Americans?

During a dinner party I met several Europeans who had become US citizens. It was clear that their cultural biases probably will never be overcome by their commitment to citizenship. During the conversations they parrotted the media biased lines about the incompetence of George Bush; almost verbatum from NBC. Remarkably their voting inclination is towards John McCain, a paradox of large proportions.

It must be quite a struggle for a person born in one culture to take on the responsibility of adopting another. There are unconcious aspects of one's environment which are absorbed willingly but unkowingly. It is difficult for anyone to separate themselves from the prism of experience when considering a situation. For naturalized US citizens, particularly Euros, it is nearly impossible.

Europeans guage the United States from a perspective of history that they like to say is lengthy enough to make decisions that cannot be questioned. Their sense of superiority is based on overturning monarchies, destroying Christianity, adopting malicious socialism verging on communism, and with only a little help throwing out totalitarian facisim at the expense of millions of lives. To Europeans the United States is a lucky group of failed Euros forced to emigrate to escape their shortcomings. Of course this begs the question of their presence here.

Another view is that of Latinos who fear the repetition of oppressive government and so never really get integrated in society. Gang dominated social groups and neighborhood are a serious cancer within the American body politic. As Latinos are the fastest growing demographic within the US borders any failure to assimilate is bound to be dangerous. Of course Latino activists scoff at the idea of assimilation; a disturbing continuity of recent immigrants from any source.

The hope is that the third generation will be one that can only speak English.