The Ethic of the Ethnic American

This Fourth of July, I’m officially changing my race (I heard we can do this now). Unlike Rachel Dolezal, I won’t need to alter my appearance, because from this point forward my ethnicity will be one that goes beyond appearance and speaks to what I believe: American. Unhyphenated. Indivisible, you might say.

While we all laugh at an NAACP Chapter President basing her career claims to be black or an Ivy League socialist who sought promotion for being Native American, ethnic self-identification is an increasingly serious issue — my family could lay claim to ancestry from all the major ethnic groups and several minor ones, and that’s going to be case for more and more families as miscegenation becomes an ever more popular contact sport.

And ultimately how we self-identify dictates what kinds of decisions we make, what kind of communities we form. Low crime communities are filled with individuals who for whatever reason are philosophically reluctant to commit crimes, especially violent crimes. High income communities tend to be full of people who have decided to work harder at creating value. Race is irrelevant, character paramount, institutions decisive.  Higher incomes, lower crime: this is the future.

America is not the government, or the borders, or even the people within those borders. America is an idea, an ideal — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Recognize that that which unites us is more important than that which divides us. On this July 4th, be an American.


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4 responses to “The Ethic of the Ethnic American”

  1. Kathy Kinsley Avatar
    Kathy Kinsley

    I’ve been an unhyphenated American since college – and that was a long time ago. I got tired of “what nationality are you” (from other Americans, when I had an obviously American accent).

    And I’ve been an American since. I will answer as to where my forebears came from if asked that. But MY nationality is American.

    Happy Independence Day!

  2. Man Mountain Molehill Avatar
    Man Mountain Molehill

    I’m changing my phylum.

  3. Man Mountain Molehill Avatar
    Man Mountain Molehill

    In fact, phylumoplasty is quite common in some circles. Notice how many Republican congressmen are really spineless jellyfish.

    I’ve always felt like an echinoderm trapped in a vertebrate body.

  4. Man Mountain Molehill Avatar
    Man Mountain Molehill

    Some haven’t gone full coelenterate,
    I see plenty of weasleplasty also.