Realizing I live in 2 worlds....

[Anonymous]

Op here, to 22:24 To me you write very well. I have a problem articulating my thoughts in writing and speaking but you do it fine.
About the "melting pot" I think that you have to be in "the other" side to understand. All this time I was "the other" without realizing, thus my little awareness of my difference when around a majority. I used to think just like the last poster that argued about DC being a melting pot.
It is an international friendly place it is true but only in circles where most people is well traveled and has experience with people from different places.

[Anonymous]

"You make no sense."

NP here. Yes, she does make perfect sense. You just don't want to hear it.

There are other threads on here where people are discouraged from speaking their mind about people -rather frequently, I might add.

We can't make observations? We can't speak our mind? We have to live under your (rather dirty) rock?

I would presume that you are the one trying to discourage. You need to get out more, away from mommy and daddy.

Not everything is the way you want it to be. DC can pretend to be a melting pot all it wants. You seem to be very content closing your eyes and not speaking the truth, PP. The epitome of the ignorant American. For shame. Get out more.

[Anonymous]

I am loving every single line of this thread...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't quite get this post. I mean, even though I may notice that somebody has an accent, I'd never assume that they aren't American simply b/c of that accent. I grew up in this area and half my friends parents are immigrants. They are also U.S. citizens and their children are completely assimilated.

I mean - this is DC - it really IS a melting pot. That doesn't mean everybody will fit in, but if you don't feel that you fit in, I wouldn't assume it is b/c of your accent or not growing up here. I never fit in in certain US cities either (e.g., Boston) - just a personality thing.

I guess I am just confused by this thread b/c of course people notice your different ethnicity - just like you notice mine (white, no-accent). But are you being treated differently in some way? You say you are not....or at least haven't pointed out in what way you are being treated differently. Did something happen to make you feel this way?

I knew you were white even before you revealed that you are. I am also thinking you might say you have black friends, and point out we have a black President, when debating racial harmony with others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't quite get this post. I mean, even though I may notice that somebody has an accent, I'd never assume that they aren't American simply b/c of that accent. I grew up in this area and half my friends parents are immigrants. They are also U.S. citizens and their children are completely assimilated.

I mean - this is DC - it really IS a melting pot. That doesn't mean everybody will fit in, but if you don't feel that you fit in, I wouldn't assume it is b/c of your accent or not growing up here. I never fit in in certain US cities either (e.g., Boston) - just a personality thing.

I guess I am just confused by this thread b/c of course people notice your different ethnicity - just like you notice mine (white, no-accent). But are you being treated differently in some way? You say you are not....or at least haven't pointed out in what way you are being treated differently. Did something happen to make you feel this way?

I knew you were white even before you revealed that you are. I am also thinking you might say you have black friends, and point out we have a black President, when debating racial harmony with others.

I wonder if people really believe in this Melting Pot BS or they only repeat what they hear over and over without giving it a thought...

[Anonymous]

Do you think, OP, that the problem is your insecurity about being yourself?

We all have different groups of people who bring out different sides of us.

My husband and I have a blue collar circle through some sports contacts, but our "real life" is filled with policy wonks and the overeducated. Do you think I'm completely the same in both groups? Not a chance. I'm still me all the time, but I respect who I am with (i.e. stating where one went to school has no meaning but snobbery among those who couldn't attend, but tells a lot about training among many of my peers.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't quite get this post. I mean, even though I may notice that somebody has an accent, I'd never assume that they aren't American simply b/c of that accent. I grew up in this area and half my friends parents are immigrants. They are also U.S. citizens and their children are completely assimilated.

I mean - this is DC - it really IS a melting pot. That doesn't mean everybody will fit in, but if you don't feel that you fit in, I wouldn't assume it is b/c of your accent or not growing up here. I never fit in in certain US cities either (e.g., Boston) - just a personality thing.

I guess I am just confused by this thread b/c of course people notice your different ethnicity - just like you notice mine (white, no-accent). But are you being treated differently in some way? You say you are not....or at least haven't pointed out in what way you are being treated differently. Did something happen to make you feel this way?

I knew you were white even before you revealed that you are. I am also thinking you might say you have black friends, and point out we have a black President, when debating racial harmony with others.

I wonder if people really believe in this Melting Pot BS or they only repeat what they hear over and over without giving it a thought...

To me, this is as "racist" as anything I've seen on here. And, ignorant.

