New Mexico (where I live) is considered a majority-minority state by the U.S. Census Bureau. So is Hawaii which has never had a "white" majority population. I doubt NM was ever "white majority" either. I find this government labeling and districting system offensive and racist, especially to areas where the majority has always been something other than white/Anglo/European.
I was taught (growing up in Iowa) that Caucasian included many groups like Hispanic and Middle Eastern. (Asians were always in their own category.) But, court cases have challenged the old 1800's concept and the classifications are constantly changing based on our evolving ethnicity in America.
That's the real issue. We are evolving. We're not "free whites" and "negroes" as the dominant politicians called the groups in post Civil War America. As the article (link in the title) points out, even a rural Kansas county is now majority-minority. In time, that will change some of the remaining prejudices. The article points out that U.S. children are already 47% "minority." (I thought it was even higher. Wait for that 2010 Census.) As the older "Archie Bunkers" die off and America is left with a mainly Mulatto mocha skin color, there won't be any racist whites to perpetuate the problems, right?
WRONG! Even if America evolves to one nice even skin tone, all the cultural and ethnic wars will continue. There will be class warfare over money and means, haves and have-nots. Those with health care and those without.
My original thought was to blog about the "stupidity" of arresting the Harvard professor, and the crazy woman yelling about Obama's birth certificate. But maybe the "Orphan" movie is more poignant. Philip K Dick wrote about a dark future in L.A. where society was reduced to angry street gangs (mixed race, of course) and the battle was androids (fakes) vs. the superior real humans. The quest continues -- what is real, what is human? Zen is real, Phil. As for the crazy woman who wants her country back. I laugh maniacally. I felt that way for eight long, painful years.
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and, then, regardless of ethnicity, there's always my favorite war, which goes on endlessly around the globe in one place or another. it's simmering in this country as well. and that's the war of religion.
Yes, and as we discussed last night, class (haves and have-nots) is a huge divide. If the Harvard Professor, regardless of race or ethnicity, was saying, "do you know who I am?"... well, that's a recipe for disaster. Like begging the cop to arrest him, especially if he was belligerent.
Iowa meant "belligerent" in the local prehistoric indigenous population. Many of these people still live in Ottumwa. :) Doug P.
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