Ola Omar
Blog #2
The quote that I selected for reflection #2 from the essay Trans-National America by Randolph Bourne. The quote that I selected for reflection #2 is "if the distinctions are to be made between us, they should rightly be on the some other ground than indigenousness." (Bourne, 1916).
The main idea of Bourne's essay is that the true "genius' of America is how America includes many cultures into a whole national culture based on citizenship, rather than ethnicity. Bourne also emphasizes how diversity should be found in institutions, so that America can be a national culture. I think that the main idea of Trans-National America is part of why Bourne wrote this quote in his essay. For example, this quote means that there are always going to be differences between people whether it is based on their families differences, or their valued differences, or even their cultural differences, but if there is going to be any differences between the citizens of America, then that difference should be based off of something other than where they came from. I think that Bourne wanting differences to be made between the citizens in America based off of something other than where they originated from is why he encourages diversity in American universities and in America itself. In the quote that I selected, I think that Bourne is trying to say that America has come a long way since the Anglo Saxon days and we should welcome all U.S citizens of all cultures.
Bourne does not want English citizens to separate themselves from other races. He wants us to be a national culture. In Trans-National America, Bourne argues that if non-native children had the education that we (the natives) have, then the non-native children would start at the same level as we (the natives). I could not agree more with this argument and I think that this argument best explains the meaning of the quote that I have selected. Bourne is saying that it does not matter where a person comes from, if all the children have the same resources to learn from, then they will be capable of and have a fair chance at developing skills. That is why Bourne does not want us to make distinctions upon individuals based off of where they originated from.
I selected this quote because I think that it is important for the people of America, especially the U.S government, to understand that it does not matter where a person is from or what culture he is from, what matters is how he is as a person. A Chinese person is not smarter than an American person and vice versa. I notice that we tend to make inaccurate assumptions about people based on their culture. For example, if we see a white man, we think that that white man is above it all, but if we see a black man, we think that that black man is just another statistic of a crime committed. What we need to do as human beings is see the person for who he is and not for the color of his skin. .
The essay of "Trans-National America"by Randolph Bourne , argued against the theory of "the melting pot". The melting pot theory suppose to mean that every race and culture are accepted in America. Bourne believe every race and their cultures should be use in a combination instead of stripping them from their cultures and enforcing them to convert into one race. I believe Bourne was right and arguing against "the melting theory", his ideas of using different races and cultures as combination was brilliant and show no discrimination toward race and culture. I do agree with you about how individual cultures are discriminated and are not view as person.
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