Harold Crumpley: We’re not a ‘melting pot,’ we’re an idea

Re “America: History’s exception” (Page 3D, June 12): Victor Hanson, like most of us, “drank the cool-aid,” celebrating America as the “great melting-pot.” Diversity is what makes America “great” (tell it to Trump!) – and makes America unique.

When Modesto City Schools introduced its “Respect for Diversity” policy in 1998, a consultant made some unforgettable remarks. This man was a Southern Baptist minister-lawyer (I thought: Oh, My!). He congratulated us on what we had done – written a policy by a community committee of 100 members. Then, he said: “Most nations of the world are based on bloodlines and tribal traditions. America is different because we base our nation on an idea – in the Declaration of Independence – that ‘all men are created equal.’”

We think of ourselves as “one nation,” but we are not. We are an amalgamation of many nations. Eleven different “national cultures” that settled this continent in the three-centuries before America was born. A book by Colin Woodward, “American Nations,” discusses our heritages in a different way than we learned (and I taught) in school. It’s worth a read – to get beyond this outdated idea of America as a melting-pot. We must remember our great idea – especially on the 4th of July.

This story was originally published June 13, 2016 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Harold Crumpley: We’re not a ‘melting pot,’ we’re an idea."