Commentary on the Article, “In My Heart, I’m an American” by Griffin and McFarland

In the article, “In My Heart, I’m an American” by Griffin and McFarland I found the following two issues to be the most interesting:

The first thing I found interesting was how the article seemed to point out how the South defines themselves or what they consider “American” to be a flaw or to be wrong.  How a person identifies themselves as American should not be right or wrong, it is how they identify with their culture.  For better or for worse, we have to respect the South like any other region of the United States.  Is it my hope that we evolve in to a society that thinks a bit different than the manner in which the South was portrayed in these surveys and studies, yes it is.  However, that does not mean that they are wrong for having less experience or exposure to other cultures. 

Would I encourage them to be more open to inviting other cultures into their society, yes I would.  What I have learned from my experience is that being exposed to different cultures has tremendous benefits, especially in how we view the world around us and humankind.  That does not mean that Southerners should not be allowed to be proud of their religious beliefs, or their position on what constitutes as American.  I would never ask a Mexican-American, Asian American or any other American to give up or alter their definition of what they believe is American and by extension their identity because it is based on the history and experience they know.  The fact that we are able to have our own definition of what is American and remain unified in the America we strive for is what makes America great.  We can hold on to our differences and still maintain peace and a unified vision of the larger picture of what we want for our country.   

I do hope that people remain open to respecting other cultures, but I don’t feel the need to force it on them or criticize them for their resistance to it.  Change isn’t easy and people in general are stubborn to it.  As we learn and understand each other’s differences we become more open to other ideas and our perspectives change.  This to me is a good thing but I am not holding on to a rich history of communities that felt the need to unify with their similarities and shared beliefs. I cannot pretend that I understand the South’s values because I do not know enough about their education, history or attitudes.  What I read implies that they may be behind in their exposure or acceptance to others but I cannot be sure that it is wrong when it may simply be how they view their culture.

The second issue I found interesting from this article was the fear that some hold of new or different cultures being introduced to the United States.  The idea of people fearing that is outrageous to me because isn’t that who we are, a giant stew of different separate ingredients?  Is there really a fear that “their attempts to keep alive their culture and language [will] fracture America” (Griffin, & McFarland, 2007, p. 4)?  I agree more with the statement Griffin and McFarland (2007) made when they said, “a common ancestral culture is neither necessary nor obtainable in this country” (p. 4).  Since that is true, or at least I believe that it is, than how can we approach this issue in fear, but rather shouldn’t we welcome it and try to learn from each other so that we can bridge our differences and work toward the same future?

Overall, I agree with the findings but not necessarily how Griffin and McFarland interpreted the findings.  Where I live, or speaking from my life experiences, we all gain more understanding of all people as we get older and as we are introduced to more and more differences in people.  The South may be considered behind or they could be living under a stigma because of history and this has sheltered them from new experiences.  There are people in Minnesota that don’t know the difference between Mexican, Spanish, Latino, Chicano, Asian, Japanese, etc.  The other day someone referred to my girlfriend as “oriental.”  What is she, a rug?  For some, it is only what they know, it isn’t really by choice because I think if they realized what they were missing they would seek out and welcome the opportunity to open their eyes.  We could all use a bit of diversity education and sensitivity.

References

Griffin, L., & McFarland, K. (2007). In my heart, i'm an american: regional attitudes and

american identity. Southern Cultures, 13(4), Retrieved from http://vizedhtmlcontent.next.ecollege.com/pub/content/b839ffd7-9a8a-4bdd-bbf6-b3a26cfbebc2/in_my_heart.pdf