| Diversity or melting pot Which makes more sense? by Paul Kusuda |
| I had my own experiences, both good and bad, while growing up. So did my older brother and younger sister. So did my father and mother. Each of us had unique experiences of which the other was totally unaware, but we comprised a unit. If as a family, we had good fortune or if we faced a hardship, we dealt with each situation as a family, a unit with a leader. Although we were individuals, we were also a unit. This concept will be later related to that of diversity. In my case, and in the case of many Nisei (Japanese Americans), I identified with my family as a unit and to a much lesser extent with my parents -- kenjinkai, a social group of immigrants from Japan who aligned themselves with the prefecture (like a county) from which they had come. Such grouping is similar to gatherings of Arkansans or Oklahomans who moved to California in large groups during the 1930s. When the Japanese immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s, they found out they were ineligible to apply for naturalization and therefore could not become U.S. citizens, even though they so desired. The ineligibility was based on the fact that they were from an Asian country. Despite that, most Issei (those born in Japan) wanted their children, U.S. citizens by birth, to be proficient in English. They recognized that was necessary for their children to succeed in American society. Education was highly encouraged. Generally speaking, Japanese Americans born in the 1920s, 1930s, and even later years, identified strongly with the larger American society while recognizing they were not fully accepted as equals. They not only became as American as anyone else, most also did not view use of the Japanese language as being too important. They did not heed their parents' suggestions that they should learn to read, write, and speak Japanese. My older brother, younger sister, and I were like that. Of course, being exposed to Japanese relatives, customs, traditions, and courtesies made many of us different from others. We were later known as the "Quiet Americans." In public schools, we learned about democracy, federal and state constitutions, the three branches of government, and other subjects that made us proud to be Americans. In fact, contained in the Congressional Record of May 9, 1941, is the official creed of the Japanese American Citizens League as written by Mike Masaoka, a JACL stalwart: "I am proud that I am an American citizen of Japanese ancestry, for my very background makes me appreciate more fully the wonderful advantages of this nation ... Because I believe in America, and I trust she believes in me, ... I pledge myself to do honor to her at all times and in all places ... in the hope that I may become a better American in a greater America." In a sense, we were led to believe that indeed a melting pot was a reality. And so we dreamed. In 1941-1942 came a rude awakening. Just seven months after the creed was entered in the Congressional Record, Pearl Harbor was bombed. Within two months, the President issued Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. Using that as the authority, 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry were uprooted from their homes in California, Oregon, and Washington and incarcerated in 10 relocation centers or so-called "camps." From that experience, many Nisei and their chilren learned the value of speaking up and participating in community activities, both politically and otherwise. One major message they make is that such a miscarriage of justice must not recur in the United States against a group of people merely because of their ancestry, religion, or other characteristic that may set them apart from the majority with power and resources to interpret the laws of the land. Recurrence must not occur on the rationale that security must completely supersede civil liberties. Where do our leaders, including those elected to represent us, now stand with respect to security balanced against civil rights? Should we join the small group that struggles to restore equilibrium? The children of the Nisei and their children are active in their communities, much more than the Nisei and their parents, the Issei. Our hope is that they will join others to move our communities, our leaders, and our nation to review how we have erred so often in seeking the road to our democratic dream. Finding out that the melting pot dream is not reality-based and knowing that racial minority and other groups must become more visible for their value to the larger society, I now better see value in furthering the strengths to be found in the diversity model as against that of the melting pot. More about the next time when I do more thinking about diversity and what needs to be done to create an effective diversity model. |
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| My choice was clear for many years. Then, it changed. Why? What was it before and what is it now? Well, here goes the story. None of us has had the same growing-up experiences exactly the same as anyone else. On the other hand, family members have experienced the same things together. How they felt and how they dealt with good times and bad develop a sense of togetherness that some call "bonding." |
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