Immigrant
groups had their children learn English and assimilate because they wanted
their children to prosper in America. However, they went to sometimes great
lengths to preserve their cultures for their descendants as well by organizing
their own private institutions to educate their descendants in the culture from
the old country.
The
14th Amendment was written and passed by Republicans in 1868 to prevent state
law and state courts from abusing free blacks, especially recently freed
slaves. It failed. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed to correct the
failure. As long as the Feds focused on individual rights everything was fine.
Then
the idea of identity politics and group rights became popular at the federal
level. To further group rights, the Feds decided they need to intervene to
preserve multi-cultural roots. But private efforts to preserve culture and
government sponsored efforts to preserve culture are two entirely different
things. The federal government is a one size fits all central government. When
they favor one culture, they are seen as suppressing another. The federal
effort to encourage "cultural diversity" began to look like an effort
to favor some cultural groups at the expense of others. In particular,
Evangelical Protestants felt like the government was trying to destroy their
religion. Although, I am not an Evangelical Protestant, I think they have a
very good case to make that they are being harassed by the government.
The Constitution does not say anywhere
that the federal government is in charge of culture. It should not be involved
at all. Rights should return to being individual rights, not group rights.
People should try to be tolerant instead of spending so much time trying to be
on top.
Original Article
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/436347/america-melting-pot-immigrant-culture-made-countr
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