Frankly, I do thing DC (and many other parts of the country) is a "melting pot". The fact that it is as much of a melting pot as you would like is another issue entirely. My neighborhood in VA -gasp! yes, VA- has white, Indian, Syrian, black, Jewish, gay, disabled, elderly and more people in it. And I love that about it.
OP, not sure what your post was trying to convey, other than ignorance.

[Anonymous]

PP I think that the one exposing ignorance is you. If you talk about a real melting pot wouldn't these neighbors be just..Americans? the fact that all these ethnicities and nationalities you mention live in your neighborhood doesn't explain the melting pot. Do your homework and at least read the Wikipedia reference to "melting Pot" a term that is very outdated. What you have now in your neighborhood could be described as "multiculturalism" or "cultural pluralism".
Here an excerpt:

-Non-white Americans, on the other hand, were for centuries not regarded by most white Americans as equal citizens and suitable marriage partners, and did therefore not fit into melting pot discourses at all. Intermarriage between Anglo-Americans and white immigrant groups was acceptable as part of the melting pot narrative. But when the term was first popularized in the early twentieth century, most whites did not want to accept non-whites, and especially African-Americans, as equal citizens in America's melting pot society. Native Americans in the United States enrolled in tribes did not have US citizenship until the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, and were subjected to government policies of enforced cultural assimilation, which was termed "Americanization".-

[Anonymous]

"I guess I am just confused by this thread b/c of course people notice your different ethnicity - just like you notice mine"

You simply do not get it. You don't understand that if you look a certain way (which I may or may not) - THINGS ARE DIFFERENT.

Which is fine. But do NOT try to take away from someone who does NOT go through what you do (DON'T) every single day. With nothing they can do about it.

Yes, it likely has to do with OP. HOWEVER, just as much, it likely has nothing to do with OP. And everything to do with the respondent.

Does this area want a medal because it has many different faces?

It's not about having a Benetton Ad on the surface. It's about following through. This area has NO idea. There are other more educated, truly diverse places. This is not one of them.

Drop your citations and step outside of yourself a bit. Assuming you can.

[Anonymous]

Hey that would explain why when I write an email to complaint about something (usually to online travel agencies or department stores) and politely but assertively demand a solution, I get it but if I call, never.

[zumbamama]

DC may not be a perfect melting pot, but that doesn't mean racial harmony is nonexistent. Not every American behaves the same way as the people in your particular circle of friends.

I am American and I don't treat my international friends differently than my American friends. I'm hanging out with my friend from Nepal right now and I could care less that he has an accent. He's just as cool as my American friend adopted from Korea, and my African American friend that I went to college with, my French neighbor, my co-worker from Russia and all my cousins from the Philippines. It sure feels like a melting pot in my house.

[Anonymous]

It's not a melting pot -- it's vegetable stew. Not 100% blended, but goes pretty well together (most of the time anyway).

[Anonymous]

OP, where I grew up (Laurel/Columbia), most of my international friends were usually higher income and better educated than my family. My parents were blue collar; theirs were often doctors or business owners. Mostly Indian, Chinese, Pakistani, and Arab. It took a lot to be able to immigrate here, and overwhelmingly the families were well educated and multilingual. To this day, I tend to hear an accent and assume the person is affluent.

[Anonymous]

zumbamama wrote:DC may not be a perfect melting pot, but that doesn't mean racial harmony is nonexistent. Not every American behaves the same way as the people in your particular circle of friends.

I am American and I don't treat my international friends differently than my American friends. I'm hanging out with my friend from Nepal right now and I could care less that he has an accent. He's just as cool as my American friend adopted from Korea, and my African American friend that I went to college with, my French neighbor, my co-worker from Russia and all my cousins from the Philippines. It sure feels like a melting pot in my house.

Are you a child of immigrants?

[zumbamama]

Anonymous wrote:

zumbamama wrote:DC may not be a perfect melting pot, but that doesn't mean racial harmony is nonexistent. Not every American behaves the same way as the people in your particular circle of friends.

I am American and I don't treat my international friends differently than my American friends. I'm hanging out with my friend from Nepal right now and I could care less that he has an accent. He's just as cool as my American friend adopted from Korea, and my African American friend that I went to college with, my French neighbor, my co-worker from Russia and all my cousins from the Philippines. It sure feels like a melting pot in my house.

Are you a child of immigrants?

Mom is foreign born, Dad is American born.