Archbishop Jose H. Gomez (CR, Aug. 18 and 25) thinks this country is one of multiple cultures. Maybe we are, but we are most definitely a melting pot. A society where all our cultures assimilate into one (that of the United States of America), speaking one language (that of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution), under one flag. Multiculturalism ensures those barriers that separate us stay erect, not like a melting pot, but like an egg carton.
Yes, we should be proud of our ancestry, but not at the cost of ensuring racism remains alive. I come from so many different cultures that the only culture I feel welcomed in is the culture of the U.S. – not the Irish culture, not the Croatian culture, nor the Cherokee culture. And what about those who come from even more cultures like my nephews with Chinese blood, or those with African and Japanese blood, or those with French and Vietnamese blood? How does the archbishop think they feel when they are instructed to check the box for ethnicity?
Archbishop Gomez also seems to think racism only resides in the European culture. He needs to look beyond his Hispanic culture to that culture of the United States of America.