distinct cultural group, originating in both France and Eastern Canada. They speak a dialect of French. Often it is the first language. The largest population of Acadians reside in Louisiana. In Louisiana they constitute a major voting block and have a major influence on the culture of the state. Famous Cajuns in popular culture include Gambit from the X-Men universe, Marg Simpson [nee Bouvier] in The Simpsons and Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire. The first major acknowledgement of the Louisiana French, that I know of in national politics, recognizing them as distinct voting group came when then candidate Joe Biden acknowledged their voting impact when campaigning in Louisiana.

Father Land

Take a look at the Pennsylvania Dutch. Generally a sub-group of the Amish break-away sect of the Mennonite religion. The term refers both to the Amish of the Pennsylvania community in Pennsylvania, made famous in the Harrison Ford vehicle Witness, and the language spoken by them and other Amish groups. In terms of ethnic groups in America and cultural diversity the Pennsylvania Dutch are a sterling example. Not only do they have a clearly distinct culture they also have a unique language officially recognized as a sub-set of the German language family, often used in place of English unless they are addressing an English speaker. I’ve read that the Amish refer to American non-Amish as ‘English.’

More Not Less

Some would say a few examples don’t matter and they are the exception that proves the rule. Usually they would be right. Except in cases of absolutism, one exception brings down the entire notion. Despite the oft repeated idea that America is a melting pot, just look around. There is much more cultural diversity in America than most people would like to admit or even understand.

Salad Bowl Theory

https://www.calamitypolitics.com/2020/01/27/minority-identity-representation-mainstream-art-culture11689/