by Fb Publications

Created on: March 19, 2007   Last Updated: April 30, 2007

W. E. B. DuBois notion of double-consciousness applied to African Americans can be aptly applied to many ethnic Americans who must be "loyal" to both their ethnic groups and ethnic identities, languages, and traditions, while at the same time being "good Americans." This is a problem for many people.

"Good Americans" who tell them they must learn English, adhere to a religion that's acceptable, traditions that are acceptable to the ethnic Americans-generally European ethnics.

This is even a problem for European ethnics who have many different traditions-whether Irish, Italian, European Jewish, etc.

However, Americans must learn how to be both/and rather than either/or. They can be both Italians and Americans, Irish and Americans, Greek and Americans.

Certainly there are often conflicts and disagreements. But Americans are going to have to learn how to disagree as a good old American tradition.

Even where the majority rules we still have to determine whether or not the majority rule is honorable or "corrupt." Sometimes the majority honorably rules, sometimes it corruptly rules. This is same with those in power, when certain ethnic groups for example come to power and have all the power, are these majorities corrupt or honorable?

That's why there is "international law" supposedly independent of the corruptions of national interests.

We must decide where we can all be "Americans" and where it is acceptable for us to defer.

Certainly if English is the national language, then we should all learn English. Nevertheless we have the right to continue our own languages.

We don't have to all have the same religion-however, there should be a national moral ideal, even if that ideal is tolerance. And religions do not need to dominate the marketplace.

In schools, we can learn all different languages, all different religions, as a scholarly understanding not to proselytize any of us. This is a role for the schools. Learn about different ethnic groups, different peoples, different national and cultural ideals, learn how to relate to each other honorably. If we think that other cultures can teach us, then we can learn from them. We can also be selective and modify our learning.

It's good that Greeks and Jewish people have Greek and Hebrew Schools. This can be a model for others. They go to their "integrated schools" but they understand that there is knowledge of wisdom from their ancient and great traditions that they must maintain. Certainly others can have this model. Which is a both/and model and a necessary model. Many civilizations have great knowledge and wisdom that we continue to exclude in favor of the dominant groups and dominant ethnics.

We continue to discover that much of the wisdom and knowledge of other ethnics that we must relearn and are grateful that many of these have maintained their knowledge and their wisdom systems. Much of the knowledge that the Mayas and the Aztecs have had to teach us we don't know and/or some of us are relearning. There is knowledge and wisdom contained in languages and language systems also and we must maintain those languages along with English-even if we decide upon this as an international language and/or even an international business language, as many appear to be doing.

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