The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that minority births in America have eclipsed those of whites of European ancestry. Boy, have the media been in a tizzy over that one.
As it goes, nonwhite minorities (Asian, Latino, black or mixed race) accounted for 50.4 percent of births as of July 2011.
That’s because white Americans of European ancestry don’t have as many kids as they once did. Big Irish Catholic families like mine are a thing of the past.
White Americans of European ancestry are aging, too. Fewer women in this demographic are in their child-bearing years.
America’s minority demographics are the opposite though. There are lots of minority women in their prime child-bearing years and some, such as Latinos, still believe in having big Catholic families.
The media, and some on the political left, are eating this story up. They love to classify people by skin color and ancestry. They love to make broad assumptions about how skin color and ancestry affect government policies and politics.
I wish they’d knock it off.
The only way people should be classified is this way: American-minded or not American-minded.
You remember how Americans used to think, don’t you? Remember all the immigrants who came to America in the late 1800s and early 1900s who didn’t ask for anything but the opportunity to better their lives?
The only rights they cared about were their unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Some in America worried then about a permanent underclass imposing its culture on our country, but those worries proved to be unfounded, as hardworking immigrants had children who fully absorbed the American spirit and would go on to help build and grow a remarkable country.
And that is exactly what we need more of. Here are the stories of three immigrants who are making America better -- people I met while living in Washington, D.C.
The first was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, the son of a well-to-do family. Civil war destroyed his parent’s business and it took them three years to flee their war-torn country.
They were penniless when they arrived in America. The parents and all six children took menial jobs. They saved their money. They opened a bakery. It now employs more than 100 people.
The second fellow had been a professor at a technical college in India, but his English was poor and he could not find similar work in America in his 20s. He worked menial jobs and saved his money.
He eventually purchased a mom-and-pop convenience store, a motel and other properties. He eventually brought over his wife and five siblings. He has two sons. Both are now American doctors.
The third immigrant fled civil war in El Salvador and came to America illegally. A smart fellow -- he was halfway through his engineering degree when he left home — but he spoke no English.
He, too, took on menial work and eventually found his way. He would perfect his English. Lucky for him, President Reagan offered him amnesty.
As an American citizen, he would found a commercial cleaning company. He would marry and have three boys, all of whom would go to college and be productive, fully integrated U.S. citizens.
These three immigrants are more American-minded than many Americans these days. They hold the values that have made our country great, which is all that matters.
Ironically, their children and grandchildren are classified as “minorities” on Census reports, but does their skin color really matter?
Nope.
Their American-mindedness is all that matters and our country sure is in need of lots more of that.
• ©2012 Tom Purcell. Tom Purcell, a freelance writer is also a humor columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. E-mail Tom at Purcell@caglecartoons.com.
sockratties posted at 7:57 am on Thu, May 31, 2012.
You’re right Tom…
Another story: I worked at a computer company in Silicon Valley in the 70s. Two Vietnamese girls worked there in assembly. Their parents were here as refugees. There was an older son, the two girls and a younger son. They were all working on U. S. citizenship. With the parents income at a convenience store and the income of the girls they could manage. The oldest son was about to complete college and the youngest would soon finish high school. They had a plan that was already two years in progress. The girls paid for the eldest to complete college. He would then go to work and help pay for the oldest girl. When the youngest finished school he was going to get a job and help. When the oldest finished school she would get a job and the next in line would start school, and so on. They were very motivated and I would bet they were successful.
They were in the U. S. because of the American Dream. What’s more American than that? And they knew that there is only one color that matters… green, the color of money!
VofReason posted at 12:09 pm on Thu, May 31, 2012.
Compare and contrast to the illegal immigrants we have in the valley. They come with no intention of learning the language or blend into the culture and protest when people want to (gasp) protect the border or enforce the law. They steel people's SSN#s to work illegally and run to the emergency room if their child has a hint of a sniffle. Then when time to expand the family, you guessed it, they show up at the County Hospital or emergency room with again no intention to pay a dime.
Engaged Voter posted at 5:56 pm on Thu, May 31, 2012.
I'm going to have to agree with VofReason - we're not dealing with "American-minded immigrants", we're fighting against illegal felons who have no desire to assimilate into our culture, and have no desire to better themselves. And these criminals continue to rob us blind, the emergency room example above being just one of the tactics they use to do this.
Shameful.
Cerulean posted at 6:18 pm on Thu, May 31, 2012.
I read, “The media, and some on the political left, are eating this story up. They love to classify people by skin color and ancestry. They love to make broad assumptions about how skin color and ancestry affect government policies and politics.”
I thought, "This boy does not live in Arizona." As it is not the "political left" that has issue with minorities so much as it is the political right- read VofReason and Engaged Voter.
VofReason posted at 1:09 pm on Fri, Jun 1, 2012.
Thank you Cerulean for being the left mouthpiece with yet another nonsenseical comeback. The only reason race comes into it here is because we are next to Mexico which has no desire to stem the tide of people fleeing their mess of a country (remeber 50,000 dead in 3 years from drug gangs). I will desagree with EV above- I believe they are here to better themselves, but do not intend on assimulating. My sense is they would rather stay at home in Mexico if it weren't so messed up and had opportunity. If it were a boatload of caucasian Russians who were working the system- I would say the same thing.
Engaged Voter posted at 1:52 pm on Fri, Jun 1, 2012.
Wow.
Why are people like Cerulean (who, ironically, seems like the type to scream "racist!" at the drop of a hate) always the ones to try to muddy the issue by bringing up race?
Is it a lack of a proper education, or some irrational need to be dishonest and distort the truth?
Not to mention falsely labeling complete strangers. No "political right" here, try again. ;)
Cerulean posted at 9:39 pm on Fri, Jun 1, 2012.
“You accuse me very invidiously and without sufficient cause of claim. I laugh at your absurdity and falsity for afterword you adopt what you had censured in me.”
The Ghost Writer
mnjcpa posted at 9:14 am on Sat, Jun 2, 2012.
Touché VofReason - well played!